Finally I got a metric I can understand - what is the % of our government spending vs GDP?
You can get these numbers for the federal spending, but we also need to know what the overall percentage is for state spending, and it seems Texas is doing reasonably well overall. Now, before you get too excited, remember one of my favorite sayings, "It's not hard to beat zero!". If you compare any state to California, they look really good.
But having said that, here's the rest of the story and the NUMBER: 17.3% Don't ever forget this as we go forward to hold politicians accountable!
excerpt
From the National review
Low-Tax Texas Creates Most New Jobs
More than half of the net new jobs created in the United States during a recent 12-month period were created in Texas — due to economic practices that are a “model of restraint” the federal government could emulate, according to National Review Online.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics said 214,000 net new jobs were created from August 2009 to August 2010, and 119,000 of them were created in Texas.
“What does Austin know that Washington doesn’t?” writes National Review Editor Rich Lowry. “At its simplest: Don’t overtax and [over]-spend, keep regulations to a minimum, avoid letting unions and trial lawyers run riot, and display an enormous neon sign saying, ‘Open for Business.’”
A report from the Texas Policy Foundation disclosed that Texas saw a decline of 2.3 percent from its peak employment, compared to 8.7 percent in California and 5.7 nationwide.
California nearly canceled out Texas’ jobs gain by losing 112,000 jobs, and its unemployment rate is above 12 percent, while the rate in Texas stands at 8.3 percent.
Texas has no state income tax, and is among the 10 lowest-tax states in the nation. It’s a right-to-work state that enacted serious tort reform during the last decade.
“Texas is a model of government restraint. In 2008, state and local expenditures were 25.5 percent of GDP in California, 22.8 percent in the U.S., and 17.3 percent in Texas,” Lowry observes.
He concludes: “In Texas in recent decades, the watchwords have been prudence and stability in the course of nurturing a pro-business environment, while California has undergone a self-immolation that President Barack Obama wants to replay nationally.”
Will government allow the private sector to thrive, Lowry wonders, or stifle growth with “its hyperactivity and favoritism for anti-business interests?”
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Obamacare vs. Grandma
Dear Friends:
Please join me in wishing my grandmother a Happy Birthday! Tomorrow she turns 102 years old!
Recently she was in the garden pruning a tree and fell and broke her hip. Well of course she was taken to the hospital and the doctors had a very difficult time deciding what to do. As a family we agreed she should have a chance and elected to have a hip operation so that she could recuperate and return home to her normal life.
Well, needless to say, this was not a simple choice. The doctors were split about her treatment options. The other choice (if you could call it that) was to have a medically induced coma and let her live out her last days "pain-free". Well, all I can say is that we chose to give her a fighting chance. When you are 102 your life is totally in God's hands.
She had her operation and the doctors were amazed, her heart was in excellent condition, she is as strong as a horse. She is almost fully recuperated now and should be back home shortly, living in the home she has lived in for the better part of 60 years. She walks with a cane, but still insists on doing her own chores.
Of course, had we been in the next calendar year when Obamacare takes over, my guess is she would not have survived. Some federal bureaucrat would have refused her treatment because she is statistically too old. Well, Mr. Bureaucrat, Mr. Obama, that "statistic" is my Grandma. Don't mess with Grandma.
Now for the rest of the story......
The first time she broke her (other) hip, some 20 plus years ago, the doctors said the exact same thing. Had we chosen the painkiller only option, she would have lost over 20 years of life because of this decision. When she was in the nursing home last time she was ornery, couldn't stand it. She had to get out because she said there were too many old people there! She got out about 2 weeks ahead of schedule, all the nurses were amazed.
I am glad we DO NOT currently allow some stranger to make these decisions for us, not even doctors. I would not want that kind of authority over someone else, even my family member; it is not our decision to make. We must keep the rights of the individual to decide these things for themselves.
This has taught me a few valuable lessons.
1. No matter what our age or status, our lives are ALWAYS in God's hands.
2. We should not make choices for others about when it is their "time to go".
3. Obamacare would have certainly killed Grandma, any doubters?
4. You have to stand up for personal freedom for any and all people, regardless of race, color , creed or AGE!
Now I ask all of you to decide - take a stand. Are you for Obamacare and against Grandma? Yes or No, simple. No fence sitters or "moderates" allowed, no explanations needed.
If you choose the moderate option, let me tell you what I believe will happen. The Obamacare people will run over you like a steamroller, and you will have given them implicit approval to be the victim. Someday this WILL happen to you or your family member, it is only a matter of time. Not IF, but WHEN.
Please help me understand, exactly - for my grandmother - What HOPE and CHANGE does she have to look forward to?
God Bless Grandma!
Please join me in wishing my grandmother a Happy Birthday! Tomorrow she turns 102 years old!
Recently she was in the garden pruning a tree and fell and broke her hip. Well of course she was taken to the hospital and the doctors had a very difficult time deciding what to do. As a family we agreed she should have a chance and elected to have a hip operation so that she could recuperate and return home to her normal life.
Well, needless to say, this was not a simple choice. The doctors were split about her treatment options. The other choice (if you could call it that) was to have a medically induced coma and let her live out her last days "pain-free". Well, all I can say is that we chose to give her a fighting chance. When you are 102 your life is totally in God's hands.
She had her operation and the doctors were amazed, her heart was in excellent condition, she is as strong as a horse. She is almost fully recuperated now and should be back home shortly, living in the home she has lived in for the better part of 60 years. She walks with a cane, but still insists on doing her own chores.
Of course, had we been in the next calendar year when Obamacare takes over, my guess is she would not have survived. Some federal bureaucrat would have refused her treatment because she is statistically too old. Well, Mr. Bureaucrat, Mr. Obama, that "statistic" is my Grandma. Don't mess with Grandma.
Now for the rest of the story......
The first time she broke her (other) hip, some 20 plus years ago, the doctors said the exact same thing. Had we chosen the painkiller only option, she would have lost over 20 years of life because of this decision. When she was in the nursing home last time she was ornery, couldn't stand it. She had to get out because she said there were too many old people there! She got out about 2 weeks ahead of schedule, all the nurses were amazed.
I am glad we DO NOT currently allow some stranger to make these decisions for us, not even doctors. I would not want that kind of authority over someone else, even my family member; it is not our decision to make. We must keep the rights of the individual to decide these things for themselves.
This has taught me a few valuable lessons.
1. No matter what our age or status, our lives are ALWAYS in God's hands.
2. We should not make choices for others about when it is their "time to go".
3. Obamacare would have certainly killed Grandma, any doubters?
4. You have to stand up for personal freedom for any and all people, regardless of race, color , creed or AGE!
Now I ask all of you to decide - take a stand. Are you for Obamacare and against Grandma? Yes or No, simple. No fence sitters or "moderates" allowed, no explanations needed.
If you choose the moderate option, let me tell you what I believe will happen. The Obamacare people will run over you like a steamroller, and you will have given them implicit approval to be the victim. Someday this WILL happen to you or your family member, it is only a matter of time. Not IF, but WHEN.
Please help me understand, exactly - for my grandmother - What HOPE and CHANGE does she have to look forward to?
God Bless Grandma!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Katy ISD bonds, more money for what?
This is from the website:
http://instantnewskaty.com/2010/08/06/15322/comment-page-1#comment-467
Tea Party To School Board: We Have Questions About Planned Bond Issue
By: John Pape on Fri, Aug 6, 2010
News
In a statement released yesterday, the Katy Tea Party Patriots announced the formation of an education awareness team to explore issues associated with Katy ISD’s anticipated November bond election.
In July, the Katy ISD Bond Referendum Task Force formally recommended $459,791,092 bond package to the school board.
Trustees have not yet voted to call the bond election; however, it is widely expected they will schedule the vote for November.
In the statement, the Tea Party Patriots stressed the organization is not taking a stance on the bond issue at this time, but believes “it is important that we start asking some important questions surrounding the proposed bond.”
Education awareness team member and former school board candidate Henry Dibrell initiated the process by issuing a list of questions entitled “10 Things to Ask Yourself Before Voting on the KISD Bond Referendum.”
Those questions included:
- Do you trust the people who will be in charge of spending the money if it is approved?
- Who will make the final decisions about how bond money is spent?
- How much debt does Katy ISD have at present?
- If nothing is done, how much will your taxes go down?
- How were the proceeds of earlier bond money spent; and was there any left over funding? How much?
- What is the status of “left over” funds today? Spent on what? Saved for future use?
- When will these bonds be paid off and at what total cost to the taxpayer?
- If Katy ISD does not issue new bonds what is the impact on our tax rate?
- Are the costs in line with what is reasonable and necessary?
- Who gets to decide how left over bond money is spent? Do you trust them with that task?
The bond package recommended by the task force is made up of the following:
- $282,127,231 in new facilities
- $98,843,953 in comprehensive renovations of existing facilities
- $1,763,626 in expansion of existing facilities
- $18,868,761 in component replacements in existing facilities
- $35,400,245 in technology improvements
- $22,787,275 in “other” expenditures, including portable buildings, buses and bond costs
Tea Party leaders said the group plans on issuing additional awareness information on the bond issue in the upcoming weeks.
Additionally, the Tea Party has announced a change in its regular meeting location. Beginning Aug. 12 at 7 p.m., the group will hold its bi-monthly meetings at the Grayson Lakes Community Center.
My comments are simple, I am a simple guy...
I would like to know a simple answer to a simple question – what percentage of all KISD employees are teachers vs the total employment?
I have yet to get this answer from board members. My gut feeling tells me there are perhaps 50% non-teaching employees when I personally think the number ratio should be more like 80/20 or 90/10 (teachers vs. non-teachers).
I bet we could do without a bond issue if we streamlined some administrative positions, why is it they always fire teachers first instead of bloated overhead management staff? When I was in school we had ONE principal per school, now there are 3-5 per school – why?
http://instantnewskaty.com/2010/08/06/15322/comment-page-1#comment-467
Tea Party To School Board: We Have Questions About Planned Bond Issue
By: John Pape on Fri, Aug 6, 2010
News
In a statement released yesterday, the Katy Tea Party Patriots announced the formation of an education awareness team to explore issues associated with Katy ISD’s anticipated November bond election.
In July, the Katy ISD Bond Referendum Task Force formally recommended $459,791,092 bond package to the school board.
Trustees have not yet voted to call the bond election; however, it is widely expected they will schedule the vote for November.
In the statement, the Tea Party Patriots stressed the organization is not taking a stance on the bond issue at this time, but believes “it is important that we start asking some important questions surrounding the proposed bond.”
Education awareness team member and former school board candidate Henry Dibrell initiated the process by issuing a list of questions entitled “10 Things to Ask Yourself Before Voting on the KISD Bond Referendum.”
Those questions included:
- Do you trust the people who will be in charge of spending the money if it is approved?
- Who will make the final decisions about how bond money is spent?
- How much debt does Katy ISD have at present?
- If nothing is done, how much will your taxes go down?
- How were the proceeds of earlier bond money spent; and was there any left over funding? How much?
- What is the status of “left over” funds today? Spent on what? Saved for future use?
- When will these bonds be paid off and at what total cost to the taxpayer?
- If Katy ISD does not issue new bonds what is the impact on our tax rate?
- Are the costs in line with what is reasonable and necessary?
- Who gets to decide how left over bond money is spent? Do you trust them with that task?
The bond package recommended by the task force is made up of the following:
- $282,127,231 in new facilities
- $98,843,953 in comprehensive renovations of existing facilities
- $1,763,626 in expansion of existing facilities
- $18,868,761 in component replacements in existing facilities
- $35,400,245 in technology improvements
- $22,787,275 in “other” expenditures, including portable buildings, buses and bond costs
Tea Party leaders said the group plans on issuing additional awareness information on the bond issue in the upcoming weeks.
Additionally, the Tea Party has announced a change in its regular meeting location. Beginning Aug. 12 at 7 p.m., the group will hold its bi-monthly meetings at the Grayson Lakes Community Center.
My comments are simple, I am a simple guy...
I would like to know a simple answer to a simple question – what percentage of all KISD employees are teachers vs the total employment?
I have yet to get this answer from board members. My gut feeling tells me there are perhaps 50% non-teaching employees when I personally think the number ratio should be more like 80/20 or 90/10 (teachers vs. non-teachers).
I bet we could do without a bond issue if we streamlined some administrative positions, why is it they always fire teachers first instead of bloated overhead management staff? When I was in school we had ONE principal per school, now there are 3-5 per school – why?
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Wal-Mart vs. The Morons
Wal-Mart vs. The Morons
1. Americans spend $36,000,000 at Wal-Mart Every hour of every day.
2. This works out to $20,928 profit every minute!
3. Wal-Mart will sell more from January 1 to St. Patrick's Day (March 17th) than Target sells all year.
4. Wal-Mart is bigger than Home Depot + Kroger + Target +Sears + Costco + K-Mart combined.
5. Wal-Mart employs 1.6 million people, is the world's largest private employer, and most speak English.
6. Wal-Mart is the largest company in the history of the world.
7. Wal-Mart now sells more food than Kroger and Safeway combined, and keep in mind they did this in only fifteen years.
8. During this same period, 31 big supermarket chains sought bankruptcy.
9. Wal-Mart now sells more food than any other store in the world.
10. Wal-Mart has approx 3,900 stores in the USA of which 1,906 are Super Centers; this is 1,000 more than it had five years ago.
11. This year 7.2 billion different purchasing experiences will occur at Wal-Mart stores. (Earth's population is approximately 6.5 Billion.)
12. 90% of all Americans live within fifteen miles of a Wal-Mart.
You may think that I am complaining, but I am really laying the ground work for suggesting that MAYBE we should hire the guys who run Wal-Mart to fix the economy.
This should be read and understood by all Americans Democrats, Republicans, EVERYONE!!
To President Obama and all 535 voting members of the Legislature,
It is now official you are ALL corrupt morons:
a.. The U.S. Postal Service was established in 1775. You have had 234 years to get it right and it is broke.
b.. Social Security was established in 1935. You have had 74 years to get it right and it is broke.
c.. Fannie Mae was established in 1938. You have had 71 years to get it right and it is broke.
d.. War on Poverty started in 1964. You have had 45 years to get it right; $1 trillion of our money is confiscated each year and transferred to "the poor" and they only want more.
e.. Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965. You have had 44 years to get it right and they are broke.
f.. Freddie Mac was established in 1970. You have had 39 years to get it right and it is broke.
g.. The Department of Energy was created in 1977 to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. It has ballooned to 16,000 employees with a budget of $24 billion a year and we import more oil than ever before. You had 32 years to get it right and it is an abysmal failure.
You have FAILED in every "government service" you have shoved down our throats while overspending our tax dollars.
AND YOU WANT AMERICANS TO BELIEVE YOU CAN BE TRUSTED WITH A GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM ??
Folks, keep this circulating. It is very well stated. Maybe it will end up in the e-mails of some of our "duly elected' (they never read anything) and their staff will clue them in on how Americans feel.
1. Americans spend $36,000,000 at Wal-Mart Every hour of every day.
2. This works out to $20,928 profit every minute!
3. Wal-Mart will sell more from January 1 to St. Patrick's Day (March 17th) than Target sells all year.
4. Wal-Mart is bigger than Home Depot + Kroger + Target +Sears + Costco + K-Mart combined.
5. Wal-Mart employs 1.6 million people, is the world's largest private employer, and most speak English.
6. Wal-Mart is the largest company in the history of the world.
7. Wal-Mart now sells more food than Kroger and Safeway combined, and keep in mind they did this in only fifteen years.
8. During this same period, 31 big supermarket chains sought bankruptcy.
9. Wal-Mart now sells more food than any other store in the world.
10. Wal-Mart has approx 3,900 stores in the USA of which 1,906 are Super Centers; this is 1,000 more than it had five years ago.
11. This year 7.2 billion different purchasing experiences will occur at Wal-Mart stores. (Earth's population is approximately 6.5 Billion.)
12. 90% of all Americans live within fifteen miles of a Wal-Mart.
You may think that I am complaining, but I am really laying the ground work for suggesting that MAYBE we should hire the guys who run Wal-Mart to fix the economy.
This should be read and understood by all Americans Democrats, Republicans, EVERYONE!!
To President Obama and all 535 voting members of the Legislature,
It is now official you are ALL corrupt morons:
a.. The U.S. Postal Service was established in 1775. You have had 234 years to get it right and it is broke.
b.. Social Security was established in 1935. You have had 74 years to get it right and it is broke.
c.. Fannie Mae was established in 1938. You have had 71 years to get it right and it is broke.
d.. War on Poverty started in 1964. You have had 45 years to get it right; $1 trillion of our money is confiscated each year and transferred to "the poor" and they only want more.
e.. Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965. You have had 44 years to get it right and they are broke.
f.. Freddie Mac was established in 1970. You have had 39 years to get it right and it is broke.
g.. The Department of Energy was created in 1977 to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. It has ballooned to 16,000 employees with a budget of $24 billion a year and we import more oil than ever before. You had 32 years to get it right and it is an abysmal failure.
You have FAILED in every "government service" you have shoved down our throats while overspending our tax dollars.
AND YOU WANT AMERICANS TO BELIEVE YOU CAN BE TRUSTED WITH A GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM ??
Folks, keep this circulating. It is very well stated. Maybe it will end up in the e-mails of some of our "duly elected' (they never read anything) and their staff will clue them in on how Americans feel.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
More Change we don't need, Hope it ends soon!
I always have friends I can rely on for a good laugh, or is it a cry? In my job I constantly look at math problems, ROI analysis, cost structures, profitability, etc. So here's a math lesson:
Last week I purchased a burger at Burger King for $1.58 The counter girl took my $2 and I was digging for my change when I pulled 8 cents from my pocket and gave it to her. She stood there, holding the nickel and 3 pennies, while looking at the screen on her register. I sensed her discomfort and tried to tell her to just give me two quarters , but she hailed the manager for help. While he tried to explain the transaction to her, she stood there and cried. Why do I tell you this? Because of the evolution in teaching math since the 1950s:
1. Teaching Math In 1950s
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit ?
2 Teaching Math In 1960s
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100 His cost of production is 4/5 of the price, or $80. What is his profit?
3 Teaching Math In 1970s
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100 His cost of production is $80. Did he make a profit?
4 Teaching Math In 1980s
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100 His cost of production is $80 and his profit is $20. Your assignment: Underline the number 20.
5 Teaching Math In 1990s
A logger cuts down a beautiful forest because he is selfish and inconsiderate and cares nothing for the habitat of animals or the preservation of our woodlands. He does this so he can make a profit of $20.. What do you think of this way of making a living? Topic for class participation after answering the question: How did the birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down their homes? (There are no wrong answers, and if you feel like crying, it's ok. )
6 Teaching Math In 2009
Un hachero vende una carretada de madera por $100. El costo de la producciones es $80. Cuanto dinero ha hecho?
Year 2010:
Who cares, just steal the lumber from your rich neighbor's property, he won't have a gun to stop you!
Last week I purchased a burger at Burger King for $1.58 The counter girl took my $2 and I was digging for my change when I pulled 8 cents from my pocket and gave it to her. She stood there, holding the nickel and 3 pennies, while looking at the screen on her register. I sensed her discomfort and tried to tell her to just give me two quarters , but she hailed the manager for help. While he tried to explain the transaction to her, she stood there and cried. Why do I tell you this? Because of the evolution in teaching math since the 1950s:
1. Teaching Math In 1950s
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit ?
2 Teaching Math In 1960s
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100 His cost of production is 4/5 of the price, or $80. What is his profit?
3 Teaching Math In 1970s
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100 His cost of production is $80. Did he make a profit?
4 Teaching Math In 1980s
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100 His cost of production is $80 and his profit is $20. Your assignment: Underline the number 20.
5 Teaching Math In 1990s
A logger cuts down a beautiful forest because he is selfish and inconsiderate and cares nothing for the habitat of animals or the preservation of our woodlands. He does this so he can make a profit of $20.. What do you think of this way of making a living? Topic for class participation after answering the question: How did the birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down their homes? (There are no wrong answers, and if you feel like crying, it's ok. )
6 Teaching Math In 2009
Un hachero vende una carretada de madera por $100. El costo de la producciones es $80. Cuanto dinero ha hecho?
Year 2010:
Who cares, just steal the lumber from your rich neighbor's property, he won't have a gun to stop you!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Time to vote!
CBS is letting you Rate the President
Here is your chance. Everyone should get a shot at this. Takes all of fifteen seconds and that is if you take a look at the results.
First, I can't believe CBS is actually doing this.
Second, that they're brave and honest enough to actually show the ongoing polling results.
Take the poll yourself and when you submit your grading of how he is handling the top issues, a second page will come up showing you the current results of how America is voting. Remember, this ain't Fox doing this. This is mostly people who watch CBS.
DO THIS! and pass it on.
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/
Monday, June 28, 2010
Arrogance Revealed!
From news websites today:
If you'd been foolish enough to bet $5 that Joe Biden could walk into a Midwestern custard shop and not create some sort of national incident by uttering a mild profanity, well, it's time to pay up.
Yes, the gaffe-prone vice president with the notoriously salty tongue did it again over the weekend during a visit to a custard shop in Glendale, Wis., with Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.). After Biden asked what he owed for his tasty frozen treat, Kopp's Frozen Custard manager Scott Borkin quipped, "Don't worry, it's on the house. ... Lower our taxes and we'll call it even."
Biden initially brushed off Borkin's comment — but then circled back to the manager and asked, "Why don't you say something nice instead of being a smarta-- all the time?" You can watch a report on the incident below (video courtesy of ABC News):
[Biden explains infamous F-bomb broadcast on live mic]
Appearing on Fox News' "Fox & Friends" Monday morning, Borkin said that he still finds it "kind of shocking to hear that come out of his mouth," adding, "I was thrown by it. I wasn't expecting that, especially from, you know, the No. 2 in charge of our country." Watch (courtesy of Fox News):
My editorial comment - How dare that shop owner ask to keep more of his own money? Doesn't he know that the VP was probably doing cerebral research on a global econometric model of the dessert trade? Probably for an upcoming United Nations meeting?
Next time, my friend - charge him double - tell him that you need to increase prices so you can afford the Obamacare free health care system for your employees! There is no such thing as a free lunch, or dessert! This was a missed opportunity to teach a politician an economics lesson. Better luck next time.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Take "the test" and choose a side - soon!
If you ever wondered what side of the fence you sit on, this is a great test!
If a conservative doesn't like guns, he doesn't buy one.
If a liberal doesn't like guns, he wants all guns outlawed.
If a conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn't eat meat..
If a liberal is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned for everyone.
If a conservative is homosexual, he quietly leads his life.
If a liberal is homosexual, he demands legislated respect.
If a conservative is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his situation.
A liberal wonders who is going to take care of him.
If a conservative doesn't like a talk show host, he switches channels.
Liberals demand that those they don't like be shut down.
If a conservative is a non-believer, he doesn't go to church.
A liberal non-believer wants any mention of God and religion silenced.
(Unless it's a foreign religion, of course!)
If a conservative decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping for it, or may choose a job that provides it.
A liberal demands that the rest of us pay for his.
If a conservative reads this, he'll forward it so his friends can have a good laugh.
A liberal will delete it because he's "offended".
If a conservative doesn't like guns, he doesn't buy one.
If a liberal doesn't like guns, he wants all guns outlawed.
If a conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn't eat meat..
If a liberal is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned for everyone.
If a conservative is homosexual, he quietly leads his life.
If a liberal is homosexual, he demands legislated respect.
If a conservative is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his situation.
A liberal wonders who is going to take care of him.
If a conservative doesn't like a talk show host, he switches channels.
Liberals demand that those they don't like be shut down.
If a conservative is a non-believer, he doesn't go to church.
A liberal non-believer wants any mention of God and religion silenced.
(Unless it's a foreign religion, of course!)
If a conservative decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping for it, or may choose a job that provides it.
A liberal demands that the rest of us pay for his.
If a conservative reads this, he'll forward it so his friends can have a good laugh.
A liberal will delete it because he's "offended".
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Out of the Mouth of Babes
This deserves special mention, it was sent to me by a friend. A third grade class of Tussing Elementary school sings this song, posted on youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=5pfBUUZNbFM
OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES...
After all the bad press over a few teachers who stepped out of line teaching songs to our children, this one is one you will be so proud to hear. At the end of the song you can order the sheet music.
Awesome. I hope this sweeps our country and gets sung in all our schools. The music teacher wrote the song and had all the third graders sing.
Awesome. I hope this sweeps our country and gets sung in all our schools. The music teacher wrote the song and had all the third graders sing.
Enjoy -- great message with photos from around the world.
From the third graders of Tussing Elementary, Colonial Heights, Virginia.
Click your mouse here:
From the third graders of Tussing Elementary, Colonial Heights, Virginia.
Click your mouse here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=5pfBUUZNbFM
Monday, April 19, 2010
KISS principle beautifully illustrated
Oh how I love Simple!!
this is a simple lesson anyone can understand, I hope you like it!
this is a simple lesson anyone can understand, I hope you like it!
Student explains budget cuts ONLY 1 MIN 38 SEC:
A college student "explains our Federal Budget" and the portion that must be
borrowed, in simple terms for everyone, plus his visual aid example easily
demonstrates the $100 million cut that the President promised as savings.
Click on this link and be amazed. Watch it twice to enjoy the simplicity.
Then decide if it is time to write and call your Senator for a stop to
deficit spending.
http://www.wimp.com/budgetcuts/ I decided to do something about this- in my next post - I will balance the federal budget -yes, little old me, with only a few hours of work - for real, no jokes or videos.
Si se puede!!
I intend to go through the budget department by department and come up with a number we can all understand in simple terms. I hope I embarrass all the intelligentsia. Simple always wins, simple is genius - I think Einstein said that. Stay tuned.
Friday, April 9, 2010
American Cartoon, there is still hope
You'd be very surprised ! Pay close attention ! Keep in mind as you watch this that it was done in '1948'. Keep telling yourself that as you view it.
This is one of the best I have ever seen and it was produced in 1948 . This should be viewed by every AMERICAN....
Click on 1948 Cartoon below - this cartoon is timeless and is just as true today as it was in 1948!
Look at this: 1948 Cartoon
Monday, March 22, 2010
Health care disaster, new platform issues
Dear Friends,
As you know, we had a disaster happen yesterday in DC, the Obamination health care bill passed. I believe this is the absolute wrong thing to do for our country, and I have my own plan of action.
Virginia will file suit tomorrow to contest the bill on several legal grounds and over 30 states are considering passing laws to prohibit the feds from forcing people to buy insurance. Several Constitutional challenges are possible on several different legal grounds.
However, Texas is not currently one of those states! We need to get moving, so I am adding to my campaign platform the following topics -
1. Create a law similar to Virginia which forbids the feds from forcing state residents to purchase any goods or services. Ask the TX Attorney General to also file suit against the feds on the same grounds as Virginia does.
2. While we are at it, lets also continue the trend toward freedom by amending another very troubling law - the law of Eminent Domain. This has always bothered me. The state should not have the right to take anyone's property for any reason whatsoever, INCLUDING eminent domain. If they cannot purchase it outright, it should not be taken. This would stop all the nonsense about creating a cross Texas rail system which no one will use and a fiscal boondoggle for all the real estate developers and lawyers. I know I will not make many friends with this law, but we need to stand up for what is right.
Both of these ideas center on the power of the government to take your private property without your consent, and I say, enough is enough. Let out state lead the way toward true freedom...
If you think this is not important, well... a short history lesson.
read the book - Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. The synopsis is that all the government bureaucrats conspire to take over the society and take control away from the "creators", or the so called wealthy, all their assets. They go on strike, retreat in a hideaway in the mountains and start their own society which flourishes. All the while the "takers" try to run the factories and do a terrible job, running them into the ground and society crumbles. This book was written 50 years ago. Its lessons still hold true.
We are on that precipice now. In Texas, you may think that we are all conservative, but that would be a dangerous assumption. Many Tea Party loyalists are focused on national elections, which is fine - but DON"T forget about TEXAS! Local and State laws also matter. I know that we are experiencing an influx of people from other states north moving into our state. This may dramatically change the liberal bias in future elections. Ask any Republican or Libertarian official. I welcome newcomers, I was one of them some 25 years ago. But I do not want them to take our state into a liberal bias. I cannot expect them to adopt conservative values. So I encourage all of you to consider my proposals before we look at each other someday and wonder - "Where is the Texas I used to know?"
As you know, we had a disaster happen yesterday in DC, the Obamination health care bill passed. I believe this is the absolute wrong thing to do for our country, and I have my own plan of action.
Virginia will file suit tomorrow to contest the bill on several legal grounds and over 30 states are considering passing laws to prohibit the feds from forcing people to buy insurance. Several Constitutional challenges are possible on several different legal grounds.
However, Texas is not currently one of those states! We need to get moving, so I am adding to my campaign platform the following topics -
1. Create a law similar to Virginia which forbids the feds from forcing state residents to purchase any goods or services. Ask the TX Attorney General to also file suit against the feds on the same grounds as Virginia does.
2. While we are at it, lets also continue the trend toward freedom by amending another very troubling law - the law of Eminent Domain. This has always bothered me. The state should not have the right to take anyone's property for any reason whatsoever, INCLUDING eminent domain. If they cannot purchase it outright, it should not be taken. This would stop all the nonsense about creating a cross Texas rail system which no one will use and a fiscal boondoggle for all the real estate developers and lawyers. I know I will not make many friends with this law, but we need to stand up for what is right.
Both of these ideas center on the power of the government to take your private property without your consent, and I say, enough is enough. Let out state lead the way toward true freedom...
If you think this is not important, well... a short history lesson.
read the book - Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. The synopsis is that all the government bureaucrats conspire to take over the society and take control away from the "creators", or the so called wealthy, all their assets. They go on strike, retreat in a hideaway in the mountains and start their own society which flourishes. All the while the "takers" try to run the factories and do a terrible job, running them into the ground and society crumbles. This book was written 50 years ago. Its lessons still hold true.
We are on that precipice now. In Texas, you may think that we are all conservative, but that would be a dangerous assumption. Many Tea Party loyalists are focused on national elections, which is fine - but DON"T forget about TEXAS! Local and State laws also matter. I know that we are experiencing an influx of people from other states north moving into our state. This may dramatically change the liberal bias in future elections. Ask any Republican or Libertarian official. I welcome newcomers, I was one of them some 25 years ago. But I do not want them to take our state into a liberal bias. I cannot expect them to adopt conservative values. So I encourage all of you to consider my proposals before we look at each other someday and wonder - "Where is the Texas I used to know?"
Saturday, February 27, 2010
2009 recap
This came to mail from a friend, thought it was worth sharing...
IN GOD WE TRUST & GOD BLESS AMERICA
Let's Recap "2009".........what a year!
1. The American people inaugurate a president with a total of 142 days experience as a US Senator from the most politically corrupt state (city) in America whose governors have been ousted from office.
Let's Recap "2009".........what a year!
1. The American people inaugurate a president with a total of 142 days experience as a US Senator from the most politically corrupt state (city) in America whose governors have been ousted from office.
The President's first official act is to order the close of Gitmo and make sure terrorists civil rights are not violated. (honest mistake?)
2. The U.S. Congress rushes to confirm an Attorney General, Eric Holder, whose law firm we later find out represents seventeen Gitmo Terrorists.
(An honest mistake?!)
3. The CIA Boss appointee, Leon Panetta, has absolutely no experience, has a daughter Linda, we find out, who is a true radical anti-American activist and a supporter of all the Anti-American regimes in the western hemisphere.
(There were socio-economic factors involved!)
4. We got the second most corrupt American woman (Pelosi is #1) as Secretary of State; bought and paid for. (You can put lipstick on a pig, but it still stinks!)
5. We got a Tax Cheat for Treasury Secretary who did not properly file his own taxes for 12 years.
(He misspoke!)
6. A Commerce Secretary nominee who withdrew due to corruption charges.
(Another honest mistake???)
7. A Tax cheat nominee for Chief Performance Officer who withdrew under charges.
(Hmmm... another screw-up?)
8. A Labor Secretary nominee who withdrew under charges of unethical conduct.
(Ok, maybe this person was just plain stupid.)
9. A Secretary HHS nominee (Daschle) who withdrew under charges of cheating on his taxes.
(I'm running out of excuses for these idiots!!)
10. Multiple appointments of former lobbyists after an absolute campaign statement that no lobbyists would be appointed.
(Dear God, I am getting a headache!)
All this occurred just during the first three weeks. . . but who's counting?
America is being run by the modern-day Three Stooges ; Barry, Nancy and Harry and they are still trying to define stimulus..."it's spending!!!"
The congress passes the $800,000,000,000 (that's $800 billion) pork-loaded spending bill where the government gives you a smidgen of your tax dollars ($13 per week), making you feel so good about yourself [stimulated], that you want to run out to Wal-Mart and buy a new Chinese-made HDTV!
Only with the Liberals...
Pray for our country.
Here's the good news though - Obama took Air Force One to Denver to sign the stimulus package, wasting as much as 10,000 gallons of fuel OR 24 JOBS FOR ONE YEAR.
Don't you just love hypocrites?
Obama went to the International Olympic Committee to have them choose Chicago for a host city, he failed.
Obama went to Copenhagen to lecture them on global warming, he failed.
Obama went to new Jersey to promote the Democratic candidate for governor, he failed.
2. The U.S. Congress rushes to confirm an Attorney General, Eric Holder, whose law firm we later find out represents seventeen Gitmo Terrorists.
(An honest mistake?!)
3. The CIA Boss appointee, Leon Panetta, has absolutely no experience, has a daughter Linda, we find out, who is a true radical anti-American activist and a supporter of all the Anti-American regimes in the western hemisphere.
(There were socio-economic factors involved!)
4. We got the second most corrupt American woman (Pelosi is #1) as Secretary of State; bought and paid for. (You can put lipstick on a pig, but it still stinks!)
5. We got a Tax Cheat for Treasury Secretary who did not properly file his own taxes for 12 years.
(He misspoke!)
6. A Commerce Secretary nominee who withdrew due to corruption charges.
(Another honest mistake???)
7. A Tax cheat nominee for Chief Performance Officer who withdrew under charges.
(Hmmm... another screw-up?)
8. A Labor Secretary nominee who withdrew under charges of unethical conduct.
(Ok, maybe this person was just plain stupid.)
9. A Secretary HHS nominee (Daschle) who withdrew under charges of cheating on his taxes.
(I'm running out of excuses for these idiots!!)
10. Multiple appointments of former lobbyists after an absolute campaign statement that no lobbyists would be appointed.
(Dear God, I am getting a headache!)
All this occurred just during the first three weeks. . . but who's counting?
America is being run by the modern-day Three Stooges ; Barry, Nancy and Harry and they are still trying to define stimulus..."it's spending!!!"
The congress passes the $800,000,000,000 (that's $800 billion) pork-loaded spending bill where the government gives you a smidgen of your tax dollars ($13 per week), making you feel so good about yourself [stimulated], that you want to run out to Wal-Mart and buy a new Chinese-made HDTV!
Only with the Liberals...
Pray for our country.
Here's the good news though - Obama took Air Force One to Denver to sign the stimulus package, wasting as much as 10,000 gallons of fuel OR 24 JOBS FOR ONE YEAR.
Don't you just love hypocrites?
Obama went to the International Olympic Committee to have them choose Chicago for a host city, he failed.
Obama went to Copenhagen to lecture them on global warming, he failed.
Obama went to new Jersey to promote the Democratic candidate for governor, he failed.
Obama went to Virginia to promote the Democratic candidate for governor, he failed.
Obama went to Massachusetts to promote the Democratic candidate for senator, he failed.
Speaking of praying, Obama has now been president for a full year and yet he & wife (first lady) Michelle, the Christian family they claim to be, have not attended church since the inauguration.
Obama is the 1st president in history who did not attend any Christmas religious observance.
He must miss Reverend Wright!
And finally, he is the 1st president to remain on vacation after a terrorist attack.
In these times 'I'll keep my God, my freedom, my gun and my money.
Anyone that supports this insanity can keep
"THE CHANGE".
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Generation ZERO
I watched Shawn Hannity last night, the CPAC showed the movie "Generation ZERO", very powerful, poignant, and frightening. This film is an Economic Tsunami! A must see lesson for all.
I have long been concerned with the Baby Boomer Generation, which I lovingly call the "Italian Opera Generation", because all I hear is "Me, me, me!" when they talk, and their impact upon America. It was a direct, contrasting reflection of their parents' generation, which suffered hardships, wars, depressions, sacrifice and strife.
This film traces the roots of our recent economic depression far back to societal and cultural issues as a result of WW2. These Americans who sacrificed so much for our country wanted to insulate their children from the horrors they lived through. The end result is that this loving, caring and well meaning demographic has raised a generation of self-indulgent, spoiled children. They have no concept of sacrifice for the greater good, leaving the world a better place for the next generation. These people are now our leaders, Wall st execs taking undeserved bonuses, politicians who pretend there is no solvency problem with Social Security or Medicare, etc.
We are in danger of the consequences of the generation that was partaking in unique substances at Woodstock and thinks only for themselves. The party will never end, no worries!
Well, I have children, and I am deeply worried about this selfish behavior. I guess if I really wanted to , I could drive a BMW, but I bought a Ford instead, paid cash and am saving for my kids' 529 plan instead. I do not expect the feds or my neighbors to pay for my childrens' college fund, or my mortgage, etc.
You need to sit down with your children and show them this movie. It will be painful, probably more for you than your kids, but we all need to face the music.
(The moral of this story should be that we cannot, no matter how well our intentions, protect and insulate our children from life's ups and downs, it is better to educate them on how to deal with difficulties so that they are prepared when bad things happen. In my next blog, I will share a speech I gave about 15 years ago on the Will to Lead).
http://www.thefoxnation.com/tea-party-convention/2010/02/08/generation-zero-blows-roof-tea-party-convention
This film rocked me back.... it is about as serious as it gets.
Glenn Beck was the closing speaker at the CPAC convention and he was his usual self - he said "It is still morning in America - but the morning after we had a big night of drinking, and we woke up with a hangover!" We have to make some tough, fundamental choices and all the easy decisions are behind us. Only the tough, hard choices remain.
Well, my mood is "cautiously optimistic" about our country. The Tea Party is the only movement that can, and I believe will, succeed in saving America and returning our country to prosperity. I have never been a conspiracy or doom and gloom fan of anything, but I believe in this most strongly - we have to pick and choose very carefully who we elect this year. The Tea Party members are mature enough and have demonstrated that they know they don't want empty promises or slogans, just someone with courage who tells the truth. If these new leaders do not have a superior degree of integrity and wisdom, our country will truly fall into a depression. However, I am betting that a majority of politicians will be fired and new ones will work to the betterment of all with a new sense of maturity and duty. I will do my part, please do yours.
I have long been concerned with the Baby Boomer Generation, which I lovingly call the "Italian Opera Generation", because all I hear is "Me, me, me!" when they talk, and their impact upon America. It was a direct, contrasting reflection of their parents' generation, which suffered hardships, wars, depressions, sacrifice and strife.
This film traces the roots of our recent economic depression far back to societal and cultural issues as a result of WW2. These Americans who sacrificed so much for our country wanted to insulate their children from the horrors they lived through. The end result is that this loving, caring and well meaning demographic has raised a generation of self-indulgent, spoiled children. They have no concept of sacrifice for the greater good, leaving the world a better place for the next generation. These people are now our leaders, Wall st execs taking undeserved bonuses, politicians who pretend there is no solvency problem with Social Security or Medicare, etc.
We are in danger of the consequences of the generation that was partaking in unique substances at Woodstock and thinks only for themselves. The party will never end, no worries!
Well, I have children, and I am deeply worried about this selfish behavior. I guess if I really wanted to , I could drive a BMW, but I bought a Ford instead, paid cash and am saving for my kids' 529 plan instead. I do not expect the feds or my neighbors to pay for my childrens' college fund, or my mortgage, etc.
You need to sit down with your children and show them this movie. It will be painful, probably more for you than your kids, but we all need to face the music.
(The moral of this story should be that we cannot, no matter how well our intentions, protect and insulate our children from life's ups and downs, it is better to educate them on how to deal with difficulties so that they are prepared when bad things happen. In my next blog, I will share a speech I gave about 15 years ago on the Will to Lead).
http://www.thefoxnation.com/tea-party-convention/2010/02/08/generation-zero-blows-roof-tea-party-convention
This film rocked me back.... it is about as serious as it gets.
Glenn Beck was the closing speaker at the CPAC convention and he was his usual self - he said "It is still morning in America - but the morning after we had a big night of drinking, and we woke up with a hangover!" We have to make some tough, fundamental choices and all the easy decisions are behind us. Only the tough, hard choices remain.
Well, my mood is "cautiously optimistic" about our country. The Tea Party is the only movement that can, and I believe will, succeed in saving America and returning our country to prosperity. I have never been a conspiracy or doom and gloom fan of anything, but I believe in this most strongly - we have to pick and choose very carefully who we elect this year. The Tea Party members are mature enough and have demonstrated that they know they don't want empty promises or slogans, just someone with courage who tells the truth. If these new leaders do not have a superior degree of integrity and wisdom, our country will truly fall into a depression. However, I am betting that a majority of politicians will be fired and new ones will work to the betterment of all with a new sense of maturity and duty. I will do my part, please do yours.
Monday, February 22, 2010
The Letter Everyone is Talking About
Dear Friends, This letter is awesome, and it ties in with my other blog about a question posed to candidates at a recent Tea Party event in Katy, Tx. check it out too at - http://MikeRyanTexas.blogspot.com
The following letter read on Glenn Beck's show, is rapidly circulating around the country. Americans everywhere identify with this 53-year-old woman. She has given us a voice. Once you read this, you will want to forward it to all of your friends...
GLENN BECK: I got a letter from a woman in Arizona . She writes an open letter to our nation's leadership:
"I am a home grown American citizen, 53, registered Democrat all my life. Before the last presidential election I registered as a Republican because I no longer felt the Democratic Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. Now I no longer feel the Republican Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. The fact is I no longer feel any political party or representative in Washington represents my views or works to pursue the issues important to me. Instead, we are burdened with Congressional Dukes and Duchesses who think they know better than the citizens they are supposed to represent.
There must be someone. Please tell me who you are. Please stand up and tell me that you are there and that you're willing to fight for our Constitution as it was written. Please stand up now.
You might ask yourself what my views and issues are that I would feel so horribly disenfranchised by both major political parties. What kind of nut-job am I? Well, these briefly are the views and issues for which I seek representation:
One, illegal immigration. I want you to stop coddling illegal immigrants and secure our borders. Close the underground tunnels.. Stop the violence and the trafficking in drugs and people. No amnesty, not again. Been there, done that, no resolution.
P.S., I'm not a racist. This is not to be confused with legal immigration.
Two, the STIMULUS bill. I want it repealed and I want no further funding supplied to it. We told you No, but you did it anyway. I want the remaining unfunded 95% repealed. Freeze, repeal.
Three: Czars. I want the circumvention of our constitutional checks and balances stopped immediately. Fire the czars. No more czars. Government officials answer to the process, not to the president. Stop trampling on our Constitution, and honor it.
Four, cap and trade. The debate on global warming is not over. There are many conflicting opinions and it is too soon for this radical legislation. Quit throwing our nation into politically-correct quicksand.
Five, universal healthcare. I will not be rushed into another expensive decision that will burden me, my children, and grandchildren. Don't you dare try to pass this in the middle of the night without even reading it. Slow down! Fix only what is broken -- we have the best health care system in the world -- and test any new program in one or two states first.
Six, growing government control. I want states rights and sovereignty fully restored. I want less government in my life, not more. More is not better! Shrink it down. Mind your own business. You have enough to take care of with your real [Constitutional] obligations. Why don't you start there.
Seven, ACORN. I do not want ACORN and its affiliates in charge of our 2010 census. I want them investigated. I also do not want mandatory escrow fees contributed to them every time on every real estate deal that closes -- how did they pull that one off? Stop the funding to ACORN and its affiliates pending impartial audits and investigations. I do not trust them with taking the census with our taxpayer money. I don't trust them with any of our taxpayer money. Face up to the allegations against them and get it resolved before taxpayers get any more involved with them. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, hello. Stop protecting your political buddies. You work for us, the people. Investigate.
Eight, redistribution of wealth. No, no, no. I work for my money. It is mine. I have always worked for people with more money than I have because they gave me jobs -- and that is the only redistribution of wealth that I will support. I never got a job from a poor person! Why do you want me to hate my employers? And what do you have against shareholders making a profit?
Nine, charitable contributions. Although I never got a job from a poor person, I have helped many in need. Charity belongs in our local communities, where we know our needs best and can use our local talent and our local resources. Butt out, please. We want to do it ourselves.
Ten, corporate bailouts. Knock it off. Every company must sink or swim like the rest of us. If there are hard times ahead, we'll be better off just getting into it and letting the strong survive. Quick and painful. (Have you ever ripped off a Band-Aid?) We will pull together. Great things happen in America under great hardship. Give us the chance to innovate. We cannot disappoint you more than you have disappointed us.
Eleven, transparency and accountability. How about it? No, really, how about it? Let's have it. Let's say we give the buzzwords a rest and have some straight honest talk.. Please stop trying to manipulate and appease me with clever wording.. I am not the idiot you obviously take me for. Stop sneaking around and meeting in back rooms making deals with your friends. It will only be a prelude to your criminal investigation. Stop hiding things from me.
Twelve, unprecedented quick spending. Stop it now.
Take a breath. Listen to the people. Slow down and get some input from nonpoliticians and experts on the subject. Stop making everything an emergency. Stop speed-reading our bills into law. I am not an activist.. I am not a community organizer. Nor am I a terrorist, a militant or a violent person. I am a parent and a grandparent.. I work. I'm busy. I am busy, and I am tired. I thought we elected competent people to take care of the business of government so that we could work, raise our families, pay our bills, have a little recreation, complain about taxes, endure our hardships, pursue our personal goals, cut our lawn, wash our cars on the weekends and be responsible contributing members of society and teach our children to be the same all while living in the home of the free and land of the brave.
I entrusted you with upholding the Constitution. I believed in the checks and balances to keep from getting far off course. What happened? You are very far off course. Do you really think I find humor in the hiring of a speed reader to unintelligently ramble all through a bill that you signed into law without knowing what it contained? I do not.
It is a mockery of the responsibility I have entrusted to you. It is a slap in the face. I am not laughing at your arrogance. Why is it that I feel as if you would not trust me to make a single decision about my own life and how I would live it but you should expect that I should trust you with the debt that you have laid on all of us and our children. We did not want the TARP bill. We said no. We would repeal it if we could. I am sure that we still cannot. There is needless urgency and recklessness in all of your recent spending of our tax dollars.
From my perspective, it seems that all of you have gone insane. I also know that I am far from alone in these feelings. Do you honestly feel that your current pursuits have merit to patriotic Americans? We want it to stop. We want to put the brakes on everything that is being rushed by us and forced upon us. We want our voice back. You have forced us to put our lives on hold to straighten out the mess that you are making. We will have to give up our vacations, our time spent with our children, any relaxation time we may have had and money we cannot afford to spend on bringing our concerns to Washington . Our president often knows all the right buzzwords like unsustainable. Well, no kidding. How many tens of thousands of dollars did the focus group cost to come up with that word? We don't want your overpriced words. Stop treating us like we're morons.
We want all of you to stop focusing on your reelection and do the job we want done, not the job you want done or the job your party wants done. You work for us and at this rate I guarantee you not for long because we are coming. We will be heard and we will be represented.. You think we're so busy with our lives that we will never come for you? We are the formerly silent majority, all of us who quietly work, pay taxes, obey the law, vote, save money, keep our noses to the grindstone... and we are now looking at you.
You have awakened us, the patriotic freedom spirit so strong and so powerful that it had been sleeping too long. You have pushed us too far. Our numbers are great. They may surprise you. For every one of us who will be there, there will be hundreds more that could not come. Unlike you, we have their trust. We will represent them honestly, rest assured. They will be at the polls on voting day to usher you out of office.
We have cancelled vacations. We will use our last few dollars saved. We will find the representation among us and a grassroots campaign will flourish. We didn't ask for this fight. But the gloves are coming off. We do not come in violence, but we are angry. You will represent us or you will be replaced with someone who will. There are candidates among us who will rise like a Phoenix from the ashes that you have made of our constitution.
Democrat, Republican, independent, libertarian. Understand this.. We don't care. Political parties are meaningless to us Patriotic Americans are willing to do right by us and our Constitution, and that is all that matters to us now. We are going to fire all of you who abuse power and seek more. It is not your power. It is ours and we want it back. We entrusted you with it and you abused it. You are dishonorable. You are dishonest. As Americans we are ashamed of you. You have brought shame to us. If you are not representing the wants and needs of your constituency loudly and consistently, in spite of the objections of your party, you will be fired. Did you hear? We no longer care about your political parties. You need to be loyal to us, not to them.. Because we will get you fired and they will not save you.
If you do or can represent me, my issues, my views, please stand up. Make your identity known. You need to make some noise about it. Speak up. I need to know who you are. If you do not speak up, you will be herded out with the rest of the sheep and we will replace the whole damn congress if need be one by one.
We are coming. Are we coming for you? Who do you represent? What do you represent?
Listen. Because we are coming. We the people are coming.
The following letter read on Glenn Beck's show, is rapidly circulating around the country. Americans everywhere identify with this 53-year-old woman. She has given us a voice. Once you read this, you will want to forward it to all of your friends...
GLENN BECK: I got a letter from a woman in Arizona . She writes an open letter to our nation's leadership:
"I am a home grown American citizen, 53, registered Democrat all my life. Before the last presidential election I registered as a Republican because I no longer felt the Democratic Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. Now I no longer feel the Republican Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. The fact is I no longer feel any political party or representative in Washington represents my views or works to pursue the issues important to me. Instead, we are burdened with Congressional Dukes and Duchesses who think they know better than the citizens they are supposed to represent.
There must be someone. Please tell me who you are. Please stand up and tell me that you are there and that you're willing to fight for our Constitution as it was written. Please stand up now.
You might ask yourself what my views and issues are that I would feel so horribly disenfranchised by both major political parties. What kind of nut-job am I? Well, these briefly are the views and issues for which I seek representation:
One, illegal immigration. I want you to stop coddling illegal immigrants and secure our borders. Close the underground tunnels.. Stop the violence and the trafficking in drugs and people. No amnesty, not again. Been there, done that, no resolution.
P.S., I'm not a racist. This is not to be confused with legal immigration.
Two, the STIMULUS bill. I want it repealed and I want no further funding supplied to it. We told you No, but you did it anyway. I want the remaining unfunded 95% repealed. Freeze, repeal.
Three: Czars. I want the circumvention of our constitutional checks and balances stopped immediately. Fire the czars. No more czars. Government officials answer to the process, not to the president. Stop trampling on our Constitution, and honor it.
Four, cap and trade. The debate on global warming is not over. There are many conflicting opinions and it is too soon for this radical legislation. Quit throwing our nation into politically-correct quicksand.
Five, universal healthcare. I will not be rushed into another expensive decision that will burden me, my children, and grandchildren. Don't you dare try to pass this in the middle of the night without even reading it. Slow down! Fix only what is broken -- we have the best health care system in the world -- and test any new program in one or two states first.
Six, growing government control. I want states rights and sovereignty fully restored. I want less government in my life, not more. More is not better! Shrink it down. Mind your own business. You have enough to take care of with your real [Constitutional] obligations. Why don't you start there.
Seven, ACORN. I do not want ACORN and its affiliates in charge of our 2010 census. I want them investigated. I also do not want mandatory escrow fees contributed to them every time on every real estate deal that closes -- how did they pull that one off? Stop the funding to ACORN and its affiliates pending impartial audits and investigations. I do not trust them with taking the census with our taxpayer money. I don't trust them with any of our taxpayer money. Face up to the allegations against them and get it resolved before taxpayers get any more involved with them. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, hello. Stop protecting your political buddies. You work for us, the people. Investigate.
Eight, redistribution of wealth. No, no, no. I work for my money. It is mine. I have always worked for people with more money than I have because they gave me jobs -- and that is the only redistribution of wealth that I will support. I never got a job from a poor person! Why do you want me to hate my employers? And what do you have against shareholders making a profit?
Nine, charitable contributions. Although I never got a job from a poor person, I have helped many in need. Charity belongs in our local communities, where we know our needs best and can use our local talent and our local resources. Butt out, please. We want to do it ourselves.
Ten, corporate bailouts. Knock it off. Every company must sink or swim like the rest of us. If there are hard times ahead, we'll be better off just getting into it and letting the strong survive. Quick and painful. (Have you ever ripped off a Band-Aid?) We will pull together. Great things happen in America under great hardship. Give us the chance to innovate. We cannot disappoint you more than you have disappointed us.
Eleven, transparency and accountability. How about it? No, really, how about it? Let's have it. Let's say we give the buzzwords a rest and have some straight honest talk.. Please stop trying to manipulate and appease me with clever wording.. I am not the idiot you obviously take me for. Stop sneaking around and meeting in back rooms making deals with your friends. It will only be a prelude to your criminal investigation. Stop hiding things from me.
Twelve, unprecedented quick spending. Stop it now.
Take a breath. Listen to the people. Slow down and get some input from nonpoliticians and experts on the subject. Stop making everything an emergency. Stop speed-reading our bills into law. I am not an activist.. I am not a community organizer. Nor am I a terrorist, a militant or a violent person. I am a parent and a grandparent.. I work. I'm busy. I am busy, and I am tired. I thought we elected competent people to take care of the business of government so that we could work, raise our families, pay our bills, have a little recreation, complain about taxes, endure our hardships, pursue our personal goals, cut our lawn, wash our cars on the weekends and be responsible contributing members of society and teach our children to be the same all while living in the home of the free and land of the brave.
I entrusted you with upholding the Constitution. I believed in the checks and balances to keep from getting far off course. What happened? You are very far off course. Do you really think I find humor in the hiring of a speed reader to unintelligently ramble all through a bill that you signed into law without knowing what it contained? I do not.
It is a mockery of the responsibility I have entrusted to you. It is a slap in the face. I am not laughing at your arrogance. Why is it that I feel as if you would not trust me to make a single decision about my own life and how I would live it but you should expect that I should trust you with the debt that you have laid on all of us and our children. We did not want the TARP bill. We said no. We would repeal it if we could. I am sure that we still cannot. There is needless urgency and recklessness in all of your recent spending of our tax dollars.
From my perspective, it seems that all of you have gone insane. I also know that I am far from alone in these feelings. Do you honestly feel that your current pursuits have merit to patriotic Americans? We want it to stop. We want to put the brakes on everything that is being rushed by us and forced upon us. We want our voice back. You have forced us to put our lives on hold to straighten out the mess that you are making. We will have to give up our vacations, our time spent with our children, any relaxation time we may have had and money we cannot afford to spend on bringing our concerns to Washington . Our president often knows all the right buzzwords like unsustainable. Well, no kidding. How many tens of thousands of dollars did the focus group cost to come up with that word? We don't want your overpriced words. Stop treating us like we're morons.
We want all of you to stop focusing on your reelection and do the job we want done, not the job you want done or the job your party wants done. You work for us and at this rate I guarantee you not for long because we are coming. We will be heard and we will be represented.. You think we're so busy with our lives that we will never come for you? We are the formerly silent majority, all of us who quietly work, pay taxes, obey the law, vote, save money, keep our noses to the grindstone... and we are now looking at you.
You have awakened us, the patriotic freedom spirit so strong and so powerful that it had been sleeping too long. You have pushed us too far. Our numbers are great. They may surprise you. For every one of us who will be there, there will be hundreds more that could not come. Unlike you, we have their trust. We will represent them honestly, rest assured. They will be at the polls on voting day to usher you out of office.
We have cancelled vacations. We will use our last few dollars saved. We will find the representation among us and a grassroots campaign will flourish. We didn't ask for this fight. But the gloves are coming off. We do not come in violence, but we are angry. You will represent us or you will be replaced with someone who will. There are candidates among us who will rise like a Phoenix from the ashes that you have made of our constitution.
Democrat, Republican, independent, libertarian. Understand this.. We don't care. Political parties are meaningless to us Patriotic Americans are willing to do right by us and our Constitution, and that is all that matters to us now. We are going to fire all of you who abuse power and seek more. It is not your power. It is ours and we want it back. We entrusted you with it and you abused it. You are dishonorable. You are dishonest. As Americans we are ashamed of you. You have brought shame to us. If you are not representing the wants and needs of your constituency loudly and consistently, in spite of the objections of your party, you will be fired. Did you hear? We no longer care about your political parties. You need to be loyal to us, not to them.. Because we will get you fired and they will not save you.
If you do or can represent me, my issues, my views, please stand up. Make your identity known. You need to make some noise about it. Speak up. I need to know who you are. If you do not speak up, you will be herded out with the rest of the sheep and we will replace the whole damn congress if need be one by one.
We are coming. Are we coming for you? Who do you represent? What do you represent?
Listen. Because we are coming. We the people are coming.
Monday, February 8, 2010
OMG! LOL!
Hi to all you texters out there.
I thought about doing an entire post just using text abbreviations, that would be fun, but I think I would lose everyone over 30!
- OMG!
- WITW?
- IDK.
- PLOS!
-LMAO!
- 4COL!
Now back to sad reality. OMG is pretty well understood, but I am afraid that LOL does not mean Laughing-out-loud. In this case it means either Land-of-Lincoln or the more derisive term Land-of-Lawyers. This week in the Wall St. Journal editorial pages, pg A12, 2/6/10, there appears this article:
There are many plaintiffs lawyers flying back and forth to Chicago now in very expensive suits. Apparently in the case Lebron vs. Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, a 4-2 majority (Illinois Supreme Court) ruled that the state's 2005 Medical Malpractice Reform Act was unconstitutional because it interfered with judges' ability to "reduce" monetary verdicts. This interfered with the separation of powers. Before this law was ruled unconstitutional, the medical malpractice awards for pain and suffering were capped at $500,000.00 for docs and $1 million for hospitals. Now, they say, all bets are off.
Before the 2005 tort reform law, Illinois was a lawsuit lottery bonanza for lawyers. Between 1998 and 2003 when there were no caps on damages and awards, damage awards grew in Cook County (Chicago city within this county) by over 247%. Chicago physicians saw their insurance premiums rise 10-12% per year. Many specialists left the state or ceased to practice.
The tort reform laws reversed the trend, malpractice lawsuits dropped 25% and doctors returned. According to the Congressional Budget office, which is supposed to be neutral, these reforms will save more than $54 billion in health care costs over the next 10 years.
Here's the problem in a nutshell - the judges just told the elected state politicians that they have no power over the judges. They cannot regulate them. HUH? Because Illinois Democrats included and passed a non-severability clause in the law (all-or-nothing) the entire tort reform law is now void. Oopsie.
This now also invalidates some very good and wise provisions, which should be considered as part of ALL tort reforms -
a) provisions to regulate insurance rates
b) provisions to encourage doctors to admit mistakes and make doctor's disciplinary records PUBLICLY AVAILABLE to patients.
c) reasonable limits to non-monetary awards
Here's a much bigger problem - Plaintiffs lawyers have launched constitutional challenges in dozens of states to overturn similar laws - cases are currently being heard or pending in TEXAS -OMG!, Wisconsin, Indiana, Florida, Maryland, and Georgia. Usually they argue about equal protection or lack of due process.
This exact reasoning of separation of powers has been rejected in Maryland, Utah, Alaska, (Thanks, Sarah!) Colorado and Nebraska. WSJ states that this reason usually gets lawyers laughed out of court. As it should.
Lessons learned -
1. Hire smarter legislators who know how to write laws and what a non-severability clause means (unless they planned it that way.)
2. Pay attention to your elected judge positions, they matter also.
My personal note - when I was injured in my car accident, I felt very unfairly treated by my insurance company. I had a very difficult time just trying to get reimbursed for legitimate medical, documented expenses, so I personally think Texas laws need to be modified in favor of the patient. I spoke with several attorneys and they told me that unless I died and my family suffered millions of dollars in damages, it was not worth suing anyone. Apparently , no lawyer gets out of bed these days for less than one million dollars and a cases involving brutal death..
These attorneys said that in Texas, many of their case knowledge is filled with patients who were injured and suffered tens of thousands of medical expense fees and even after settlement, did not have enough to pay their documented bills. Suing for pain and suffering was not even a thought anymore. Texas law goes a little too far, we stopped the lawyer lottery but went too far - so much so that the patients are bearing the burden, and the insurance companies are making the money. Tort reform in Texas means taking on the insurance special interests.
That is why we need laws which are well thought out, all reasonable potential outcomes debated in public, and voted on when there is a consensus.
TTFN!
I thought about doing an entire post just using text abbreviations, that would be fun, but I think I would lose everyone over 30!
- OMG!
- WITW?
- IDK.
- PLOS!
-LMAO!
- 4COL!
Now back to sad reality. OMG is pretty well understood, but I am afraid that LOL does not mean Laughing-out-loud. In this case it means either Land-of-Lincoln or the more derisive term Land-of-Lawyers. This week in the Wall St. Journal editorial pages, pg A12, 2/6/10, there appears this article:
There are many plaintiffs lawyers flying back and forth to Chicago now in very expensive suits. Apparently in the case Lebron vs. Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, a 4-2 majority (Illinois Supreme Court) ruled that the state's 2005 Medical Malpractice Reform Act was unconstitutional because it interfered with judges' ability to "reduce" monetary verdicts. This interfered with the separation of powers. Before this law was ruled unconstitutional, the medical malpractice awards for pain and suffering were capped at $500,000.00 for docs and $1 million for hospitals. Now, they say, all bets are off.
Before the 2005 tort reform law, Illinois was a lawsuit lottery bonanza for lawyers. Between 1998 and 2003 when there were no caps on damages and awards, damage awards grew in Cook County (Chicago city within this county) by over 247%. Chicago physicians saw their insurance premiums rise 10-12% per year. Many specialists left the state or ceased to practice.
The tort reform laws reversed the trend, malpractice lawsuits dropped 25% and doctors returned. According to the Congressional Budget office, which is supposed to be neutral, these reforms will save more than $54 billion in health care costs over the next 10 years.
Here's the problem in a nutshell - the judges just told the elected state politicians that they have no power over the judges. They cannot regulate them. HUH? Because Illinois Democrats included and passed a non-severability clause in the law (all-or-nothing) the entire tort reform law is now void. Oopsie.
This now also invalidates some very good and wise provisions, which should be considered as part of ALL tort reforms -
a) provisions to regulate insurance rates
b) provisions to encourage doctors to admit mistakes and make doctor's disciplinary records PUBLICLY AVAILABLE to patients.
c) reasonable limits to non-monetary awards
Here's a much bigger problem - Plaintiffs lawyers have launched constitutional challenges in dozens of states to overturn similar laws - cases are currently being heard or pending in TEXAS -OMG!, Wisconsin, Indiana, Florida, Maryland, and Georgia. Usually they argue about equal protection or lack of due process.
This exact reasoning of separation of powers has been rejected in Maryland, Utah, Alaska, (Thanks, Sarah!) Colorado and Nebraska. WSJ states that this reason usually gets lawyers laughed out of court. As it should.
Lessons learned -
1. Hire smarter legislators who know how to write laws and what a non-severability clause means (unless they planned it that way.)
2. Pay attention to your elected judge positions, they matter also.
My personal note - when I was injured in my car accident, I felt very unfairly treated by my insurance company. I had a very difficult time just trying to get reimbursed for legitimate medical, documented expenses, so I personally think Texas laws need to be modified in favor of the patient. I spoke with several attorneys and they told me that unless I died and my family suffered millions of dollars in damages, it was not worth suing anyone. Apparently , no lawyer gets out of bed these days for less than one million dollars and a cases involving brutal death..
These attorneys said that in Texas, many of their case knowledge is filled with patients who were injured and suffered tens of thousands of medical expense fees and even after settlement, did not have enough to pay their documented bills. Suing for pain and suffering was not even a thought anymore. Texas law goes a little too far, we stopped the lawyer lottery but went too far - so much so that the patients are bearing the burden, and the insurance companies are making the money. Tort reform in Texas means taking on the insurance special interests.
That is why we need laws which are well thought out, all reasonable potential outcomes debated in public, and voted on when there is a consensus.
TTFN!
Friday, January 29, 2010
Economic Value Add, teach your kids this one!
Hi,
It has been a while, I am sorry for not posting sooner. There's this thing about family and Christmas that always takes priority. Anyway, I promised I would talk about EVA - Economic Value Add as my next economics lesson. This will be in layman's, or common sense terms, so I don't expect any Washington politicians to really understand it, but maybe they could get one of the "unwashed masses" of their constituents to explain it to them in the backroom. If only they cared.
I am an engineer, and I am very proud of my accomplishments. I have been near the point of crying over the "too big to fail" concept and bank bailouts lately. Wall street bankers deserve ZERO bonuses if they accept money from the taxpayers, period. No exceptions. If a firm pays out 70% of its profits to employees, then what is left for the shareholders? Table scraps? In my world, this is crony capitalism, only a small step removed from socialism, where the powerful government lines the pockets of its friends at the expense of the general public.
During my career, I have literally built planes, trains and automobiles, and yes, I have felt like John Candy in that movie! I have traveled extensively and can start the lesson by giving you several examples of what Value looks like.
Value is a missile that works well and scares the bad guys enough so that they don't attack us or our allies.
Value is a military that eliminates the bad guys when they do. No second chances. "No partial credit." See below.
Value is a car that gets you to work without breaking down once per month.
Value is knowing that when you invest money in a firm in your 401k, that the government is watching to make sure there is no fraud (Enron?)
Value is a well built bridge that works - One of my college professors - mechanical dynamics - said something I will never forget - several girls in the class were complaining about getting the right answers on a test, but they only missed a decimal point. He gave them zero credit for this question. 10 question test, each worth 10 points, so this is a big deal.
He said - "You build bridge, bridge fall down, NO PARTIAL CREDIT!" That is how I was trained. Sorry if that is too tough for you. However, feel free to drive across any bridge I design with your kids in the car....
How do you "ADD value". well, making a computer chip run twice as fast adds value, no? When is the last time you got a paper paycheck? If any at all? Everything is computerized now. I do not have a brick and mortar bank account anymore, just plastic and Internet connections.
Want a chemistry example? I almost died in a car accident a few years ago - it was very scary, rainy night, etc. The airbags, I am convinced, saved my life. My college professor of chemistry worked on the patent for the airbag detonation device - thanks, prof! My family is grateful. For those hug a tree folks - fyi, the chemistry involved for a detonation is based on sodium hydrazine, the same thing used in rocket fuel. It looks like white talcum powder and smells like burning metal (sodium is a metal). I thought the car was on fire with my son in the back seat, but luckily it was not. If it was not for a military program designing better rocket fuel, we may never have had airbags. (except for Washington).
In business and economics, to be more professional, EVA occurs when you design a new business process that simplifies things, like processing an invoice - in some studies I conducted years ago, it could cost $75.00 to simply push a piece of paper around a company until it was paid. Now that I am an Oracle DBA, I can tell you it only takes as long as a person chooses to review the "paper" on their computer screen and hit the "ok" button. Seconds and slices of one penny. It probably costs more for the person to look at the screen than it does to process the transaction.
Another example is when a firm can reduce inventory, sometimes called a carrying cost. If you can build a refrigerator in one hour, 300 hundred per day, you need 300 sets of pieces of inventory. If you have a months worth of inventory on a shelf waiting to go, 29/30 days is too much. If that number can be reduced to only what you need for today's production, that is a good thing. Less money (from your investors, remember them?) is collecting dust on a shelf. That money can be used to fund more and other businesses, like toasters, microwaves, or missiles or cars. That in turn hires more people - jobs anyone? I wonder what it would be like if we had a microwave in our cars? I pray no one is living in their car to answer this question.
Now, ask yourself this question - What has DC done to add economic value to your life lately? Is your 401k safe? Is your banker making more than you? Did you get a bailout? Did he? Is your job safer? Get a raise lately? Are you able to buy a new car without federal help?
Specifically, I call your attention to the cash for clunkers bailout DISASTER - a reader wrote in a car magazine recently - he was a very upset engineer at Chrysler - (it should be called CRYsler. my note.)
The results are in: All the bailout did was increase sales of foreign cars - Chrysler had suspended production and had no more cars to sell, they missed out on a buying binge. Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, did really well. Great. Hey, UAW, how's that going for you - the Dems are really looking out for you, huh? In economic terms, its EVA was ZERO - yes ZERO. It only "borrowed sales from future months". What that means is people bought cars they would not buy until another year or so. Now, today, the auto biz is in a slump again. Gee, didn't see that one coming!
Actually, my personal opinion is that the EVA was NEGATIVE!
How? well, it cost the taxpayers about $20,000.00 to give a $4,500.00 rebate. Hmmm, can you say "government bureaucrat pension plan? "The Chrysler engineer also laments, correctly, that he could not help out his nephew going to college, to afford a $1,000.00 or $2,000.00 type clunker for school because they are all crushed. The student can't afford a new car, he has no job, he is in school. duh.
Hey Obama, great "change" job, make life more difficult for college kids and their families. Waste taxpayer money, make life more difficult for auto managers, accountants and the UAW workers to manage another slump.
Every day, as an American, you need to ask yourself - how can I make this country better? How do I add EVA? We already know the answers; we have the capabilities already. All we need to do to add a "Political EVA" is get the government out of the way. Shrinking it and its burden on society will add tremendous EVA for generations. It is our duty and obligation. Go for it!
It has been a while, I am sorry for not posting sooner. There's this thing about family and Christmas that always takes priority. Anyway, I promised I would talk about EVA - Economic Value Add as my next economics lesson. This will be in layman's, or common sense terms, so I don't expect any Washington politicians to really understand it, but maybe they could get one of the "unwashed masses" of their constituents to explain it to them in the backroom. If only they cared.
I am an engineer, and I am very proud of my accomplishments. I have been near the point of crying over the "too big to fail" concept and bank bailouts lately. Wall street bankers deserve ZERO bonuses if they accept money from the taxpayers, period. No exceptions. If a firm pays out 70% of its profits to employees, then what is left for the shareholders? Table scraps? In my world, this is crony capitalism, only a small step removed from socialism, where the powerful government lines the pockets of its friends at the expense of the general public.
During my career, I have literally built planes, trains and automobiles, and yes, I have felt like John Candy in that movie! I have traveled extensively and can start the lesson by giving you several examples of what Value looks like.
Value is a missile that works well and scares the bad guys enough so that they don't attack us or our allies.
Value is a military that eliminates the bad guys when they do. No second chances. "No partial credit." See below.
Value is a car that gets you to work without breaking down once per month.
Value is knowing that when you invest money in a firm in your 401k, that the government is watching to make sure there is no fraud (Enron?)
Value is a well built bridge that works - One of my college professors - mechanical dynamics - said something I will never forget - several girls in the class were complaining about getting the right answers on a test, but they only missed a decimal point. He gave them zero credit for this question. 10 question test, each worth 10 points, so this is a big deal.
He said - "You build bridge, bridge fall down, NO PARTIAL CREDIT!" That is how I was trained. Sorry if that is too tough for you. However, feel free to drive across any bridge I design with your kids in the car....
How do you "ADD value". well, making a computer chip run twice as fast adds value, no? When is the last time you got a paper paycheck? If any at all? Everything is computerized now. I do not have a brick and mortar bank account anymore, just plastic and Internet connections.
Want a chemistry example? I almost died in a car accident a few years ago - it was very scary, rainy night, etc. The airbags, I am convinced, saved my life. My college professor of chemistry worked on the patent for the airbag detonation device - thanks, prof! My family is grateful. For those hug a tree folks - fyi, the chemistry involved for a detonation is based on sodium hydrazine, the same thing used in rocket fuel. It looks like white talcum powder and smells like burning metal (sodium is a metal). I thought the car was on fire with my son in the back seat, but luckily it was not. If it was not for a military program designing better rocket fuel, we may never have had airbags. (except for Washington).
In business and economics, to be more professional, EVA occurs when you design a new business process that simplifies things, like processing an invoice - in some studies I conducted years ago, it could cost $75.00 to simply push a piece of paper around a company until it was paid. Now that I am an Oracle DBA, I can tell you it only takes as long as a person chooses to review the "paper" on their computer screen and hit the "ok" button. Seconds and slices of one penny. It probably costs more for the person to look at the screen than it does to process the transaction.
Another example is when a firm can reduce inventory, sometimes called a carrying cost. If you can build a refrigerator in one hour, 300 hundred per day, you need 300 sets of pieces of inventory. If you have a months worth of inventory on a shelf waiting to go, 29/30 days is too much. If that number can be reduced to only what you need for today's production, that is a good thing. Less money (from your investors, remember them?) is collecting dust on a shelf. That money can be used to fund more and other businesses, like toasters, microwaves, or missiles or cars. That in turn hires more people - jobs anyone? I wonder what it would be like if we had a microwave in our cars? I pray no one is living in their car to answer this question.
Now, ask yourself this question - What has DC done to add economic value to your life lately? Is your 401k safe? Is your banker making more than you? Did you get a bailout? Did he? Is your job safer? Get a raise lately? Are you able to buy a new car without federal help?
Specifically, I call your attention to the cash for clunkers bailout DISASTER - a reader wrote in a car magazine recently - he was a very upset engineer at Chrysler - (it should be called CRYsler. my note.)
The results are in: All the bailout did was increase sales of foreign cars - Chrysler had suspended production and had no more cars to sell, they missed out on a buying binge. Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, did really well. Great. Hey, UAW, how's that going for you - the Dems are really looking out for you, huh? In economic terms, its EVA was ZERO - yes ZERO. It only "borrowed sales from future months". What that means is people bought cars they would not buy until another year or so. Now, today, the auto biz is in a slump again. Gee, didn't see that one coming!
Actually, my personal opinion is that the EVA was NEGATIVE!
How? well, it cost the taxpayers about $20,000.00 to give a $4,500.00 rebate. Hmmm, can you say "government bureaucrat pension plan? "The Chrysler engineer also laments, correctly, that he could not help out his nephew going to college, to afford a $1,000.00 or $2,000.00 type clunker for school because they are all crushed. The student can't afford a new car, he has no job, he is in school. duh.
Hey Obama, great "change" job, make life more difficult for college kids and their families. Waste taxpayer money, make life more difficult for auto managers, accountants and the UAW workers to manage another slump.
Every day, as an American, you need to ask yourself - how can I make this country better? How do I add EVA? We already know the answers; we have the capabilities already. All we need to do to add a "Political EVA" is get the government out of the way. Shrinking it and its burden on society will add tremendous EVA for generations. It is our duty and obligation. Go for it!
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