December 29, 2011

23 Out of 36 Say Fair or Good

23 out of 36 economists rate Obama’s admin economic policies as FAIR or GOOD.

“Half of the 36 economists who responded to the Dec. 14-20 AP survey rated Obama’s economic policies “fair.” And 13 called them “poor.” Just five of the economists gave the president “good” marks. None rated him as “excellent.”

Considering he was handed a HUGE MESS of the economy in 2009, one he did NOT run on (he ran on the War issue), I think these numbers are GREAT!

He was handed a Great Recession that started in 2007 during the Bush administration.  The worst recession since the Great Depression.  I happen to believe that in years to come we will find out that it was truly another Depression (even though it wasn’t as bad as the previous one).

Barack Obama won his election in 2008 because he was against the war in Iraq and against the way former President George W. Bush ran his foreign policy.  It wasn’t until September or October of 2008, before Election Day, that Americans were told about the state of the economy.  So, to imply that Obama knew what he was getting into is simply a lie.  He had two months to prepare for the biggest mess a President has had to face in decades.  9/11 doesn’t even compare to this mess.

While saving our nation from getting hit even harder, economically, Obama was able to get health care reform passed, a feat that no other President has accomplished.  He also passed a stimulus package that helped to stop the massive downturn.  He did those things without the help of Republicans in Congress.

If there is any one truth about the Obama administration, they did what they could all by themselves.

The Republican Party failed to do ‘their’ part in saving this nation from disaster, instead they fought the Obama administration from day one, even to the point of forcing our nation to lose it’s credit rating – first time in our history.

I would love to see a survey of economists discussing the Republicans in Congress and their economic policies over the past 4 years.

December 29, 2011

 Contingent Emergency Funds

I’m going to throw this idea out there for you experts to tell me why it’s a nutty idea.

Why can’t the President use the contingent emergency fund to upgrade our infrastructure like our electrical grids go national security reasons?  It was used for Y2K- related issues back in 1999.  That funding and new infrastructure could create jobs.

December 28, 2011

Who Really is Behind These Attacks?

Al Qaeda front group in Iraq says online that it was responsible for the wave of attacks that ripped through Baghdad last week, killing 69 people and raising new worries about the country’s path.

I must say the same thoughts I had after 9/11 I had when I read this news story.  Who is paying poor folks to do these things?

Right after 9/11 and after the Bush/Cheney administration claimed they knew exactly who did it and where they were from and even where they had been over the past few years, and they knew this information just 2-3 days after the attack, my first thought was — impossible.  I wonder who paid them to do it.

Do you remember the Bush/Cheney administration accusing Saddam Hussein of paying poor men and women to be suicide bombers, paying their families something like $25,000?  Remember how they said that was a more than a life time worth of income for those folks?  Well, who’s to say that somebody ‘else’ didn’t do the same thing to accomplish a specific goal?

It’s well known that some members of the Bush/Cheney administration wanted the U.S. to go into the Middle East to help protect Israel, and we also know that George W. Bush wanted ’payback’ for Saddam’s attempt to kill his dad.  Remember the Undersecretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz’s Doctrine? It outlined a “policy of unilateralism and pre-emptive military action to suppress potential threats from other nations and prevent any other nation from rising to superpower status.”

“In the Middle East and Southwest Asia, our overall objective is to remain the predominant outside power in the region and preserve U.S. and Western access to the region’s oil.”

Think about it folks, how hard would it have been to infiltrate personnel into Palestine or Iraq and offer huge sums of money in exhange for attacking us on 9/11?  If Saddam could do it, so could anybody else.   It wouldn’t have been hard at all.

Now we hear complaints from the conservatives about President Obama withdrawing all troops from Iraq.  Former VP Cheney claiming, “I would not want to see the U.S. waste all the tremendous sacrifice that has gotten us to this point” and Senator John McCain saying,  ”we’ve won the war but lost the peace”, that we will be sorry we didn’t leave a residule force in there.  Most are ignoring the fact that it was Former President George W. Bush and VP Dick Cheney that made this ‘deal’ to withdraw from Iraq by the end of 2011.  They of course want to put any blame for future failure on the Obama administration.

Anyway, going back to the original statement, who really is behind the latest Iraq attacks, once again my first thoughts were, who hired these people to do this?  Was it really Al Qaeda or are they just taking claim to get power again?  Perhaps it was  somebody else that wants to not only hurt the Obama administration’s foreign policy credentials but also wants our troops to stay in the region?

We’ll probably never know the answers to these questions but because I have no trust for the right wingers, it’s hard for me not to think — it’s a conspiracy.

December 25, 2011

MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIENDS

December 23, 2011

House Caves on Tax Cut Deal? Hold On…

House Speaker John Boehner announced Thursday that he had agreed with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on a two-month extension of a package including a payroll tax cut and an extension of unemployment benefits.

Boehner said instatement he and Reid “reached an agreement that will ensure taxes do not increase for working families on Jan. 1 while ensuring that a complex new reporting burden is not unintentionally imposed on small business job creators.”

He said the Senate “will join the House in immediately appointing conferees, with instructions to reach agreement in the weeks ahead on a full-year payroll tax extension. We will ask the House and Senate to approve this agreement by unanimous consent before Christmas.”

First off the media is claiming it was Speaker Boehner that caved this time around.  He may have but only ‘after’ he got what he originally asked for….a conference committee created to work on a full years extension of tax cuts.  Which in my view is a cave of sorts by the Democrats.  They initially said ‘no’ to a committee but have now backed down and agreed to one.  Both parties caved.

However, I still believe this is a trap for the Democrats.  I’m thinking ahead during the presidential campaign and House and Senate races for 2012 election.  How will this debate and so called cave ’help’ Republicans? 

I believe it allows Republicans to once again claim they fought against any new TAX INCREASES, not only for the very wealthy, but for the middle class as well.  They saved 160 million Americans from losing money they needed during ‘Obama’s’ disasterous economy. 

Think about it; now Democrats won’t be able to use this Payroll Tax Cut as a means to attack Republicans for being only for the 1% wealthy folks and not for the middle class when it comes to tax cuts or tax increases.

Even if in two months from now the conference committee cannot come to an agreement, Republicans can now claim they “TRIED” to save the tax cut for Americans but Obama and Democrats once again refused to negotiate fairly.

Obama and the Democrats should never had agreed to the committee and made the GOP cave completely without any new deals being made, and I would go so far as to say they shouldn’t have agreed on a two month extension at all.

When the committee gets together to argue out a way to extend the cuts for another 8 months, I’m afraid Democrats will once again be stuck as they were back in 2010 when Obama signed onto the extension of the Bush tax cuts in exchange for the unemployment benefits.  Democrats will be forced to allow the pipe line deal and allow for testing of drugs on unemployed for benefits.  What else can they do at that point.  They will have nothing else to negotiate with – the Payroll Tax Cut leverage has been pulled out from under their feet I’m afraid.

December 23, 2011

If You Criticize, You Harm The Party?

I’ve heard Democratic Party leaders recently tell me and others not to criticize Barack Obama in public because when others hear us speak or read our comments doing that, they’ll know that ‘we’ are Democrats and think to themselves that if ‘they’ don’t like what Obama or the Democrats are doing, why should I.  With all due respect I disagree with those leaders.

I happen to think that if you ‘ignore’ what you don’t like or disagree with, when it comes to a politician’s policies and governing, you are telling a silent LIE.  If you consistently praise and idolize and never criticize a candidate, Representative, Senator, Governor or President of United States, you aren’t be truthful to me or yourself.  No man or woman is perfect, I don’t care who they are.

I think you can give constructive criticism while at the same time praising a person.  By doing so in public you admit that your “guy or gal”, while they make mistakes along the way, have the best solutions and are trying their best to help America.

A good example of, ‘all praise’ or ‘always being YES people’ would be the previous 8 years of George W. Bush as President.  The Republicans didn’t turn that man down even once that I can think of during his terms.  I never heard a complaint about him or VP Cheney either.  It was always as though Bush/Chenery were invincible and could do no harm.  As though they were Gods.

By simply ignoring what we think President Obama has done wrong or seemingly lacks the courage to do is wrong - we should admit our dislikes or feelings up front.  Or we shall be doing exactly what the media and the right wingers claimed we did in 2008 – supporting a DREAM instead of a man, and we’d be duplicating the Bush era as well – the man can do no wrong.

President Obama as well as every Democrat and every Republican either running or in office, all need to know when they are making mistakes.  Being ‘quiet’ is exactly what has gotten us where we are today with respects to two wars, in debt up to our ears, insurance companies robbing us blind, Wall Street and the wealthy leaving the middle class behind?

So, with all due respect.  If I see something my Party or man/woman is doing wrong — I will speak up.  I will also speak up when I believe they are doing a good job or better job than the other Party.  Hopefully other voters will realize that I am  REAL human being with likes and dislikes –and not just a campaign supporter reading talking points.

December 23, 2011

Was 2 Month Payroll Tax Cut Extension a Trap?

GOP are betting on Americans forgetting all about that money (as much as $40 for a family making $50,000 a year) they were getting each payday by the time election day in Nov 2012 rolls around.

They are also betting on the economic recovery coming to a screeching halt as all the experts predict it will if the Payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits aren’t extended into 2012.

And I’m betting the Republicans in the Senate along with Mitch McConnell knew the House would vote the bill down and that’s why we saw Mitch doing a High Five with a fellow Senator after the Senate approved the 2 month extension.

Mitch McConnell knew the bill would never pass the House way before the Senate voted on it.  The Republicans running for re-election in 2012 in the Senate voting “YES” on the 2 month package has basically saved them from being attacked during their campaigns for increasing taxes on middle class.  “Oh, but we voted yes to extend them, it’s not our fault the House voted it down and Democrats refused to work with Speaker Boehner to get the bill passed.”, they will say.

President Obama and the Democrats may have walked right into another Republican trap.  Republicans will do anything to stop the economy from recoverying which will also mean the defeat of Barack Obama in November.  Even if it means hurting their fellow Americans.

December 22, 2011

Offer Them the Kitchen Sink Mr. President

President Obama and the leaders of the Democratic Party, along with some of those Republicans in the Senate that voted for a two month extension of the Payroll tax cut, should agree to Representive Boehner’s request to meet and discuss the PAYROLL TAX CUT — on THEIR terms.

They should set up a large room with just enough seats for leaderships and a few Senators from both sides that voted FOR the extension and the President.  The media should be allowed to watch and hear what is discussed. 

Weren’t the Republicans just recently complaining about Obama’s administration not being transparent enough?  Well, here is their chance to take him and the Democrats on during ‘live’ television.

Another rule should be that only the tax cuts and unemployment benefit extensions will be discussed.  The Republicans have consistantly refused to even DISCUSS a tax increase on the top 1% to pay for the tax cuts and benefits, and they didn’t bother demanding that the Bush-Obama tax cuts be “PAID FOR”, so if they can take things off the table, why can’t Democrats?  If those ideas are ”off the table” and can’t be discussed, neither can the pipe line or drug testing on unemployed – they too are “off the table”.

Make those now voting against the two month tax cuts extension explain why they suddenly now want to discuss a ‘year extension’ of the cuts when just a few days ago they refused such a plan.  Make them explain why it’s ok to TAX the working middle class but it’s not ok to increase taxes even a tiny bit on millionaires?  Make they also explain why it’s ok to let workers income be DECREASED by nearly $40 a paycheck during this fragile economy the way it is.

Give them the kitchen sink Mr. President, give them their meeting with you and others; only do it in public on live television and take items OFF THE TABLE.

December 21, 2011

A New Business Adventure for Somebody

I’ve researched a little and found something missing in our business world.   Showers for Seniors and Disabled that are mobile or stationary.

I’m sure you’ve all experienced going through a car wash or gone to a beauthy palor or barber right?  They are really convenient and most do a good job of making your car or you look new again for a relatively low price. 

You may have also seen those mobile canine bathing vans around town.  They will pick up your dog and give him/her a bath, and groom them as well for a fair price, then drop them off back home.

Well, having a senior in my home that has a great deal of difficulty moving around and having a very small bathroom to manuever in makes giving a shower pure hell and dangerous to just give a weekly shower.

I got to thinking it might be nice to have a place I could take my senior in a wheel chair, that is large and very open but very private, where I could give them a proper shower without the dangers of making them stand up, step up, step down, step over, etc… just to get them in position for the shower.  Instead, I could just roll them into the shower (undressed of course) in a wheel chair, wash them up, wash their hair, dry them and dress them again.

If a person really wanted to give a fancy service, they could also offer certified nurses aids or even nurses that will do the bathing and grooming (nails, hair, massages, etc..).

There are few possibilities to doing this.  The facility could be a fixed stationary building and the family members would bring in the person needing to be bathed to it.  Or it could be an RV of sorts that is capable of loading the senior into the RV, then manuevering them to the shower area.  Actually the business could offer both options.  You bring your loved one to our place or we’ll come by and get them.

Can you imagine the RV’s being built to do this with across this nation?  It could be like a traveling beauty salon that includes bathing. 

I wonder how many jobs that would create?  The RVs would need built, the equipment inside would need to be created and built to regulations, nursing and/or certified assistants, drivers, office personnel, etc… would all need to be investigated and hired.

The biggest draw back is getting the senior or disabled person out the front door of a person’s home.  What if they are on oxygen?  Perhaps a gurney with EMT’s could also be hired to assist with that? 

All that cost money right?  Well, if you have the stationary facility, you could also offer a coffee shop, a pizza place or even just a vending machine area inside where family members could sit and wait for their loved ones to get spruced up.  That would bring in more money and create a couple more jobs.

The cost of the bathing and grooming could be based on income.  Maybe Medicare could be used to cover some of the cost?  A clean body helps keep the patient healthy…preventive care?

Anybody got a lot of money to invest in this adventure?  Would it work?  I guess it all depends on the final cost per bath/grooming, right?

December 20, 2011

Saab Auto Filed for Bankruptsy

Saab Automobile in Sweden is filing for bankruptsy today.  Nearly 3000 are losing their jobs in the town of Trollhattan alone. 

Imagine if this had been GM, Ford, Chevrolet to have been allowed to go down in 2009 – not ONLY would car salesmen and office personnel lose their jobs, every person making the products to make those cars, like motor parts, electronic parts, fabric parts, glass, metal, rubber, etc… would lose their jobs. 

I’d be amiss if I didn’t also mention automobile mechanics, battery specialists and other businesses that repair our cars.  They too would go belly up because there wouldn’t be SPARE PARTS to fix cars with. 

And guess what, eventually if our cars can’t be repaired the people driving those cars to work everyday can’t get to work and may end up losing their jobs because they couldn’t get there on time. 

If you really dug deep you’d also see that employees working for taxi cabs, bus drivers and even trains would also lose their jobs because of lack of parts to fix them or lack of products to ship.

You’ve heard of TRICKLE DOWN ECONOMICS?  Well this is what it REALLY MEANS.  You start at the top and the loss of jobs continues down the chain of employees – causing the economy to go BELLY UP!

I’m betting our automobile companies and the TRICKLE DOWN employees (and businesses) involved were very appreciative to be able to KEEP their jobs the past 3 years.