Archive for the ‘Politics’ Category

19
Feb

WTF: Tea Party, Mont Vernon, et al

   Posted by: Yoggie

This is your first, last and only warning:  Rant coming up.

I supposed everyone (in the U.S. anyway) by now has heard about the Tea Party movement.  If you haven’t or if you need a refresher course, they are a loosely organized group of groups that tout the idea that government has gotten too big and intrusive, the deficit is too big, and the stimulus/bail-outs measures were wrong and not needed. It is predominately made up of upper-middle class, white Conservatives (no, I’m not talking Republicans and Democrats, the group has  both) who seem to have a lot of time on their hands and little regard for their fellow man.  How many of these Tea Party protesters and affiliates are unemployed or under-employed?  Who among them are struggling to pay mortgages or rents, struggling to put food on the table? Were the Tea Partiers willing to live with the outcome if all the banks had failed and the country had spiraled into Depression and 25% unemployment?  If you think it is bad now, just image how worse it could have been. Unlike other countries that get into binds, there is no one to bail us out.  I suppose the Tea Partiers want us to stop helping the Haitians, stop the fighting terrorist, and close all of our ports as well.  I understand they are worried and scared, but take a minute to think about what you are asking and the consequences if you get your way. I really do not think these people did much thinking.  And the rabble rousers that fanning these fears they have will drop them the minute the Tea Party movement isn’t working for them, you know, the politicians, the lobbyist, etc.

And who is paying for all this?  Tea Party organizers are refusing to disclose exactly how they can afford all the conventions, Sara Palin’s $100,000 speaking fee (the $349 to $549 per ticket wouldn’t begin to cover it, and no, she did not waive her fee… and what average working class American can afford that for a ticket anyway), and the organized protests.  Now they are setting up a corporation called Ensuring Liberty Corporation to create the Ensuring Liberty Political Action Committee. Yes, you heard it right, the same people protesting against lobbyist are forming their own lobby group that will be bank rolled by a corporation that allows other corporations and rich investors to anonymously donate (based on the recent Supreme Court decision that could mean billions) and it is tax exempt. But they vow to be transparent in doing this.  Yeah, right.

Yes, the original people who started the Tea Party movement have been pushed aside so that a group of lobbyist representing the rich and corporations can use a one time grassroots movement to further their agenda. And these poor shmucks who will be doing all the protesting really think they are doing something for the common people.

 

The Mount Vernon Statement?  Just a political ploy by a bunch of Conservatives to gain some support for the “God, Guns, and No Immigrants” movement that has risen up again.  Yes, it is the same thing that happens every time when times are tough. Really, these people have never read the Constitution, much less know what it means or what our fore-fathers intended.  Our Constitution was written, as the founding fathers themselves said, to be flexible with the changing needs of the nation (not the fickle and mostly capricious wants of the few) while still insuring that everyone is free, liberated, and served by the government. Did they not read that the Federal Government is the rule of the land, and what powers it does not take upon itself can then be disseminated to state and local levels. And what gets my goat the most is that the people who signed this document are the very same people clamoring for more security at the detriment of personal freedoms, advocating torture, and killing small business and entrepreneurship.

 

Hate me if you want, you still have that freedom for now, but I will not guarantee that you will if these people get in the government.


Email this post Email this post

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • Sphinn
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • MySpace
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Mixx
  • De.lirio.us
  • email
  • Fark
  • StumbleUpon
  • TwitThis
  • Webnews.de
  • Live
  • Slashdot
5
Jul

Yeah, now you tell me there was alcohol.

   Posted by: Yoggie

How thick can I be.  I mean I heard the blender going and could smell the fruit juices but it never occurred to me that alcoholic beverages were being served last night.  Heck, I wasn’t driving so I could drink.  No, what do I do?  I sit and watch some kid friendly movie thinking the kids will be wanting to watch a movie.  Yeah, they were watching a movie… in another room.  Come on, I would have watched “Twilight” if I had known alcohol was actually being served.

On the topic of “Twilight”, I met a young lady that actually likes the books and the movie.  Well, younger than I am.  She is actually in her early… well, she has been out of college a few years now.  I guess not everyone bought the books to see how bad they reportedly are.


Email this post Email this post

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • Sphinn
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • MySpace
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Mixx
  • De.lirio.us
  • email
  • Fark
  • StumbleUpon
  • TwitThis
  • Webnews.de
  • Live
  • Slashdot
24
Jun

I have sinned South Carolina!

   Posted by: Yoggie

It seems that the governor of South Carolina was not just in Argentina, but he was in Argentina with a WOMAN!  OMG, a Republican with a woman. What is this world coming to?  I guess he will not be running for president and will probably be ousted our of the party for doing a woman on the side instead of a guy because it is obvious that he is a homosexual because it wasn’t a guy who was the object of the affair.

Dude, I don’t care if you are having an affair, male or female.  The problem is that you lied about where you were and that you were out of touch for such a long period. As long as the person you are having the affair with is over 18 it is fine by me.  Now that is not saying that I support adultery, but I’m not going to prevent you from doing it.  I sincerely hope that the woman you are having an affair with is like a 22-year old supermodel.  The problem is not the affair, it is the betrayal of trust for your state.

UPDATE June 25, 2009 7 AM: It seems the wife knew about the affair for months.  I’m not saying that knowledge is approval or compliance, but if she did approve of the affair (maybe an open marriage or such) then really I am not judgmental about the affair, just the whole being out of touch thing.


Email this post Email this post

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • Sphinn
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • MySpace
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Mixx
  • De.lirio.us
  • email
  • Fark
  • StumbleUpon
  • TwitThis
  • Webnews.de
  • Live
  • Slashdot
23
Jun

I was out South Carolina.

   Posted by: Yoggie

Sometimes I wonder just how some people ever get enough brain power to get elected to office.  I suppose you’ve hear by now that no one seems to know the whereabouts of South Carolina’s Governor Mark Sanford.  He left his office last Thursday and hasn’t been heard from since.  His wife and kids do not know, the security personnel  do know, even Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer does not know of his Gov. Sanford’s whereabouts.  Everyone thinks he may have gone hiking, though he seem to miss Father’s Day with his family.  And only the lieutenant governor seems to be worried that the man is missing.  The governor of the state is the highest authority for that state and is the only person who can enact emergency powers and such in the state (yes, the lieutenant governor can act in his stead but only if it is clear that the governor himself is incapacitated).  The governor also turned off his phones.  And he does this frequently.  I’m sorry, but the man by his taking the office is never off-duty and is required to be in contact at all times.  Even I am on call whenever I not at work and I am no where near as important as he.

And this is the same guy that refused to take stimulus money and was willing to let his state go into financial ruin.

UPDATE – 06/24/2009 11 AM:  It seems that he was hiking, but in another country.  Gov. Mark Sanford returned today (Wednesday) from Argentina! He decided that he wanted to go somewhere exotic and didn’t tell his wife, his family, his aides, his security personnel, and the lieutenant governor! If I was his wife he would have a lot “splaining” to do and may find himself sleeping in the dog house. If I were the voters in South Carolina I’d be asking for a new governor.


Email this post Email this post

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • Sphinn
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • MySpace
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Mixx
  • De.lirio.us
  • email
  • Fark
  • StumbleUpon
  • TwitThis
  • Webnews.de
  • Live
  • Slashdot
22
Jun

Not something you want to see on Father’s Day

   Posted by: Yoggie

If you haven’t heard by now, there some deaths over the weekend in Iran during some of the protest over the elections results.  The Iranian state run media confirmed 17 deaths at last count.  It is not the number of people that has the world in an uproar but the death of one woman being called Neda (though that may not be her name – Neda means "the voice" in Farsi) who was a watching the protest and whom did not seem to be actually involved in the activities.  The video of her death (warning video is very graphic to the point that YouTube requires age verification) has been circulating social and web sites.  According to reports, the woman was shot by a Basij sniper stationed on a rooftop of a house in front of her father.  The validity of the video and report has not been confirmed and some are skeptic of the video’s footage.  Other videos are surfacing of attacks by government-supported forces feeding to the fire to the outrage of Iran’s handling of the protests.

If the reports and video of “Neda’s” death are true, I feel sorrow for her father and her family and hope that someday the persons responsible will have to answer for the senseless crime.


Email this post Email this post

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • Sphinn
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • MySpace
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Mixx
  • De.lirio.us
  • email
  • Fark
  • StumbleUpon
  • TwitThis
  • Webnews.de
  • Live
  • Slashdot
20
Jun

Call to do what with Iran?

   Posted by: Yoggie

Republicans are all up in arms about the President not taking a more active and harsh role in what is happening in Iran concerning the election protests.  It seems that the Republicans don’t think Obama is wording is responses about the Iran crisis harsh enough and that the U.S. needs to take the lead in getting the people of Iran free and fair elections.  I have some problems with the Republicans and all those others that say we are wussy-footing when it is coming to Iran…

  • Exactly what are we supposed to do?  Iran is a sovereign country with its own laws, constitution, and government.  It may not be the democracy that we enjoy, but it is the system the people of Iran put in place.  I agree that they should be allowed to protest and all, but we can just go in and make the government do anything.
  • Are statements are not harsh enough?  What do you want?  “We will attack if you don’t recount" type of response? We have enough of an image problem in Iran as it is, we don’t need to reinforce the idea put forth by the Iranian government that the U.S. is a war-mongering blowhard.  Supporting the people’s right to assemble and protest, letting them know that we sympathize with their plight is all we can do.
  • If we do or say anything more, the Iranian government will accuse us of interfering with a sovereign nation’s  elections and just re-enforce that bad taste that the U.S. has left in the mouths of those still supporting the government.  Any perceived involvement, if it is real or not, will only hurt the protestors and brand their movement as a covert U.S. operation.  Not only would we ostracize Iran even further, but our tenuous relations with other Middle East nations will be in jeopardy. 

I don’t want these nay-sayers to not express their opinion on how Obama is handling the situation, but I do wish they would think before they talk.


Email this post Email this post

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • Sphinn
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • MySpace
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Mixx
  • De.lirio.us
  • email
  • Fark
  • StumbleUpon
  • TwitThis
  • Webnews.de
  • Live
  • Slashdot
16
Jun

Soapbox June 16, 2009

   Posted by: Yoggie

  • Healthcare – Yes, we need to do something about the healthcare availability and the lack thereof.  I do not agree that this is, as one doctor put it, a matter for politicians not government.  Politicians are going to skirt the issue for as long as possible and then give a solution that helps only those who donate the most money.  We need a solution that allows everyone to get healthcare, preventative treatments, medical help, etc and not depend on what the insurance companies are willing the meter out.  We spend more per person on healthcare than anyone in the world yet we still have some of the poorest care available.  What is so wrong about the government single payer idea?  Everyone else uses it with great success.  And don’t start with the stories about how bad is government-run healthcare, most of those stories are false to begin with and the others do not tell the whole truth.  We never hear about the resounding success stories like the woman just recently on a story for Morning Edition on NPR that opted to live in Canada because she could afford and receive the care she needed that she was denied in the U.S. through her private insurance.
  • Iran’s elections – Seems that the people of Iran are finding out just how free they are really.  In Iran, the only rallies allowed are the ones sanctioned and sponsored by the Iranian government, the protesters of the election are being fired upon and arrested. Reporters are banned from the streets, media is being censored even more than before, internet access in Iran is reduced and at times outright banned. Even before the elections were held, social networking sites were closed to the Iranian people (who have the highest percentage of web-connected people in the Middle East) especially those that supported the opposition to the current President.  The former Vice-president that was a supporter of reform has been reported arrested by Iranian police forces. This is a prime example of what happens when church runs the state. Remember that when you want more religious-centric legislation in the U.S.

Email this post Email this post

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • Sphinn
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • MySpace
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Mixx
  • De.lirio.us
  • email
  • Fark
  • StumbleUpon
  • TwitThis
  • Webnews.de
  • Live
  • Slashdot
24
Feb

Don’t tug on Superman’s cape

   Posted by: Yoggie

And you don’t mess around with Joe… per Obama’s speech just now.


Email this post Email this post

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • Sphinn
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • MySpace
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Mixx
  • De.lirio.us
  • email
  • Fark
  • StumbleUpon
  • TwitThis
  • Webnews.de
  • Live
  • Slashdot
18
Feb

California’s budget solution – WTF?

   Posted by: Yoggie

It has been all in the news lately about California’s huge budget problems.  It boggles the mind that any state can get billions of dollars in debt, though California isn’t the only state with this problem.  To solve this problem, the legislation of the state has decided that increasing taxes and laying off workers is the only way.  Now, I agree that you will probably have to raise taxes (though I would have thought California would have other means of revenue available), but laying off state workers (on top of the ones already furloughed and laid off) is more of a shoot yourself in the foot move. Point in fact…

  • State workers in general tend to be the smallest part of the budget, most (the ones most likely to be let go) are low income.  Yes, you save some money instantly, but not a great deal, unless you lay off the big paycheck people (not likely).
  • Some of these people have skill sets that are essential and will be hard to replace once the budget crisis is over.  Government services that are still left will suffer.
  • These laid off workers will be joining the other laid off workers on unemployment and on state welfare.  You will have even more children on the state insurance.  All of this will increase the money needed from the government.
  • All those with homes and outstanding debts will be defaulting on their loans added to the problems of the economic crisis.

I don’t have any answers, but it seems that no or little thought has been put into solving the budget crisis in California.

 

UPDATE: Bizarre ideas seems to be rampant these days.  Georgia has been having budget problems as well (a shortfall and not an actual debt since by the state constitution the budget has to be balanced with projected revenue) with cuts across the board with some lay offs by a few universities.  Now that the legislature has just recently manage to keep the budget in range of the law, some Republicans are now advancing their own “economic stimulus” package of their own with tax cuts for businesses and corporations.  How are they going to pay for the tax cuts?  Lay off state workers.  I know for a fact that state workers in Georgia (teachers included) are severely underpaid.  And what is one of the main tax breaks?  A tax break for hiring people who have been unemployed for at least 60 days.

I see where this is heading, you hire someone (maybe a laid off state worker) who has been out of work for sixty days, employ the person for the minimum time, and then lay them off getting the tax break in the process.  One hell of a scam in the making if you are not careful with the wording on the legislation.


Email this post Email this post

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • Sphinn
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • MySpace
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Mixx
  • De.lirio.us
  • email
  • Fark
  • StumbleUpon
  • TwitThis
  • Webnews.de
  • Live
  • Slashdot
5
Feb

Economic stimulus plan or bust

   Posted by: Yoggie

There has been a lot of news about the President’s economic stimulus plan and the problems of getting the Republicans to come on board. One of the biggest sticking points is the ration of government spending to tax cuts.  Let us just take a look at what tax cuts and spending as referenced in the proposal changes…

  • First of all, government spending actually gives a better return on the dollar.
    • Every dollar spent by the government translates to $1.02 to $1.38 of economic benefits.  That dollar spent by the government pays for resources and labor used in the U.S. In other words, the money stays in the U.S., goes into U.S. tax payer pockets as income, and actually does something for the people.
    • Every dollar in tax cuts translates into about 30¢ into the economy – the tax refunds and breaks to people end up in savings accounts, paying bills, or paying down debts.  Hardly does that money actually go to new spending.
  • Spending by government means the dollar stays in the U.S., spending by people sends dollars overseas, thus weakening the dollar.
  • Tax breaks for small businesses, though noble, is not much help in the economy.  Again, small businesses will use the tax breaks not to spend on new equipment, upgrades, and new jobs, but on paying down debt.  Yes, it is good to pay down debt, but it does nothing to stimulate the economy.
  • Tax breaks for big business (does Trickle Down Theory ring a bell) has the same problem as small business breaks added that any extra money will be given to stockholders.  Big business is notorious for not using money to upgrade, improve, and create jobs.
  • Tax breaks will not stimulate investment.  In the past, it has been Wall Street that has drained the economy and money by companies buying back stock and paying dividends.  And who has all that stock… it is not you and me, skippy, who are buying the goods and struggling to put food on the table.
  • Business growth comes by sales, not investment capital.  A company is not going to dive into risky investment just because there is more cash lying around.  Sales stimulates growth because then companies have solid evidence that there will be more money on the heels of the current sales.  Money the government spends on projects employ people who then will be more willing to spend knowing that they will still have a job.
  • Government spending creates jobs, particularly the plan as put forth by the President.  Those who have been laid-off will be more able to find jobs.  Pay attention because this can get complicated…
    • Jim works for a software company and was laid-off.  Government starts building roads.  Though Jim does not have a clue on how to build roads, someone else does named Carl.  So Carl gets hired along with other people.  Maybe this company suddenly needs more IT people to handle the increase in data.  Maybe Jim can doe that job and because the company has more money coming in it will hire Jim.  Or that company sees a chance with the new money and employees to upgrade its systems, Jim gets rehired to his old job.  Now we have a lot less people using unemployment benefits.  Hey, the government just saved some money.
    • Bill is a teacher about to lose his job because of state budget crisis.  State gets more education funds.  Bill keeps his job, can continue to give that kid having problem in math the extra help.  That kid grows up, goes to college, and finds a job at Jim’s software company that didn’t go bust because of the stimulated economy making much more money that working at a fast food chain so in turn he has more taxable income.
    • Yes, that little bit of spending on that road made an enormous impact.
    • The other scenario, tax break instead went to a company that used the money to pay more dividends to a stockholder Sam that put it away in savings.  Jim didn’t get his job back, Carl stayed on unemployment, Bill lost his job, and the kid wasn’t able to get the extra help he needed because there was not enough teachers. Yes, Sam has more money from his reduction in capital gains, lower taxes, and higher dividends. of course Sam could be altruistic, but history proves otherwise (see what got us into this mess in the first place).

That is just my opinion, but it is backed by this guy and this guy as well as in this interview.

Of course, that federal wage tax holiday would work for me as I’d would by more groceries and some clothes.


Email this post Email this post

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • Sphinn
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • MySpace
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Mixx
  • De.lirio.us
  • email
  • Fark
  • StumbleUpon
  • TwitThis
  • Webnews.de
  • Live
  • Slashdot