Personal Responsibility- What’s That?
May 20, 2009 Political
Movie history was made this week, as the Governator was slapped down regarding the ballot measures that would have allowed the California Budget to be “reduced” from a staggering 21.5 billion dollar deficit to a mere 15+ billion dollar deficit. Okay- this is where it gets a little strange, because if I have a -21 dollars in my pocket, I can just SAY I have a -15 dollars in my pocket. It’s all the same NOTHING that I have (or not, depending on whether you are Democrat or Republican, I guess) in my pocket. It’s all a shell game, performed unconvincingly by the politicians, first in California, and soon to come to a Capital Dome near you.
The measures, which would have prolonged tax increases, capped state spending, earmarked money for education and involved the state in a complex borrowing scheme against its lottery, were rejected by roughly 60 percent of those who voted. The failure of the measures, combined with falling revenues since the state passed its budget, leaves California with a $21 billion new hole to fill, while foreclosure rates and unemployment remain vexing problems here.
The Pols take non- money, and make more of the non- money to pay for these programs they want so desperately. It is no longer a question of whether the program is even worthy or not. There is just no money to pay for it, or any others either.http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/20/us/20vote.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
When regular folks run low on money, we all have to tighten our belts, but not so the politicians, as we can see. This continues a long and shameful tradition of “borrowing” from every source of money, including the Social Security program, which was never very robust, earning only around 1.5% per year as it was. Now, however, there is no money. Let me say this again.
THERE IS NO MONEY. All of this spending, all this stimulus, all this tarp money is just an illusion that the present government, as have all the past governments dearly wanted you to believe in.
Money has only so much buying power as the government’s word guarantees- and this one is writing checks with his mouth that noone can cash. That’s unfortunate, but true.
The Chinese, who had been buying our bonds, have ceased doing so, and Barama has been trying to get lines of credit at the nearest branch of Saudi Arabia with little luck.
I’ve got an idea- stop every new program, look at all other programs to see whose we can safely cut, and by the way, rescind all of those raises Congress hasn’t earned. Congressional employees are OUR employees, and I know I didn’t okay a raise- did you?
No new “green” programs until we know of a system that works- it’s way too expensive to go charging off in a direction that holds no true promise.
Health care needs to remain private, but I agree that access and affordability are key to the whole process. Cutting costs has to happen for the Insurance Industry, but one thing that needs to change is our habits. Use the insurance for when you need it not just for any old bruise or sprain- that is a part of the rise in costs. The insurance companies need to begin charging real world prices, and the most onerous part of the whole process, paperwork, needs to end.
I know that there will be those who will say that the government needs to regulate health care, but there is nothing government does well, and I wouldn’t expect them to begin now. If government governs best when it governs least, as Thomas Jefferson once said, government health care should be the smallest component of the whole process, and the least intrusive. If government could smooth the process, well and good, but government doesn’t do smooth very well. This would be a new dance for them.
I know Barama has all these really great ideas he wants to try out, but now is not the time to do this, and yet he goes right on ahead, oblivious to the fact that he is holding monoply money, for all the guaranteed value it really has right now.
Only when we institute fiscal responsibility, will we be truly able to do things socially that might or might not need to be done.
I have an idea- Why don’t ALL members of Congress- both parties, and the President too- turn their pockets inside out, just so that reminds them just how broke we really are.
Perhaps then they will get the picture.
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Tags: bankrupt, california, china, health care
Who Worries About Objectivity In The Press?
Jan 1, 2009 Political
It looks like two Connecticut newspapers might be out of business as soon as next week. The Bristol Press and The Herald have millions of dollars in debt and the slow economy is hurting them. They obviously do not have the circulation or ad revenue to sustain the business so they are headed for the recycle bin.
Or are they? A Connecticut lawmaker named Frank Nicastro wants to have the state bailout the newspapers. He believes they are vital to the community and that the people would be best served if the government used taxpayer money to keep them afloat.
He views it as his duty but there are others who think this is a dangerous move because it puts government in bed with the press. Some seem to think that the press is a watchdog over the government:
Relying on government help raises ethical questions for the press, whose traditional role has been to operate free from government influence as it tries to hold politicians accountable to the people who elected them. Even some publishers desperate for help are wary of this route.
Providing government support can muddy that mission, said Paul Janensch, a journalism professor at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, and a former reporter and editor.
“You can’t expect a watchdog to bite the hand that feeds it,” he said. al-Reuters
I can understand where those with traditional views of government would have a problem with this whole idea much for the reasons stated. But one would have to be a complete lunatic to believe that the modern day press (all media for that matter) are objective and view it as their job to hold politicians accountable. None of them held Obama accountable.
The New York Times is a storied newspaper but it is only a watchdog over half of the government. If it is Republican they watch it and report anything (even national secrets) but if it is Democrat they ignore the story.
As a matter of fact, some in the media think it is their job to make Obama successful. These would be the same who worked tirelessly to harm the current president every chance they got.
There is nothing objective about most newspapers and none of the major ones are watchdogs over government.
When it comes to the press and Obama calling the newspapers guard dogs would be more appropriate.
Government does not belong using tax dollars to bail out ANY business including newspapers. That is the reason this should not happen.
If we actually had a press that acted like watch dogs over politicians then the arguments presented in the article would be valid but since they lost objectivity a long time ago there is no sense in pretending that this is an issue.
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Tags: bailout, bankrupt, government oversight, newspaper
Obama Will Bankrupt The Coal Industry
Nov 2, 2008 Political
Swing States Beware
There are a lot of states that rely on the coal industry. Barack Obama says he will bankrupt that industry.
When Joe Biden told people in the rope line that he and Obama were against coal, he was telling the truth regardless of what spin they put on it afterward.
Source:
Newsbusters
The West Virginia Record
I am the Big Dog and I approve this blog post.
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