Catching raindrops with a teaspoon

There are so many issues going on at the same time now, its like trying to catch all the raindrops and all you have is a teaspoon to do it. However, i will try and be brief and concise.

Insane animal rights and environmentalist idiots have convinced the federal government to shut water off to the San Joachim valley, where 50% of the fruits and vegetables of this nation are grown. What is their reasoning behind creating 40% unemployment, a dust bowl area where farms used to be, and thousands of angry farm workers? The Delta Smelt, a small 2 inch long fish. The eco-nazi's have convinced the government that these small fish might, MIGHT, be hurt by the turbines from the water supply pipes, so to protect them the government turned off the water. Not the state government, the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. Meanwhile, many of the farmers and workers who grew and picked the fruits and vegetables that we have enjoyed on our tables are now standing in FOOD LINES. And to add insult to this, they have been given a "gift" from China, produce that was grown THERE. How would you like to be one of those farmers, told that you cannot water your plants because you might hurt a tiny fish, and Oh, by the way here is a carrot grown IN CHINA.

For those who don’t remember, the White House traded an $80 billion cap in costs with PhRMA in exchange for $150 million in pro-health care rationing advertising buys, then claimed that they didn’t do any such thing. Except that now Senator Carper’s committed the classic Kinsley gaffe: inadvertently telling the truth in Washington by admitting matter-of-factly that such a deal apparently took place. So for all my Liberal friends, why did your president make such a deal? Isnt this a boon for the "big corporations"? Your president has shown many times that he will make ANY deal to further his own agenda, which is a full scale government takeover of all private sector businesses. You doubt this? The government just this past week voted to take over the college loan program, and with the bailouts and such, the home mortgage companies are 90% under government control.

On the 70th anniversary of the Soviet Union taking over Poland and Czechoslovakia, the president scrapped plans for a missile defense shield for them. This was hailed by the russians and the Iranians as a great step in the right direction. Having the Russians and Iranians give you praise and kudos is to me like getting praise from Charles Manson and the Unibomber. No one has killed more of thier OWN PEOPLE than Russia, and currently there is no greater threat in the middle east than Iran. It just shows that not only does our current Commander in Chief not know anything about domestic matters, but has a complete disconnect when it comes to international issues.

I am getting very upset, so i am going to pause here and continue later...

Random Idle thoughts on a Thursday

Today i found some old friends i went to high school with and worked with at my very first job. And no matter what kind of mood i was in before that, instantly i was in a better one. Some of us had really crappy first jobs, mine was actually not bad at all. At the age of 16, my mom drove me to a pizza place in my home town that was managed by the son of a friend of hers. I filled out the application and in a couple weeks, voila! I was now part of the "system", i paid taxes, i had the responsibility of getting there on time and doing my job. But that is the mundane part of it, the real pleasure of it was learning new things, meeting people, adjusting to being part of a team. I had a lot of life experiences from working there that i am sure i would not have had if it wasnt for that job. I had a coworker there who played in a rock and roll band, and would tell wild tales of the life of a lead guitarist and his throngs of girls. I had another coworker who was always joking and playing pranks, and you never knew if you were the butt or playing along, he was a truly funny guy. There was a girl there who always had a smile on her face and could make you happy with just a hello, and another girl there who would lose her good humor completely at the slightest problem. I had a coworker pass away, when he tried to swim across a quarry pond with some of my other coworkers, and drowned halfway across. He made me wish i would have known him better. I learned the fine art of knife throwing, from some of my coworkers who would do competitions in the back room. The object was to stick the knife into the wood of the crate that the 2-liter bottles of pop came in, not the actual 2-liter bottles. I hit a Dad's Root Beer 2 liter bottle one time and i think it took my entire shift to clean it up. I had a manager who took her religion far too seriously on the job, and i had a manager who took work far too lightly. And i have never had a better pizza than the ones we used to make in the old pizza ovens, with the big spatulas to pull them out. Pizza made on a conveyor belt just cannot compete, and anyone who has had both will agree. First jobs can sometimes be a chore, sometimes cramp our lifestyle, but overall i think most of us remember them fondly.

Added note: I remember once after seeing the movie "Fast Times at Ridgemont High", I had Dave Choka deliver a pizza to my Algebra class. I think Mr. Ivankovich about lost his mind that day because someone DARED interrupt his class.

America wakes up

Even though only Fox news seems to be reporting on the corruption at ACORN, i still get a sense that people are waking up and not going to roll over and take whatever the government says anymore. This weekend, i wanted to be in D.C. with all of the Tea Party folks, but my heart was with them.

The true cure for what ails us

I do a fair amount of quoting and borrowing from websites to illustrate the opinions i have, but i came up with this short bit this morning myself. If you disagree or want to disabuse me of it, look no further.

The cure for many of the things that we are going through is prosperity. Simple prosperity would allow us to clear our heads, and dedicate our passions to working through some of the problems we have. The health care issue is real, please do not misunderstand. But when many of us are unemployed, or have our hours cut back, or have no certainty about the future of our job at our employer, we start to get into a panic mode and what may have been a manageable issue or problem becomes something much more. For example, if our hours have been cut back on our job by say 25%, we start looking at ways to cut back, and some of us opt for things like higher deductibles on car and health insurance as a way to continue to put food on our tables. Imagine if gas prices were at the same point as last year, there would almost certainly be a collapse of our economy of some sort.

But why would prosperity alone, either nation-wide or even for ourselves, make a difference? True, the issues do not go away. But how we deal with everything becomes very different. With a secure job, hope for a raise in the future, new opportunities opening up, I know my attitude improves and i feel like i can take on anything. A short two years ago, i was managing the bills just fine, selling and buying a new home, welcoming my son into the world, and mentally this was MANAGEABLE. And because it was manageable from my mind's perspective, it became manageable in real life. I am not saying that bad things couldnt have happened to derail all of it one way or another, but the fact that this country seemed to be humming along contributed to an overall feeling of "I can handle this". Prosperity makes you want to do things, special things, with your loved ones. You want to go on trips, or surprise them with a present, or make time to be near them. How has this changed for many of us? What I find myself doing is a lot of second guessing when it comes to financial decisions. I don't plan as many things to do, always worried whats coming around the bend. And i dont believe that this feeling is just the result of watching too much bad news, or listening to too many pundits on the radio. I have had issues with work slowdowns, i am desperate to keep the job i have because unlike a couple years ago, i do not feel comfortable with the prospect of finding another job. The classified ads for jobs in the paper are the thinnest i have ever seen them, and all of these things come together to cause a lot of anxiety in my life. I am sure some of you feel that way as well. There is no quick fix, but our government is taking steps to further create difficulties in having prosperity, and i am not sure it is by accident that more and more people are having to depend on the government for the basic essentials of their life. More people are on food stamps and unemployment than i can personally remember, and with some of the legislation coming through having to do with punishing many of the manufacturing companies in this country, i cannot imagine it getting better. Is this what we are meant for? To be beholden and dependent upon government to live? For our food, our job, our health care?

Where did things go wrong? In studying habitats, sometimes you have to look to the smallest part to find out where the root cause of the illness is in the higher members of the food chain. I think it is just the opposite when it comes to this nation's financial well-being. The housing and auto industries represent two very large parts of our economy, because of all of the related economic components that go with them. The people that build houses and cars, they pay taxes, and purchase things with the money they make doing their jobs. There are ancillary jobs in the remodeling industries, aftermarket industries, and these people all pay taxes, and buy things which contribute to the economy as a whole.

The housing industry was ruined in part by Barney Frank and Chris Dodd, who recieved as yet unknown perks from Countrywide home mortage before they went under. Loans were made to people requiring little or no background checks, and loans of 100% became common. Once people started defaulting and the cascade began, it was not long before we got in the mess we are now in. The auto industry suffered because people were A) afraid to spend money on a new car, given the economic climate and B) unable to buy a car because the job they thought they had was gone.

I wish i knew how to fix all this. I remember the words of Ronald Reagan, who said the government needs to be run like we run our own checking account. We cannot spend more money than we have. I just do not see the current group there both R and D being smart enough to do this.

I AM ANGRY - reposted from Redstate.com

My disgust with the Obama administration grows deeper on a daily basis. But it is more than disgust - it is anger. I have a very difficult time bringing myself to write about the daily stunts propagated by the Obamites, as it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth and puts me in a horrid mood. My personality is one that must vent when in such a mood, and so I will.

I am angry.

• I am angry at the so-called “leader of the free world” who cares more about kissing up to dictators and leaders of nations that are our enemies, rather than cooperating with and supporting our friends - a “man” who truly does “pal around with terrorists”…a man who would fly the flag of a Communist country on the front lawn of the freaking White House!
• I am angry at the liar-in-chief who has proposed the systematic socialization of the nation’s healthcare system and who has lied at every turn about the ramifications of the proposals on how this will happen, including lies about single-payer, lies about “death panels,” lies about keeping our existing insurance, lies about health care rationing. The man lies like a cheap hallway floor mat.
• I am angry about how the Constitution has been trampled by the appointment of legions of “czars” - more czars than the Romanov dynasty. Czars who are conspiracy theorists and race-baiters, czars who are eugenicists, czars for tearing apart thehealthcare system, czars who are charged with ensuring the breakdown of the free enterprise system….all of these so-called “czars” that have had no Congressional oversight or confirmation and who are not elected by the citizens of the United States.

• I am angry about the attempted indoctrination of my children by the Socialist-in-Chief and the efforts to brainwash them into following their Dear Leader and becoming co-conspirators in his attempts to break down the values of the nation.
• I am angry that this “community organizer” has decided that it is necessary to decimate the economy by spending us into oblivion on a “recovery” plan that was/is nothing more than a liberal ideological wish list.
• I am angry that the citizens of the United States do not receive an unbiased view of the destruction of the free enterprise system; rather, they are witnesses to a massively leftist biased media populated by Obama administration sycophants who have no interest in anything but supporting their man-god.
• I am angry that Obama (remember, he’s not a Muslim!!!!11!!!1!) would ignore the National Day of Prayer yet spend our hard-earned tax money to deliver a special message to Muslims for Ramadan.
• I am angry that the Leftists in DC are in the process of instituting the largest tax increase in history under the guise of preventing “climate change”…that they are willing to play chicken with the economic future of the nation.
• I am angry that this spineless coward who is unwilling to take ownership of the problems that have been brought on by his incompetent policies would have the audacity to claim that he is interested in reducing the federal deficit after single-handedly quadrupling the deficits of the previous administrations.
• I am angry that the voters who elected this abomination of a “President” refuse to notehis hypocrisy in opposing the war in Iraq, yet promoting precisely the same scenario in Afghanistan.
• I am angry at the borderline criminal behavior of this man who conspired to remove the Inspector General of Americorps so he could promote his own socialist policies via that organization with no oversight.
• I am angry that my nation would turn citizen against citizen in an attempt to “rat out” dissenters who dare to question the policies of The One.
• I am angry at the liberal Democrats and their cronies who pull the race card at every turn in a feeble attempt to cover up for Obama’s failures and inadequacies. It is inconceivable to them that anyone would dare question their Messiah without racial overtones.

But most of all, I am angry that this nation would be so hoodwinked as to elect this Marxist/Fascist/Socialist nightmare in the first place. How an entire nation could be so misled and fooled by a man such as Barack Obama is an indictment on the intelligence - or at least the attention span - of 53% of the United States electorate.

I am hoping for some catharsis here. But something tells me that tomorrow will bring nothing more than another Obama abomination and in another nine months I’ll have another litany of offenses to list. Or perhaps in 2010, there will be a “revolt of the masses,” as described by Daniel Henninger in today’s WSJ and my anger will be quelled.

In short…I am mad. But, I also want YOU to get mad! I want everyone to respond as activists who will do everything within their power to help Barack Obama fail. I want to see him out of office, and the sooner the better. I want you to be as mad as hell!

Cap and Trade legislation will KILL THE ECONOMY

This was on www.redstate.com

You don’t have to be an economist to understand the economic situation. Unemployment has hit double digits in many states and is growing (in Ohio: 340,000 jobs lost since Ted Strickland and Lee Fisher took office) and everyone is paying the price. The stimulus has accomplished nothing (Again, in Ohio, in the neighborhood of 100,000 jobs lost since its passage) and yet the Democrats in Congress are intent on making a bad situation worse by passing legislation that would cripple American businesses and devastate families.

The focus lately has been on health care, and for good reason, but energy is an issue that should not be lost in the debate about the economy. Because Cap and Trade (H.R. 2454, the Waxman- Markey bill) is a dagger aimed at the heart of our economy.

More below.

I attended the Energy Summit here in Columbus sponsored by the American Energy Solutions Group in the House Republican Conference. The field hearing was led by Congressman Pence and joined by House Minority Leader John Boehner and Ohio Reps. Austria, Latta, Tiberi, and Schmidt. It was an interesting experience.

Pulling up to THE (all the OSU grads made sure to emphasize that word) Ohio State University campus I saw protesters with signs: “Paid for by Big Oil”, “Clean Energy Now”, etc. I made a note to inquire about my check from Big Oil, because I have yet to receive it!

Joking aside, the summit was really free from ideology or partisan debates about global warming, etc. The focus was on jobs. The simple message was that an “All of the Above” strategy is needed to address American energy needs, that the Waxman-Markey Cap and Trade bill ignores this fact and as a result will have a devastating effect on the American economy.

The particular focus was on how damaging this bill, as passed by the House, would be for Ohio businesses and families. There were a wide variety of witnesses and sectors like agriculture, manufacturing, small business, municipal energy, minority business, etc. were all touched on.

And in all of these areas Ohio’s economy would be devastated by Cap and Trade. Example: it is estimated that there are roughly 35,000 coal related jobs in Ohio. With Cap and Trade 80% of those jobs would be destroyed by 2030. And these are high paying jobs in areas of the state that are struggling economically. This is a serious human impact.

A small businessman put this in perspective. He said this was about not having to lay off friends and neighbors; about trying to find a way to give your employees 40 hours a week in a struggling economy. Cap and Trade would mean less business as his customers pay higher prices, it would mean higher costs for his own company, and it would force him to go overseas to get raw materials and supplies. This means fewer jobs and those tough conversations with his employees. Not to mention the economic reverberations in the community.

And as Christopher Horner, Senior Fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, explained, all of this for a policy that will not actually reduce carbon emissions. He noted that Europe has tried a similar strategy (in the aftermath of Kyoto) and it has failed. They have not reduced emissions but instead have paid the price economically (they have been desperately trying to hide this fact ever since).

Horner bluntly explained that what is being proposed is really the largest tax increase in history, albeit a hidden one, and a strategy of government rationing where the federal government decides what is available and at what cost. He also noted that as a result of Europe’s policy America has once again begun to be competitive in the steel industry with companies building plants here. This bill threatens that and the resulting jobs that those companies produce.

Having followed the energy issue myself very little of what was discussed was news to me, but it was helpful to see the issue presented in such a straightforward and factual way.

What became clear, however, is that there is a fundamental disconnect between what voters think about energy and what is going on in Washington. Voters care about the environment and would like to see growth in “green jobs” and renewable energy. But they obviously don’t want to do so at the expense of their own jobs and communities.

What they don’t fully understand is that under the guise of these popular sentiments the Democrats in Congress are trying to pass a bill that will cripple the Midwestern economy - with Ohio being at the center of hat bulls-eye.

Rep. Latta explained that his district is the heaviest agricultural and manufacturing district in Ohio and 3rd in terms of districts that would be hardest hit by Cap and Trade. The irony is that this district is involved in, and manufactures, many of the technologies that will lead to clean energy: wind, solar, bio-diesel, etc. But higher costs make those businesses uncompetitive as well.

A Heritage Foundation study outlines the devastation this bill would cause:

Analysis of the economic impact of Waxman-Markey projects that by 2035 the bill would:

• Reduce aggregate gross domestic product (GDP) by $9.4 trillion;
• Destroy 1,145,000 jobs on average, with peak years seeing unemployment rise by over 2,479,000 jobs;
• Raise electricity rates 90 percent after adjusting for inflation;
• Raise inflation-adjusted gasoline prices by 58 percent;
• Raise residential natural gas prices by 55 percent;
• Raise an average family’s annual energy bill by $1,241; and
• Result in an increase of $28,728 in additional federal debt per person, again after adjusting for inflation

After all of this, the question is what can we do about it? I spoke with Rep. Latta afterwords and he suggested that what is needed is to make Americans aware of what the bill actually does and its impact on them.

He felt that when Congress convened their was a sense of urgency and a traditional honeymoon period for President Obama. So many issues were being pushed through by the majority that it was hard to focus citizen’s attention on Cap and Trade (though the House GOP tried). It was really only in the aftermath of the bill’s passage that businesses and voters began to understand the damage that could be done.

The bill is now in the hands of the Senate. So it falls to knowledgeable and politically active people to get the message out. The members of the Energy Solutions group are doing there part. They are holding meetings (Latta has held hundreds of meetings across his district) and reaching out to people online.

Whether it is through new media or just old fashioned communicating with your friends, family, and neighbors if you care about economic growth and jobs you need to spread the word about this bill. Politicians from dog catcher to president need to feel the heat, and understand the political ramifications of a vote to support the policies that will kill jobs and cripple our economy.

Voters need to understand that this bill won’t help the environment and won’t magically lead to a Utopian world of green jobs and renewable powered energy. This is big government, bad science, and terrible economics.

It is not an easy time. Jobs are scarce and there are battles on multiple fronts. But the only way to dig ourselves out of this hole is to stop digging and start making policies that help not hurt.

Cap and Trade is a dagger aimed at the economy of the heartland and must be stopped.