Twas the Day Before Christmas

Twas the Day Before Christmas

Twas the day before Christmas, and all through the Senate
The Dems said they would pass health care and by God they meant it
The votes were bought one by one
If you don’t believe me just ask Senator Ben Nelson

Just days earlier they had a vote in the night
It wasn’t transparent, just doesn’t seem right
The vote was cast straight down party lines
We’re headed for trouble, there are all sorts of signs

The people had spoken, they raised quite a clatter
The senate vote shows that public opinion doesn’t matter
They think they’ll make history and have statues erected
But they forgot why they’re there, why they were elected

President Obama wants this done and he wants it done quick
Thinks he can give people something for nothing, must think he’s St. Nick
But unlike St. Nick he comes in my house uninvited
So don’t tell me I get too excited.

This legislation makes promises that it just can’t keep
As history has shown us, the cost will be steep
And so as he pressured them, one by one they came
It’s important that we call them each by name

Now Boxer! Now Durbin! Now Reid and Lieberman
On Baucus! On Dodd! On Feinstein and Franken
Get this bill done so I can sign it at last.
Hurry now! Hurry now! My popularity won’t last!

He will add more bureaucracy claiming he’ll lower the cost
Showing once again that common sense is lost
Government agencies are full of corruption and waste
So I ask you again sir, what is the haste?

Obama is not Santa, he is more like Robin Hood
But redistributing wealth will do more harm than good
Innovation and competition is what makes this country strong
Take away those incentives and we won’t last long

Let insurance companies compete, that will lower the cost
And that you should do so soon, before all is lost
Add tort reform too, that’s what we all need
Doctors should heal not have to worry how they’ll plead

You will tell us it’s a good bill, but you can’t make your case
No one likes this bill, not even your base
We can’t afford Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid
It is always the tax payers that you want to raid

If Obama was truly St Nick, he would look at my list
And then maybe, this opportunity wouldn’t be missed
There’s no doubt healthcare costs are out of control
But getting them down is not the government’s role

But still he insists, I will sign this bill though I didn’t read it
I can do whatever I want ‘cause I am that conceited
Let’s get this thing done, then we’ll have it made
Then we can move on and pass cap and trade

So as he jumped in his limo he shouted to Pelosi and Reid
Reconcile these bills and do it with speed
Obama waved goodbye although there weren’t many cheers
Because I heard him exclaim ‘I’ve still got three more years!’

"A billion dollars for your thoughts"

It used to be "A penny for your thoughts" but with inflation and all I figured I'd update the cliche. I chose a billion dollars since that's the kind of numbers our government throws around now; and a trillion is right around the corner!

You know the latest $900 billion dollar health care bill the Senate just passed? Estimates of the unfunded liabilities of this bill will exceed $9.2 trillion!!

Nonsense you say. Well this estimate is based on similar, under funded government programs that now have historical data. Lets start with Medicaid. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that the first year of the program would cost $238 million. It actually topped $1 billion. The program now cost 37 times more (adjusted for inflation) then when it started. The current cost for Medicaid is $251 billion!!

Maybe that's an anomaly you say. OK, let's look at Medicare. In 1965 Congress estimated that this program would cost $12 billion in 1990. It's actual cost was $90 billion. And, over a 20 year period, the number of Medicare beneficiaries rose by 37% but the program cost rose by 372% . This is not a good track record.

No one in Congress is looking at cost cutting. That would require free market solutions. Instead, in a blatant attempt to get re-elected, they continue the policy of promising people everything -cost be damned. Unfortunately for them this time we're not buying it. Poll after poll shows that the majority of Americans don't want any of these health care bills to pass. I know that's not what the administration will tell you. They don't look at facts that are inconvenient to their story. I'm guessing that the best way to get re-elected is to do what you constituents want, not what the president wants.

But maybe that's why I'm not in politics. Common sense apparently has no place in Washington.

Financial data obtained from US News and World Report.

Why aren't we calling it a terrorist attack?

Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan entered a medical facility at Fort Hood, shouted "Allahu akbar" then started gunning down American troops. 13 dead, 29 wounded. Obama says we can't be quick to rush to judgement. Well I agree with that but now that there is overwhelming evidence proving he was a terrorist, we can judge. Yelling "Allahu akbar" was just the last clue.

Our intelligence agencies found e-mails he sent to known al-Qaida imams and operatives. Hasan denounced the "war on terror" as a war against Islam, and said Muslims should attack Americans in retaliation for the war in Iraq. He had openly denounced non-Muslims and had reportedly said they should be beheaded and have burning oil poured down their throats. I am not an intelligence expert but these seem like signs that should have made this guy a person of interest!

The media is saying he was under incredible stress and this may have caused him to snap. What stress? He was never in combat, never left Ft Hood. Hasan had business cards. They didn't mention his military grade but had SOA and SWT under his name. These are not military acronyms. SOA is short for "Soldier (or Slave) of Allah" and SWT is short for "Subhanahu Wa Ta'all," which means "glory to God".

It is frightening that our military and intelligence agencies missed all these signs. But why can't it now be called a terrorist attack? Just maybe it's because of politics. This would be the first attack on US soil since 9/11. Terrorist acts don't have to knock down buildings and steal thousands of innocent lives. This act was heinous and was a cool, collected, and vicious attack on our soldiers; and America.

Hopefully the evidence will force the media and Obama to call it what it was. This is absolutely no time for politics.

Let me get this straight

New Orleans gets hit with Katrina, a hurricane that is bigger than anything we'd seen before. The state of Louisiana initially refuses federal help and people refused to leave their homes. And it was still all President Bush's fault. It was because he hates black people, remember?

But now, after knowing for quite awhile that the H1N1 flu had pandemic potential, we still don't have enough vaccine. Where is the outrage that the Obama administration was not prepared?

Does Obama hate sick people? Maybe it's part of their government health care takeover plan. Let people get sick and then they'll need insurance- very shrewd - actually too shrewd for this group.

Even Fox News, the "enemy" of Obama and his administration, isn't placing blame. And of course the Main Street Media won't touch this.

Finally, fair and balance reporting!

When you least expect it. . .

. . . life can certainly throw you a curveball. On Sept 17th I experienced an aortic dissection which I learned can be quite fatal. Up until that moment I thought I was a relatively healthy 47 year old. The inner wall of my ascending aorta ruptured and blood stop flowing to most of my right side. Fortunately I received help and had open heart surgery on early morning, Sept 18th. Complications ensued and I got to enjoy a second open heart surgery six days later.

I will spare you guys all the other gory details. Suffice it to say I am rehabbing now but on but am supposed to still severely limit my activity.

I have gone through the usual range of emotions that such an event conjures up. I don’t want to get too sappy but this event has made me appreciate everything I have in life. I realized that I have a great family. My wife has been so strong and supportive during this ordeal that I can’t believe how lucky I am. Every day when I see my three girls I again realize that I’m a lucky guy.

The other, most amazing, thing I’ve come to appreciate is the love and support I have received from my family and friends. Besides all their thoughts and prayers, they have provided the support my wife and I needed to get through this. Meals just kept showing up at our door, the chores around the house got done, and I have had plenty of company while I recuperate.

I now often think about the last line from It’s a Wonderful Life – “No man is a failure who has friends” (and family).

There really are two Americas

And I don't mean rich and poor or black and white. We now have an incredible political divide. Don't blame the average American citizen- blame the media. I watch both the Main Street Media (MSM) and that "radical" FOX network to try to measure this divide and all I can tell you is that it's growing. During the Bush years (and even during Clinton's) at least the media covered the same stories. They put a different spin on them based on their political leanings but at least they covered them. Now they don't even cover the same stories (at least not until they have to in order to stay relevant).

The Van Jones debacle is the latest example. Fox News breaks the story that this Czar has said and done things in the recent past that make him unfit to be anywhere near the president of the United States. No other MSM outlet would cover this story until it grew to a size where they could no longer ignore it. So now they report it but put on pundits that call conservatives radicals, extremists and even racists because they want to hold a guy accountable for his past actions.

The tea party coverage is another glaring example. This is a significant movement and a great example of democracy in action but you don't hear much about it in the MSM. And when you do it's those extremists and radicals again. Funny, they look like regular old Americans to me. I don't remember the MSM calling Cindy Sheehan a radical while she camped outside Bush's ranch. (hum, I wonder where she is now and where is her outrage is over the Afghanistan war - but that's another discussion). Let's see how the MSM covers the tea party express as it descends on Washington, DC on September 12th.

The media in this country simply is not doing its job very well anymore. People obviously have personal biases. They need to recognize them and make an extra effort to offset them and provide balanced reporting.

There was a time when the media looked out for the people by watching the government. Now they look out for the government by watching the people. (Thanks Ann for that one)

What if it was your daughter?

It is always sad to see the death of an American icon. If you've read any of my posts, you'd probably realize that I was no fan of Sen. Ted Kennedy. He certainly served his country for 40 years and, while I don't agree with most of his positions I do admire that. Of course it can also be said that he never had a "real" job. A family fortune gives one that liberty.

Now I would never begrudge anyone the benefits of the family fortune. The rich are not the enemy; they are the builders of this country and have an obligation to only give back where and when they can. And that's what Ted tried to do.

But I was totally surprised this morning when the first article I stumbled upon was entitled "Chappaquiddick: No Profile in Kennedy Courage" This story unveiled a couple surprises.

First of all that this story was posted on ABCNews .com. You can find it here: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=8212665 . What surprised me was that it shook my belief that ABC is a left leaning "news" organization. I would never have dreamed they would let this story get published, especially so soon after his death. However, the majority of comments posted about the article reaffirmed my belief about ABC or at least the people who read/watch it. The vast majority blasted it.

Second, the true story of Chappaquiddick. I am a little too young to remember it when it happened and I never really took the time to learn what took place. This article showed me what a tragic mistake Kennedy made. No one knows if he could have saved 28 -year-old Mary Jo Kopechne's life but he clearly left her to die worrying only about himself and his future.

So Ted Kennedy carried his guilt around all these years and devoted his life to service. Again that is admirable. But does that absolve him of Mary Jo's death? Obviously his fame and fortune let him get away with it. That was his cross to bear (along with the Kopechne family) and all will find their just rewards so I do not intend to judge here.

But as people relive Sen Kennedy's life, his accomplishments, and his legacy they need to ask themselves one simple question:

What if that was my daughter in the car on that fateful night in 1969?

So I go on vacation . . .

For a nice full week. I purposely avoided the news and enjoyed the time with my family. Now that I'm back I see that not much has changed. In the spirit of government run programs, the Cash for Clunkers program was woefully under funded so Congress simply appropriates another $2B (that's billion).

This doesn't bode well for government run health care. I see that Obama is still pushing hard but even he is now willing to sacrifice some of the liberals core principles. And I see that the good people of this country that oppose this massive expansion of government are now considered radicals.

So, as I said, not much has changed. But this story really bothers me - http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/08/14/florida-police-question-suspect-obama-joker-poster/

The kids were hanging posters of Obama with his face painted like a clown. Now the only "crime" I can fathom is vandalism. I'm not too up on such laws but I know I see posters of all kinds of things on telephone poles and bulletin boards, etc. The fact that Florida police are gathering suspects and evidence and possibly looking to make arrests frightens me.

As much as I abhor the the thought of someone burning an American flag, I will defend their right to do so. Freedom of speech needs to be held sacred and that's all speech.

Where was the outrage when people made pictures of George Bush with a little Hitler mustache? Where was the outrage when MoveOn.org took out a full page ad calling a great general General Betray Us?

And don't even get me started on this whole rat-out-your-friends-to-the-White-house via e-mail if they dare speak out against health care reform. I see that e-mail link is no longer available. Maybe they're learning.

Now there's change I can believe in.

Good job Bill Clinton

I will admit that I haven't said that too often. As history does show however, Bill Clinton has proved to be moderate compared to Obama. Of course the Republican congress had a lot to do with what Clinton got done.

Anyway, I think it's a good thing he was able to free the two female journalists from North Korea. There could be some negative, unintended consequences such as legitimizing a rouge lunatic or raising the stakes the next time this happens, but thank god those women are out of that hell.

In general I don't have a lot of sympathy for people who voluntarily put themselves in harms way. Only are fine service men and women can use "It's my job" as a valid reason to do so. Those hikers that crossed over from Iraq to Iran by accident - why were they there in the first place? Mountain climbers ignoring weather warnings and forcing rescue workers to risk their lives - no sympathy. Flood/hurricane victims stuck because they ignored their warnings - again no sympathy.

But I saw the video of these two women coming home and it moved me. They are Americans, they have families and I am glad Clinton got them out of there. It is interesting that his wife, the Secretary of State, wasn't asked to do so or even the vice president. I am not surprised that nobody called George W. He and Kim Jong il weren't really on speaking terms.

I do have one question though. How the hell does Al Gore tag along on this? I've seen Bill and George H. Bush pal around but I haven't seen Bill and Al doing so lately. Every time he falls into a nice obscurity he has to resurface. I think it's a sad statement on him that he would insinuate himself into this feel good story.

Maybe Gore is just looking for another Nobel prize!

Don't play the racism card

Obama can only blame himself for this one. Usually his press conferences are so scripted that I can't believe the Gates/Crowley question caught him by surprise. Now I know he and the good professor are friends but he's the president! He needs to choose his words much more carefully. He, of all people, should get the facts before saying something so "stupid". Stick to the teleprompter sir.

I truly believe officer Crowley acted in good faith - and thank god. I know we haven't risen totally above racism in this country but we have made real progress. What will set us back as a nation and a people is using the racism card all the time.

If you suggest Michael Jackson was no role model, no saint, well you're a racist. Fire a black football coach because he has decimated your program (Go Irish!) and you're a racist university. Try to protect a home from burglary and happen to be a white cop questioning a black man and you're a racist.

Imagine if it was a real burglar entering Prof. Gates' home and the "white" cops did nothing. There sure would be a cry of racism then. From what I heard about the story I suggest that Prof. Gates was the racist! I'm glad the transcripts are coming out so the truth will be known.

One thing I liked about Obama was that I thought he would advance the race discussion in this country. I hoped he would silence the the victim peddlers like Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton. His early comments on this case are a set back for that. You just may get a clearer picture of who a man (or woman) is when they speak off the cuff.

Here's a big thank you to all police (and fire too) persons for willingly putting your lives on the line to protect us. Sgt. James Crowley is a true American hero and I hope Obama can manage to say that while they lift their beers this week.

Oh, and if there is ever a 911 call that someone is breaking into my home, please come quickly and strongly question whomever is standing in my foyer!

What is the Hurry?

People have tried for over 50 years to reform health care in this country. The last two presidents had 8 years each to do it. So how does Obama think he can get it one in 8 months! And, more importantly, why does it need to get done so fast. Something this massive that will affect all Americans for the rest of their lives deserves good, spirited debate. Obama promised transparency so we, the people, can have a chance to review such new policy. Congress doesn't even read the entire bills they pass now,

So, what's the hurry? Could it be that Obama wants to "sneak" this through? That doesn't sound transparent. Could it be that he knows his popularity is already falling? The last Rasmussen poll I saw (today) shows him at 51% and the trend is downward. At this rate he'll lose the moderate Democrats and he may actually have to accept debate on this legislation.

The latest Congressional Budget Office just released their report that says the current plan making its way through Congress will actually cost MORE than the Dems say it will. There is no credible plan to pay for any of this. Do not think that raising taxes on the top 1% will do it.

Guess where they'll look next.

Now here's a double standard

OK, Sarah Palin makes headlines again; this time because she stepped down as Governor of Alaska. I don't care what you opinion of her is, why does this bring out the venom from the media? What are they afraid of? What is the infatuation? It is amazing to me how determined they are to bring her down.

A couple days later it is announced that Rep. Patrick Kennedy is returning to Congress after another stint in rehab. Yes, the Kennedy family saga is a modern day tragedy. Of course I think it they have brought much of it on themselves but that's just me.

The point here is where is the outrage that the Rhode Island Democrat had to abandon his constituents. Palin left Alaska in the capable hands of her Lieutenant Governor. Kennedy just left. The people of Rhode Island voted him in so I guess they deserve what they got.

Why hasn't the media talked about Kennedy, his troubles, and his inability to serve? It's great that he went for help and apparently is feeling better, but he was unable to serve. I think there was a story there.

Maybe David Letterman will make a joke about Kennedy during his monologue. Or would that be over the line?

ABC is just Another Barrack Commercial

So much for even trying to look impartial. Last Wednesday ABC devoted the whole day to promoting Obama's health care plan. From Good Morning America to World News Tonight it was a one-sided infomercial expounding the wonders of more government control. The coup de gras was the 90 minute "special" called "Questions for the President: Prescription for America".

There are so many problems with this. Where do I begin? First of all ABC News employees gave 80 times more money to Obama's campaign then they did to John McCain's. Second, ABC refused to take paid ads from critics of O's program. Among the groups turned away - the Republican National Committee and a group called Conservatives for Patients Rights (damn extremists!!)

Third, the program served up softball questions from a pre-selected audience. In 75 minutes of air time 12% was used for questions and Obama talked for 60% of the time. That is not dialogue that's a monologue. The show had no health care experts or Republican congressmen on hand to ask questions.

Fortunately viewers were few and far between as well. The TV ratings for the evening showed that the program came in last among the top three networks. A rerun of CSI:NY even garnered more viewers than Obama.

Looks like America knows good fiction when it sees it!

She will not be upstaged

OK, Michael Jackson passed away today and, I assume, it came as quite a surprise. I know I haven't kept up with him since his fame turned him into more of a freak show than talent show. He was a true talent and entertainer and my thoughts go out to his family, friends, and fans.

What I found more depressing today was the passing of Farrah Fawcett. Yes, she was definitely my grade school (OK high school too) crush. She burst on the scene as a blond bombshell. I can still remember being at K-mart and my dad telling me that "I knew why" I wasn't allowed to have that famous poster. But I did get several others!!

Over her career Farrah rose above her sex symbol image and proved herself a talented actress in works such as The Burning Bed, Extremities, Small Sacrifices, and The Apostle. She received three Emmy nominations and accolades off Broadway. She succumbed to cancer today and dealt with that tragic disease with all the class and strength one could ever expect.

I don't put any entertainer on a pedestal but I know that the rabid media has already forgotten about Farrah and will swamp us with 24/7 coverage of Michael. Farrah conducted herself with grace and class and I just wanted to acknowledge that.

We also lost Ed McMahon this week. He was a man who entertained me more than Michael ever did.

OK, now back to the media circus . . .

The United States of . . . Chicago?

Have you heard about Gerald Walpin? Probably not since the main street media won't cover it. He is, was, the Inspector General for the Corporation for National and Community Service. Obama fired him stating that Walpin was disoriented and confused during a meeting. I just saw Mr. Walpin on a TV interview and he seemed to be quite together. Mr. Walpin was investigating Kevin Johnson, mayor of Sacramento, for alleged misuse of federal funds. Kevin Johnson is a big Obama supporter.

This is yet another example of the change Obama has brought to Washington - Chicago style politics. Use intimidation, false statements, character assassination, whatever it takes to get what you want.

And let's not forget that the General Motors bondholders did not want to agree to the government bankruptcy terms but, after a meeting with Obama's people and threats of IRS audits, all of a sudden the bondholders agreed. Now the union has 55% ownership of the company it works for. Gee that ought to go well. It's like giving an alcoholic the keys to the liquor cabinet.

What's even more intersting in the Walpin case is that Obama skirted a law that he backed as an Illinois senator. The law states that the administration is to give Congress 30 days to review such decisions. So go with a diminished capacity charge and get right around that pesky law. Remeber the media and congressinoal outcry when President Bush lawfully fired the attorney generals? It's new day in our nation's capital indeed.

We can only hope we the people wake up before it's too late. There is a glimmer of hope. Just the other day, Bill Maher the HBO liberal "comdedian" host of Real Time, was wondering when Obama is going to do something (although I think he's done quite enough already). Maher even gave Bush a backhanded compliment.

Can those 52% of the nation that voted him be far behind?

How Biz-Czar!!

In 5 months as president, Obama has appointed 21 Czars for various causes. This far surpasses the number of appointments by past presidents over 4 or 8 years. Does anyone care about this? Here the trouble as I see it:

• Obama is expanding government even more by adding new positions
• He is circumventing the balance of power (and constitution) by appointing people to fictitious posts with no opportunity for congressional debate or vote.
• He is rewarding his campaign supporters by giving them comfy posts inside the administration.

Take your pick, I don't know which of these points is most egregious.

He has appointed a friend and Chicago activist to be the czar of the Great Lakes. I thought we already had the EPA to oversee this. He has appointed a czar to oversee executive pay. Great, so now the government has more control over this too. There's a car czar to make sure the the car companies bow to the government's whim.

Besides these czars there are also these:

CyberSpace Czar
Technology Czar
Drug Czar
Copyright Czar
Climate Czar
Energy Czar
Health Care Czar
WMD Czar
Education Czar
Economic Czar
Housing Czar
Mortgage Czar

Again does this bother anyone?

Isn't czar a Russian word? How appropriate!!

GM = Government Motors

We've all heard this by now. And while the saying is cute, the situation is far from it. So now I, as a taxpayer, own a part of GM. I own shares in a company I would have never chosen to buy. So much for the free market.

Why did this happen? Because GM was too big to fail. So now the government owns it. Let me remind you again of their track record: Post Office - can't turn a profit, Amtrak - dido, Medicare/Medicaid - don't go there. Can the final GM failure be far behind. We will have spent over $70 BILLION and still are not sure GM will survive. It wold have been cheaper and swifter if the government simply let GM file bankruptcy months ago.

All we can hope for is that Obama stays true to his word. He said he does not want to run GM. I want to believe him but he has made so many false promises already.

People need to start paying attention. This administration will prove that government is not the answer. Big bad capitalism (with all of it's warts) and the ingenuity of the American people will revive and grow our economy.

I just wish I bought Ford stock when I had the chance. I'd be up 400% and own shares of the only US car company left standing.

Great leaders don't look back

You hear the media talk about what a great leader Obama is. Again, just because they say so doesn't make it true. No doubt the man can talk. His cadence, rhythm, and presence are impressive. And yes his rise to the presidency is inspirational. But someone needs to talk about substance and true leadership.

Obama needs to stop looking back and blaming and engaging the past administration. He is the president - act like it. Rise above the din. He needs to tell congress to let go of the whole interrogation fiasco. He (and his press secretary) need to ignore Rush and Cheney and all the rest. If this administration wants to deal with the war on terror differently then fine, do so. History will judge the results.

All great leaders accept the situation they walk into. Of course they don't ignore the past. They learn from it and move forward. They don't dwell on it and place blame.

Remember the campaign? This guy is supposed to be different. He needs to start acting like it.

Thank god that's over

Well the Notre Dame commencement speech has come and gone and I have to give some credit to the school. I will never agree that ND should have given Obama an honorary degree but at least the school and students handled it with class. The story lines here were many. Here are the important ones as I see them:

• A Catholic university should not give a degree to someone who has displayed blatant disregard for a basic tenant of the church
• People have a right to protest when they do not agree with such things
• That right is only to be extended to peaceful, respectful protesting
• The president of the United States deserves to be treated with respect
• This includes all presidents (including George W Bush)

I think it is great that ND kept all of the media off campus. The live feed of the ceremony was carried by ND TV. I am sure that all those news channel producers and talking heads are bumming. There is no more story. Obama came, he gave his usual eloquent, sometimes humorous, and always well rehearsed speech.

The swine flu story is fizzling, and now this is over. What will the media cover next?

Hey, there's always Nancy Pelosi - go get her!

A little piece of mind

I took the advice of a friend and took time off from listening to cable and main street media news. Wow, how relaxing. It gives you a good idea how the media tries (very successfully) to rile you up.

It is true that I do not agree with much of what Obama and this congress are doing. But I have to have faith in the American system and believe that even this one minded government can not do irreversible damage. The American people will wake up and realize that we can not sustain the out of control spending that is going on.

And we will not put up with over taxation. We will all realize our limit. I did catch a headline that now they want to tax soda pop as a way to pay for national health care. What is next?

I can only hope that people will pay attention to their own personal situation. If they do they will soon realize that more and more is being taken from them. Don't listen to what the biased media and self serving politicians are saying. The proof is in your pay check.

And, if you are not receiving a pay check and are OK with that, then you are part of the problem, not the solution.

Can you say Over Reaching?

I'm as big a college football fan as there is, and I want a Division 1 playoff instead of this ridiculous BCS setup, but does Congress really need to get involved? Anyone out there who voted for your congress man or woman so they can straighten out college football please respond.

I must admit, though, that at least they can't do any real damage to the country if they're meddling in something as pressing as the BCS. But here's something they can screw up: The Senate wants to make sure newspapers stay viable. Here's the article:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/06/senate-panel-examines-plight-struggling-newspapers/

I think the free market should decide what is viable. I heard today that the New York Times is raising the paper price to $2.00 for week days and $6.00 for Sunday! Looks like the Internet is taking it's toll on the poor NYT. Here's an idea, put out a product people want or go away. It's just that simple.

So now the government wants to get involved in the press! Wow, I mentioned an Orwellian moment before but this takes the cake. They already have National Public Radio and now they want control of the "free" press. I'm no constitutional scholar, and I know that our country is founded on life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but where does saving newspapers fit in?

Rest assured people, there will be no hidden (or actually overt) agendas and your tax dollars will be well spent because government is so efficient.

Oh and by the way, the price of a stamp goes up to $0.44 on Monday.

Thank God for cable . .

. . .otherwise I'd have to watch 48. You haven't heard of it? It's on every channel. It stars president Obama and, at the rate he's going of at least one press conference every month, in 4 years it'll be 48. I expect the suspense will wear off once people realize how it's going to end.

It's very predictable. Promise the world and deliver very little. Americans today love to be told they can get something for nothing. But in the end that goes against a natural law that just can't be changed. So either Obama raises taxes in an attempt to pay for his historically high spending programs or they just don't happen. And if he raises taxes it'll stymie economic growth so the promises will again be empty. Or he deficit spends and we experience 70's like inflation. All very predictable indeed.

The only thing we can hope for is a dramatic mid season plot change and the American people vote Pelosi and Reid off the show!

Words can be dangerous

No doubt Obama is the master orator - at least when he's reading from a teleprompter. I don't understand why people love it when someone can sweet talk them. I don't know anyone that likes the used car salesmen shtick. But they sure love the fact that Obama is the best at saying nothing. It got him elected.

However, now that he's president, his words really matter. He loves the words fair and reasonable. These are feel good words that can be dangerous. He told those big bad credit card companies that he wants them to make a reasonable profit. Reasonable to whom? Are we going to let the President, or worse yet Congress, set profit levels? I would much rather let the market decide that.

The government is now deciding what banks will survive, what car companies will survive and what cars they will make. And now it's on to credit cards. And Obama's done this in fewer than 100 days! We are moving towards full blown socialism at lightening speed.

The other dangerous word Obama loves to throw around is fair. Again, fair to whom? It sure is a great populist message. I mean who doesn't want a fair tax code? But is it fair that some people pay no taxes while others pay 90% of all taxes? Is it fair that politicians, who help shape the tax code, don't pay their taxes? Well that must be fair since several of these are now in Obama's cabinet.

If we just sit back and do nothing, this administration and Congress will do what they think is reasonable and fair - and none of us can afford that!

What a waste of a person - and a blog

How else would you describe Perez Hilton and his blog? I will not mention the blog's name because I don't want to draw anymore attention to it. But I think this whole Miss USA ordeal needs to be addressed.

I'm pretty neutral on the beauty pageant debate. Since we are in America (and we are still free -so far), if beautiful woman want to compete for a crown - great. If you don't agree, don't watch it and don't support it. But if you are going to go through all the effort to put on the Miss USA Pageant then have dignified, quality judges. Perez Hilton does not qualify on either count.

The guy has a celebrity gossip blog! That qualifies him for nothing. He asked Miss California her opinion on gay marriage and apparently did not like her response. I saw the video clip. Her response was intelligent, well thought out, and said in a way that should have offended no one. Unfortunately for her, it was not the response Hilton wanted and he said it cost her the title.

I'm not even going to tell you what her answer was because it shouldn't matter. Let's see; beauty pageant - beauty, grace, poise, intelligence. Since when does personal opinion and conviction come into play? Perez has continued on today and has thrown obscenities at Miss California. All class this guy! Way to advance your argument you ass.

I find two things disturbing about this whole thing:

First is that this guy can make a career out of this garbage. I can only hope it is a short lived one.

Second, and more importantly, is this growing trend that people cannot speak out. The kooks are running the show right now and anyone that disagrees get eviscerated in the "press".

Something's got to change and it needs to start now.

Wow I wish I would've made my point as well as Andrea Tantaros did. Check out htis link:

http://www.andreatantaros.com/1/2009/04/Miss-Liberal-USA.cfm

Free speech means free for Everyone

The Main Stream Media decided not to cover the lead up to the Tea Party protests. It was amazing. Not one MSM outlet even mentioned them - CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, MSNBC nothing. Talk about collusion. Then it's post coverage treated them like they were anti-American, right wing extremist gatherings.

When did the MSM decide the truth wasn't important? The protests were attended by Americans from all political parties. Their angst was about government being too large, too intrusive, and yes high taxes. They were anti-big government which, in my mind, is very pro American!

The MSM loves to promote stories about flag burning, anti-Bush protests, etc, as examples of free speech. But when free speech demonstrations don't mesh with their liberal bias, they are quick to vilify the participants. They should have covered this great story of Americans exercising their first amendment right as just that, even if it suggests their messiah is wrong.

Oh and a second, but just as important, outcome of the tea parties is that the GOP has learned how to grow a grassroots, Internet based movement. This should bode well for future elections.

If they are allowed their first amendment right that is!

I hate this time of year - Part 2

The deadline is tomorrow. Are you ready? Did you eek out every last cent from your tax return? How crazy is this system we have? I just put my returns in the mail today. I don't want to be late. Not only is the tax code way too complicated but we also have to feel intimidated by our own government.

Taxes are a typical example of our government in action. They have so complicated the system that we need not only an entire department (the IRS) but we now have a whole industry of tax preparation experts and software. Imagine what these people will do to health care!

What I hate most though is the hypocrisy. Think about this; we have rich people setting up the rules that are going to tax the rich. Think fox guarding the hen house people. Economic statistics continue to show that in periods of higher tax rates, tax revenue goes down. Now there are two reasons for this. One, high tax rates hurt economic growth so there is less money to tax. Two, the "rich" folks find ways to not pay. The rich in charge are careful to put enough loopholes in for themselves and their contributors.

Warren Buffet himself confirmed this. He was quoted as saying that it's not right that he pays less in taxes then his secretary does. Well who's fault is that? Mr. Buffet I'm sure you are aware that the government will gladly take a check from you at anytime. Or feel free to not claim all your deductions and help this country out. Tell your accountants and lawyers you want to pay your fair share. They'll help you out.

So, as my returns are on their way to the IRS, I'll lay in bed at night wondering if I got my taxes right. Did I maximize my return? Or, did I make a mistake and not pay enough? This will keep me up for a while but then I'll roll over and sleep soundly knowing that, on the off chance I owe back taxes, at least I'll have a place in Obama's cabinet.

I hate this time of year.

One week until "The Deadline" - April 15th, tax day

Why is this day such a dread for millions of Americans? I think we, as a nation, should pay some taxes to support the basic functions of government. Therein lies the first problem - the basic functions of government. Those used to be; provide for the common defense and help lift up the downtrodden.

Now those "basic" functions include funding public radio, abortion, the 'arts', studying cow farts, subsidizing farmers and energy, providing cable TV to inmates, buying banks and corporations, repressing the downtrodden (ie. welfare), supporting illegal immigrants, funding failing schools, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, . . . and now they want to add health care!!

Second, it has to be Fair. What does that mean? Fair to whom. Fair to the people who pay the most or fair to the people who don't pay at all. Fair is a subjective term and is the cause all of the angst in the tax debate.

Third, it is way to freakin' complicated. I'm pretty smart. I got me one of them college educations and I still struggle to figure out the best way for me to pay only what I "owe". When you have to buy tax software to fill out your tax returns you know it is too complicated. When prominent members of the Obama cabinet don't pay their taxes, the system is either too complicated or they're just crooks. I leave that to you to decide.

Our tax system is a joke. But I have one more week to play the game and figure out the best way to pay the least. That's the way they set the game up and that's the way I'm gonna play it.

Gosh I hope that's fair.

Forget Global waming. . .

What about Global Stopping?

Have you heard this? Forget Global Warming people - the Earth is stopping; its rotation is slowing! I can't believe I'm on this before Al Gore. This is real. Check out:

http://www.physlink.com/education/askexperts/ae695.cfm

Physicists have known this for years and there is actual science behind their findings. Where is the outrage? Where is the government intervention to stop this? The days are getting longer. Every 18 months or so we have to add a leap second to planetary time to keep the day consistent with atomic clocks. I'm sure mankind's (and woman's too) evil doings are behind this crisis and it just can not continue.

Unions will demand even more pay because their work day is longer. There will be even more reality shows because people will have more time to waste. The animals' bio rhythms are going to be out of whack and they'll become extinct (this might have done in the dinosaur). Obama's term will be more then 4 years. That's it, something has to be done.

I think the first thing to do is get some high profile celebrities on board to get the message out. Everyone knows that they carry incredible weight on all things political and scientific. Maybe we get John Travolta or Tom Cruise. Anyone in Scientology ought to be credible about Global Stopping. I even have the theme song: "Stop the World I'll Melt With You" by Modern English.

Now I don't want to cause a panic. Scientists aren't sure what will happen and we do have a billion years or so before it's too late. But just imagine that December day on an Alaskan beach when the sun worshipers are just laying there during their 1100 hour day and all of a sudden the earth just stops.

Can you help us out Al?

There is no such thing as a free lunch

This was how my college professor explained the Conservation of Energy law of nature. Simply put, energy can be neither created nor destroyed, it can only change form. Why do I bring this up? We've gone through the car show season and, between that, and the renewed talk about electric cars I have to ask; where is the electricity for these cars going to come from?

Our new administration wants to stop coal fired power plants and it won't allow new nuclear power plants. Solar and wind are their alternatives but it'll be years before they contribute significantly to the power grid. So, when we plug in our fancy new electric cars, where's the power going to come from? No one wants to bring up this inconvenient truth. And I haven't even mentioned the future of all those batteries or the energy required to make them.

Again, I am all for alternative energy sources. However if they need to be subsidized by the government then they are not yet viable. And, more importantly, the energy discussion must be comprehensive and not based on the populist notion of the moment. We need to stop being so reactive in this country and have thorough discussion based on sound reasoning.

Otherwise we'll end up having our lunch money stolen by the bully.

Good bye free market

Here's a little known (at least little media covered) fact about the stimulus bill. All state and local jobs on energy, housing, agriculture or construction that are funded with stimulus money must pay union wages versus market wages. It's called the Davis-Bacon provision and the Office of Management and Budget slipped it in the bill before Obama signed it.

What does this mean? Stimulus dollars will put fewer people to work. It effectively eliminates competitive bidding since the unions will all set the same wage. How about letting people and companies bid on projects with no such restrictions so our tax dollars will go farther? How about including non-union shops in on the stimulus?

Again, this is the candidate of change?

He railed against the previous administration for its No Bid contracts complaining it led to excessive costs and spending. This union only provision does the same thing. What was the campaign term - Lipstick on a Pig?

One study estimates that with about $200 billion in the stimulus set for construction projects, Davis-Bacon raises the costs by about $17 billion.

Looks like that was the cost of the labor vote last fall!

Who needs 100 days

I'm not sure when the media and/or the administrations started tracking the first 100 days, and I'm not sure why. I suppose it's yet another indication of how much of a "Gotta have it now" culture we've created. I don't know about you but I don't want a new president rushing through policy decisions just to show progress NOW.

After all that Obama has accomplished so far, I am afraid the trend may be to start looking at the first 50 days. Let's recap. In 50 days or so as president he has:

• nominated more cabinet members with tax problems than any other president
• filled fewer administration positions (ask Tim Geitner)
• spent more money than any president has in their first year!
• had more parties at the White House
• broken more campaign promises
• alienated the minority party
• talked about raising taxes in a recession
• setback welfare reform 15 years
• commented on a talk radio personality
• given inappropriate gifts to foreign leaders
• actually gotten Republicans to organize and protest

I don't know what he's going to do for the rest of his term. Instead of change you can believe in it's speed of change you can't believe.

If I was elected to the most powerful position in the world and had as little experience as Obama does, I would focus on only one thing at the beginning.

And I'd pick the economy. But I guess that's just me.

The CPAC story the Media missed

I promised myself I wouldn't talk about Rush Limbaugh and his speech at CPAC. I think that story has been beaten to death. We all know that Rush likes to push the envelope when making his point. And that the MSM (main street media) just likes to show bits and pieces to distort the facts. Anyway, what I find very enlightening is the other, more incredible, story that they failed to report.

Have you heard about Jonathan Kohn? Probably not. Why would anybody want to report on a 13 yr old kid that gave a well thought out, intelligent, 3 minute speech in front of the CPAC audience. Oh yeah, he's written a book too. I guess things like Rush and Octomom make such better stories!!

Check out Jonathan's speech. I don 't care where you fall in the political spectrum, this kid is pretty impressive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELBDmhJ5ALw

I know, it's a little unnerving how Jonathan comes across but remember he is only 13 (OK he turned 14 right after the conference). It is great to see someone so young have an opinion and be able to articulate it. Can you imagine if someone like this spoke at a DNC meeting? It would be front page on the New York Times and Hollywood would be asking for the movie rights.

Fortunately we have the Internet and other numerous outlets so stories like this can now be told. The Main Street Media better figure it out if it wants to stay relevant.

So what did your 14 yr old do today?

Save the Humans

I saw this commercial the other night and I thought it was a Saturday Night Live skit. Then I realized how serious Noah Wyle was (he was almost crying!). It is a WWF (not the wrestlers but the World Wildlife Fund) commercial about saving the polar bears. Now, before the animal lovers start commenting, I am not an animal hater. I think animals have a place in this world. I just think that place is below humans. And I do not believe we appreciably effect climate change so this commercial was a double whammy for me.

Check out the commercial for yourself and let me know what you think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIy2XniVIuw

It's just that we have so many other pressing, serious, issues to worry about and fund. Animal species have gone extinct for as long as they've been on earth. The world survived the dinosaur going extinct. And who doesn't miss the Tasmanian Wolf (in case you didn't know - it's extinct).

I know the polar bear is a cute animal and yes they're fun to go see at the zoo, and yes I'm sure they even serve a purpose in nature (like maybe keeping the seal population down - by eating them). But I really think the world will go on if they don't make it. Mother nature can be a real mother sometime so I don't think we should mess with her.

So if you have that extra $16/month to save a polar bear maybe you can use it to save a human life first - or go to the zoo.

I don't mean to offend

Or do I?

I have always thought that political correctness was annoying but now I think it is downright dangerous. You cannot advance a conversation or cause unless you are willing to offend. Now of course you should not be offensive just for the sake of it. But imagine trying to make a point, any point, without risking tweaking someone. It has gotten worse because now people want to be nice. They are so nice that they won't make a decision.

Remember Chip and Dale, that lovable Walt Disney chipmunk duet? There's the classic scene where they are leaving a room and Chip says to Dale; "After you" And then Dale says; "Oh no after you". They go back and forth being so nice they never get anywhere. Who would've thought that a 1950's comedy routine would become real life today?

Something can only be offensive if we let it offend us. We need to get thicker skins and join in the debate. We cannot advance as a society unless we are willing to have conviction and also be willing to express it.

So go ahead, offend somebody today.

It's about the Spending Stupid

Are you listening to all of talk about government spending? It's all about how to increase revenue to pay for things:

• Let the Bush tax cuts expire to pay for the trillion dollar stimulus plan.
• Raise taxes on capital gains and dividends.
• Raise the gasoline tax or tax drivers per miles driven to pay for roads.
• Raise the price of a stamp to "bail out" the post office.

Here's an idea. Cut spending. I mean real cuts, not the political BS where cuts mean smaller increases. Yes I know we are in a recession and we need to increase spending short term to provide a soft landing. But this should be temporary spending. That's why I don't like the package that passed.

The discussion needs to be about cutting spending. As a company grows, there is inherent inefficiencies and excess spending. If you want to survive you make cuts - you go Lean.
That'is what our government must do. Here's an example:

They are talking about eliminating Saturday mail delivery. That is a great idea. I don't think we need Wednesday delivery either but that's just me. This should either reduce the number of mail persons needed or the amount of pay they receive, or both. It should also reduce the need for further stamp price increases.

I'll bet you a 50 cent stamp that's not going to happen!

Our Current Orwellian Moment

Remember George Orwell's 1949 novel "1984" ? I remember reading it in high school. I was struck by the concept that the government had so much power and control that it could change and manufacture the truth and even re-write history. While Mr. Orwell was off by a few decades, his vision is becoming eerily more poignant.

Let's talk terms. I define Global Warming as meaning humans influence on our climate. Climate Change is the term I use to talk about natural changes in temperature of the decades based on nature's influence (sun activity, winds, etc).

The major report supporting Global Warming is the IPCC report. IPCC stands for Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The mere name implies government influence. All of the hysteria today has been caused by this biased report funded by people with larger agendas. There is plenty of bad science that was used to support Global Warming claims but government funding supports the science so what would you expect?

There is a much better report out by the NIPCC. NIPCC stands for the Non-governmental International Panel on Climate Change. This organization, by name, is not motivated by ulterior agendas, it is just based on science.

Here is a link to this report. http://www.sepp.org/publications/NIPCC-Feb%2020.pdf . I warn you, it is a bit dry, full of a lot of technical information, and you may not understand all of it (God knows I didn't). But you'll get the idea that we are about to make a lot of major policy decisions based on bad and biased science.

Of course we have Climate Change. We've had it since the Ice Age. We have been warming since then. We've been warming before we developed the internal combustion engine and the power plant. Data shows we've had some cooling periods as well. As humans we like to think we have more power and influence then we really do but Mother nature still has the final say.

So here's my idea. Let's work on developing alternative fuels so we can lessen our dependence on foreign oil. Let's try to conserve when possible because it's just smart and it'll save us money. But let's do this on our terms, based on good science, and in a framework of capitalism.

Let's make George Orwell wrong a little longer.

A Great Time to Buy a House?

Of course we all know about the housing market crisis by now. Prices went through the roof (no pun intended). Builders over built. The sub-prime mess contributed to the current economic downturn. Yes it obviously is worse than most of us expected (me included). But the great reality is that out of every "disaster" comes opportunity. And you may just be in a great position to benefit from this crisis.

Yes it is a great time to buy a house!! It is a phenomenal time to buy a house. Supply is greater than demand and that means home prices are down dramatically. So are interest rates. I just refinanced for 30 years at 4.875%.

An important thing to remember however is that it is also a tough time to sell a house. So you will need to take that into account. But if you are currently in an apartment, have good credit, and can manage a reasonable down payment, go for it. And remember, the new stimulus bill is going to give first time home buyers a nice tax break. While I hate government give aways we'd all be fools not to take what they're offering.

Just look in the mirror

Oh I love when current events play into my philosophy!!! So Congress pushes through the stimulus bill. Great. It is filled with more pork than a Texas barbecue. What's worse is that most of the jobs it may create are government jobs (supposedly temporary but we know better).

We have got to stop looking to the government to provide for the people. Entitlements will bring down our democracy and we are fast becoming a nation of entitlements. I think it is ironic that one of the most famous inaugural speech quotes "...ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country" came from JFK - a Democratic president. My how far we've come! As Obama stumped for this "stimulus" package, I heard too many people asking "How can you help us?"

It is time to help yourself. This blog is committed to helping people who are willing to do just that. Assuming you are an adult, only you are responsible for you. If you are not on board for that then there is no need to check back here anytime soon.

It takes Discipline

3 Goals 3 Investments - health, wealth, happiness all have one thing in common - Discipline.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines discipline as:

- training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character

We have to train ourselves to be healthy and wealthy. And yes, sometimes even our happiness requires training.

Let’s discuss wealth first. Wealth absolutely takes discipline. Living within your means requires disciplined spending and saving. But what are your means? The best way to answer that question is to do a budget. Yes the dreaded B word!!! It amazes me how many people have never done a budget for their household. Think about doing one. Come up with all of your reasons why you haven’t done one yet and I will address them soon. Once you do it you’ll be surprised to see where all your money goes. You can then begin to live within your means. Once that is under control we can work on increasing your means.

At this time of year I am always reminded of another example of financial discipline. It’s tax time. Every year I am surprised to find people I know (smart people) who talk about the big tax return they got back from the government. I hate 0% loans and I especially hate loaning my money to the government for 0%.

I know, it is no fun to have to write Uncle Sam a check at the end of the year but either way it is your money. You can either keep it all year long and then give it to the government in April or they can take it every month and give it back to you at 0% return. That’s a bad deal. It takes a little work to get it right and it takes a lot of discipline to save the money all year long so you have it a tax time, but it pays over time.

This kind of thinking also helps you develop overall good money habits.

To adjust your tax withholding, you need to adjust the number of exemptions you claim on your W4 form. You need to do this conservatively at first because if you end up owing the government too much money at the end of the year then you will have to pay a penalty. Make the W4 form adjustment and then check your paycheck for the next few months. You will be able to see how much less federal tax was withheld. If that amount (for one month) time 12 equals less then the amount of money you got back the previous year then you are good. You’ll get less back this year and have more in you check every week.

Here’s an example (the numbers are for illustrative purposes only):

In 2008 you got a $3,000 tax return. So this year you increase your W4 exemption by 1. The next pay period shows that $80 less was withheld. Take $80 time 12 months and that equals $960. All things being equal, you would receive a $2,040 return this year. That’s $3,000 - $960. You could, in theory, increase your exemptions by a total of 3. This would result in $240 less in withholding. For 12 months that would be $2,880 and, again all things being equal, you would only get a $20 refund this year.

This is why you’ll need to take a few shots at this and fine tune your W4 until you get to a number you are comfortable with. Also, keep in mind that if your income changes (up or down) you should do this exercise again.

This is relatively easy to do and it gets you to start thinking about money in a new and better way. And remember, when you do this, be sure to save that extra money. You can not go out and buy a more expensive car or take that big vacation.

At least not yet!!

Welcome to 3 Goals 3 Investments

Well this is cool. This is my first blog so please hang in with me as I improve and add content that adds value to your life. My blog is intended to bring insight in the areas of your health, wealth, and happiness. But, like most blogs, this one will be an extension of the author's (me) personality, beliefs, and insights. I will always welcome comments but reserve the right to comment back.

Since we are at a critical time in our country's history, I will not be able to stay away from politics - I like politics. I will welcome healthy debate but ask for civility and respect for all who join our conversation. I consider myself a moderate, although most people that know me would suggest I'm a conservative. I admit that, as I sit on the moderate fence, I will fall to the right much more often than to the left no matter which way the wind blows. If you think that makes me a conservative then so be it, but I believe labels like that extend across a very wide spectrum.

OK, so in the spirit of full disclosure, I did not vote for Barrack Obama. Whether I am moderate or conservative, his politics don't match mine. I believe the mainstream media did not do its self prescribed job of vetting him before the election and I am wary of how they'll cover him going forward. So I will, on many occasions, provide my own coverage of him. My first comment is that he won the popular vote by a 52% to 48% margin so I do not believe he has the mandate he likes to think he does.

Of course this whole stimulus mess and the economy in general will impact your wealth so I will be commenting on them as soon as the final package is approved. I will discuss how you can take advantage of it and I'll also tell you what scares me about it.

Again, welcome to the 3 Goals 3 Investments. I do believe health, wealth, and happiness go hand in hand and I will introduce you to ways you can balance all three so you can be more successful in your life. So I hope you'll join me on this journey.