That my friends is a lot of money! No question about that, so why am I so outraged that the President has called for his cabinet to save $100,000,000? It is simple really, it is a disingenuous effort whose sole aim is to sooth an outraged electorate with a mere token of an effort.
Let's put this in perspective. Let's say your family spends $60,000 a year on "stuff". Things like your house, cars, clothes, food, you know stuff. Now, as the head of the family you announce that things are really tough. We have to make sacrifices and cut back. We are going to go through our budget "line by line" and come up with some savings. We are going to target wasteful spending. We all know we have some wasteful spending, right? Now here is our goal, $6. That's right we spend $60,000 a year on stuff and all I am looking for in savings is $6!
Based on the Federal budget that the President has submitted, and passed, that is what we are talking about. Congress this year gave themselves an additional $400 million to run congress. Are we so naive that we can accept this as a real effort to curb spending. I hope not, but I wonder. I guess when the Cabinet members come back in 90 days that they will give us way more than was asked for, and they will be lauded for their efforts. Let's say they come up with $250 Million. Our politicians will slap themselves on the back , march on TV and tell us what a great job they are doing for us "the people".
When that happens, just remember that is like taking 15 bucks out of a $60,000 budget.
The President has just asked for 100 BILLION dollars for the International Monetary Fund. He said the funding "does not represent a budgetary expenditure or any increase in the deficit since it effectively represents an exchange of assets." The last time I heard this kind of garbage, somebody was trying to explain to me how a "credit default swap" was a good tool for financial institutions. The only thing I got out of that was the "default" part. We all know how that worked out, right!
This money is to loan to countries in "Emerging Markets". You know what an emerging market is don't you? It is a country with bad credit that can't borrow money form anyone who expects to get it paid back. Kinda like a sub-prime home loan! As I remember, didn't that turn out bad for all of us? You think we could take a billion or two out of that "asset exchange"?
If we don't wake up, will will qualify for one of these loans from the IMF ourselves. Maybe we can take them our budget where we saved the $6 as proof that we can be trusted with their money.
I love my country, and I want to support our President. We all need for him to be successful. It disappoints me to see him play these kind of games aimed at a public which he believes can be manipulated so easily. Such action is beneath the dignity of the office, and speaks volume about what he thinks of our intellect. I guess he has a right to expect us to be naive, after all we elected a first term senator with less than a years experience before he started his run for the presidency. I don't think I would go to a heart surgeon that had only been to medical school for only 1 year before he hung out his shingle. But then again that is an important job.
For the sake of your children and grand children, hold your elected officials responsible. Let your voice be heard before it is to late!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
It's Only The Census - -So What?
Most of us a vaguely aware of the federal census taken ever 10 years, but we don't think much about it. We should think about it, a lot! In 2000 we the tax payers spent $4.5 Billion to count the people residing in the United States. Please note I did not say citizens residing in the US. More on that in a minute.
The census is a very important undertaking. It's impact is far reaching and profound. The government makes decisions on allocations of funds based on the census. We make social policies based on the census. But the most important thing we do with the census is reapportion each states representation in the House of Representatives. Every ten years there is a jockeying for position as sates fight the census over whether or not they will gain or loose representatives in congress. Some states go up and some go down. As a result of the 2000 census 12 seats changed from one state to another.
Money and power will always will generally start a good cat fight every time, right?
In 2000, we spent $4.5 Billion to do the census, that is $15.99 for every man women and child in the US. That's right is cost the Federal Goverment (you and Me) $32 to find out there were 2 people living in my house. As a reference we, in 1970 we spent $1.22 per resident to get the job done. Also don't forget that the vast majority of us are counted by a form we receive in the mail. So where is all that money spent you ask. It is spent trying to prove that the census is wrong! Politicians everywhere are saying wait you missed some of our people, we need to do outreach. Homeless and illegal immigrants are afraid to be counted, we must go to them and make hem understand.
Did I say illegal immigrants? Yes I did. You see there is no place on the census form to say whether or not you are a citizen. We are making representation decisions and deciding where our tax money should be spent based on the head count of illegal immigrants in our country.
Am I the only one that sees a problem here? Oh this is wrong in so many ways!
The census is a very important undertaking. It's impact is far reaching and profound. The government makes decisions on allocations of funds based on the census. We make social policies based on the census. But the most important thing we do with the census is reapportion each states representation in the House of Representatives. Every ten years there is a jockeying for position as sates fight the census over whether or not they will gain or loose representatives in congress. Some states go up and some go down. As a result of the 2000 census 12 seats changed from one state to another.
Money and power will always will generally start a good cat fight every time, right?
In 2000, we spent $4.5 Billion to do the census, that is $15.99 for every man women and child in the US. That's right is cost the Federal Goverment (you and Me) $32 to find out there were 2 people living in my house. As a reference we, in 1970 we spent $1.22 per resident to get the job done. Also don't forget that the vast majority of us are counted by a form we receive in the mail. So where is all that money spent you ask. It is spent trying to prove that the census is wrong! Politicians everywhere are saying wait you missed some of our people, we need to do outreach. Homeless and illegal immigrants are afraid to be counted, we must go to them and make hem understand.
Did I say illegal immigrants? Yes I did. You see there is no place on the census form to say whether or not you are a citizen. We are making representation decisions and deciding where our tax money should be spent based on the head count of illegal immigrants in our country.
Am I the only one that sees a problem here? Oh this is wrong in so many ways!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
The Villian has a face- -well sort of.
We should all be happy now that we have someone on which to focus our anger. These guys are the perfect scape goat. We don't know them, they are obviously well off, and they work for an insurance company that took government money. They are the absolute perfect patsies to take all of our wrath. Tax them at 90%, out them in public, haul them before congress and humiliate them.
Sounds like a screen play for a movie doesn't it? All we need is a hero to stand up and bring us to our senses about what is really going on. Jimmy Stewart would have been the perfect actor. Don't hold your breath. Our elected officials have appealed to our base nature calling for revenge. Never mind that these same public officials also took money from AIG at the same time. Chris Dodd and Barack Obama took over $225K for there election campaigns in 2008. The same Chris Dodd that put in the provision that let them keep those bonuses in the first place.
I don't know any of these villains, and I suspect you don't either. My guess is that they are not evil people. Overpaid, maybe, but I don't know that either. What I do know, is that most of them were losing their jobs. What I do know is that AIG needed them to work for a while longer and paid them a bonus not to leave. I also know that that is a fairly common practice. I also know that if most of us found ourselves in the same circumstance, we would take that money without a moments hesitation. With no shame or guilt attached. Indeed most everyone around us would feel sorry for us because we were loosing our jobs in a tough economy.
These folks were served up to us on a silver platter by the very folks who were their best friends a year ago, our elected officials.
There is a lot of guilt to go around in this mess. There was a lot of money sloshing around in the economy, and we all benefited at least in the short term. Our home values went up dramatically. In a sense we were all making the dreaded "windfall" profits that congress likes to tax. We had easy credit to buy anything we wanted whether we could afford it or not. We were all lined up at the same feeding trough and living high, at least for a while.
Now we face the day of reckoning, and we are angry. We need a face on which to target that anger, and now we have one. How convenient.
When I was a kid, I used to go to the movies and watch westerns. Seems that more often than not some innocent loser was always about to get lynched in those movies for some crime that he did not commit. As I recall, the real guilty party was always at the front of the mob leading the lynching. He was the guy always screaming to "hangem high". Once somebody is hung we generally quit looking for the real crook.
Kind of makes you wonder doesn't it?
Sounds like a screen play for a movie doesn't it? All we need is a hero to stand up and bring us to our senses about what is really going on. Jimmy Stewart would have been the perfect actor. Don't hold your breath. Our elected officials have appealed to our base nature calling for revenge. Never mind that these same public officials also took money from AIG at the same time. Chris Dodd and Barack Obama took over $225K for there election campaigns in 2008. The same Chris Dodd that put in the provision that let them keep those bonuses in the first place.
I don't know any of these villains, and I suspect you don't either. My guess is that they are not evil people. Overpaid, maybe, but I don't know that either. What I do know, is that most of them were losing their jobs. What I do know is that AIG needed them to work for a while longer and paid them a bonus not to leave. I also know that that is a fairly common practice. I also know that if most of us found ourselves in the same circumstance, we would take that money without a moments hesitation. With no shame or guilt attached. Indeed most everyone around us would feel sorry for us because we were loosing our jobs in a tough economy.
These folks were served up to us on a silver platter by the very folks who were their best friends a year ago, our elected officials.
There is a lot of guilt to go around in this mess. There was a lot of money sloshing around in the economy, and we all benefited at least in the short term. Our home values went up dramatically. In a sense we were all making the dreaded "windfall" profits that congress likes to tax. We had easy credit to buy anything we wanted whether we could afford it or not. We were all lined up at the same feeding trough and living high, at least for a while.
Now we face the day of reckoning, and we are angry. We need a face on which to target that anger, and now we have one. How convenient.
When I was a kid, I used to go to the movies and watch westerns. Seems that more often than not some innocent loser was always about to get lynched in those movies for some crime that he did not commit. As I recall, the real guilty party was always at the front of the mob leading the lynching. He was the guy always screaming to "hangem high". Once somebody is hung we generally quit looking for the real crook.
Kind of makes you wonder doesn't it?
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Taking Stock
I guess I am in a "high road" state of mind these days. That may be a natural defense mechanism to keep me away from sharp objects! At any rate I do find myself focusing on the positive aspects during these troubled times.
To that end I have been "taking stock" of late, of all my blessings, and there are many. It is awfully easy to look at the mess around us and despair at our plight, but that yields little fruit.
I am going to try to take a minute each day to do a little inventory of what really matters. For me that would be family, friends, health, and happiness. I started to put pets in there, but I was afraid it would make me sound somehow shallow and needy, so I will leave them out of this - -but you get my drift.
I am going to try and remember to tell those I care about how much they mean to me. It is good exercise, and I clearly need that. Speaking of that, for me health is a big issue. That is one area where work needs to be done, big time. I was always concerned that I would outlive my financial resources. After all $328.52 is not that much money! Now I worry that my money will outlast me by at least $250.
I suggest we all take stock each day. I think our treasure may be much greater than we think. It is really good exercise for the heart, and may well lift the days burdens from our shoulders. By the way, if you see me with a big old cheeseburger going toward my mouth, slap it out of my hand and tell me you love me. We will both feel better!
To that end I have been "taking stock" of late, of all my blessings, and there are many. It is awfully easy to look at the mess around us and despair at our plight, but that yields little fruit.
I am going to try to take a minute each day to do a little inventory of what really matters. For me that would be family, friends, health, and happiness. I started to put pets in there, but I was afraid it would make me sound somehow shallow and needy, so I will leave them out of this - -but you get my drift.
I am going to try and remember to tell those I care about how much they mean to me. It is good exercise, and I clearly need that. Speaking of that, for me health is a big issue. That is one area where work needs to be done, big time. I was always concerned that I would outlive my financial resources. After all $328.52 is not that much money! Now I worry that my money will outlast me by at least $250.
I suggest we all take stock each day. I think our treasure may be much greater than we think. It is really good exercise for the heart, and may well lift the days burdens from our shoulders. By the way, if you see me with a big old cheeseburger going toward my mouth, slap it out of my hand and tell me you love me. We will both feel better!
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