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Thursday, January 28, 2010

State of The Union 2010... huh?

Quite a highly anticipated speech last night. As usual I did not see it, I read the transcripts. That makes it easier to concentrate on the content and meaning rather than the theater.



Actually I did see the first couple of minutes. Primarily the introductions and applause. Comments were made by those viewing it with me that Obama was doing more of the strange Mussolini-like posturing after his introduction at the podium. I'm talking about the chin thrust, chest puffing and upward far-away gaze. It does look weird and doesn't serve him well.



The speech was filled with misleading statements, negativity and a real lack of focus. I could comment on practically every sentence, but pulled out highlights that I think are particularly important. Here's my analysis of the speech:
...For these Americans and so many others, change has not come fast enough. Some are frustrated; some are angry. They don’t understand why it seems like bad behavior on Wall Street is rewarded but hard work on Main Street isn’t; or why Washington has been unable or unwilling to solve any of our problems. They are tired of the partisanship and the shouting and the pettiness. They know we can’t afford it.  Not now.“



Others of us want to know why those that set the rules and create the problems continue to redirect attention to those on Wall Street and in Corporate board rooms. Catastrophicly failed regulation is followed by demands for greater regulation. Washington is unwilling or unable to release the death grip on every aspect of American life and let the people prosper.



...So we face big and difficult challenges. And what the American people hope – what they deserve – is for all of us, Democrats and Republicans, to work through our differences; to overcome the numbing weight of our politics. For while the people who sent us here have different backgrounds, different stories and different beliefs, the anxieties they face are the same. The aspirations they hold are shared. A job that pays the bills. A chance to get ahead. Most of all, the ability to give their children a better life.“



Great! How about starting by unlocking the conference and committee rooms and letting in the Republicans elected by Americans to represent us. They are bound by the Constitution to represent us and so far, have been prevented by your party from doing so.



Then you can stop belittling those Americans you disagree with. Stop calling me and my peers “national security risks”, “rednecks”, “stupid”, “bigots” and a myriad other marginalizing and demeaning terms, just because we disagree with your health care plan, budget, foreign policy, etc..



...To recover the rest, I have proposed a fee on the biggest banks. I know Wall Street isn’t keen on this idea, but if these firms can afford to hand out big bonuses again, they can afford a modest fee to pay back the taxpayers who rescued them in their time of need.”



Most of those in these “Big Banks” played by the rules. Rules our Congress created and other Federal agencies oversee. Rules that the Bush administration warned weren't working and putting Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae and other financial institutions at great risk. I wonder when you'll get around to fining or prosecuting those in the Government who created problem, profited from the problem, and now blame everyone else for the problem, and demand more oversight of the issues – by them.



...So tonight, I’m proposing that we take $30 billion of the money Wall Street banks have repaid and use it to help community banks give small businesses the credit they need to stay afloat. I am also proposing a new small business tax credit – one that will go to over one million small businesses who hire new workers or raise wages. While we’re at it, let’s also eliminate all capital gains taxes on small business investment; and provide a tax incentive for all businesses, large and small, to invest in new plants and equipment.”



How about returning that money to the Americans you took it from, and let them decide where the expenditures should be made to best benefit them. If you are truly interested in what's best for Americans, why make it a political decision from on-high, instead of the decision of Americans that own the money.



...Tomorrow, I’ll visit Tampa, Florida, where workers will soon break ground on a new high-speed railroad funded by the Recovery Act. There are projects like that all across this country that will create jobs and help our nation move goods, services, and information. We should put more Americans to work building clean energy facilities, and give rebates to Americans who make their homes more energy efficient, which supports clean energy jobs. And to encourage these and other businesses to stay within our borders, it’s time to finally slash the tax breaks for companies that ship our jobs overseas and give those tax breaks to companies that create jobs in the United States of America. “



The Governemnt creates the tax and regulatory structure that makes companies send jobs overseas to stay competitive, then the Government penalizes them for doing so.


Rail - one of the liberals' most popular pet projects and perennial failures. We all know how well those projects turn out. Just look at Amtrak, and dozens of other municipal tax devouring boondoggles. Now it's presented as an environmental job program to entice us into ignoring the facts of history.



...Well I do not accept second-place for the United States of America. As hard as it may be, as uncomfortable and contentious as the debates may be, it’s time to get serious about fixing the problems that are hampering our growth.”



And that fixing begins in Washington, D.C.. No longer should we look to Congress and the President to fix anything. If there's one thing we've learned it's that the planners have no plan, the overseers have no oversight, the legislators do no legislating. It is up to us to fix things. We began to do that in Massachusetts last week...



...Third, we need to export more of our goods. Because the more products we make and sell to other countries, the more jobs we support right here in America. So tonight, we set a new goal: We will double our exports over the next five years, an increase that will support two million jobs in America. To help meet this goal, we’re launching a National Export Initiative that will help farmers and small businesses increase their exports, and reform export controls consistent with national security.



We have to seek new markets aggressively, just as our competitors are. If America sits on the sidelines while other nations sign trade deals, we will lose the chance to create jobs on our shores. But realizing those benefits also means enforcing those agreements so our trading partners play by the rules. And that’s why we will continue to shape a Doha trade agreement that opens global markets, and why we will strengthen our trade relations in Asia and with key partners like South Korea, Panama, and Colombia.”



As with so many of our Country's problems of the last 50 years, they have been caused or at least aggravated by the intervention of the legislators, regulators and bureaucrats at the behest of the internationalists, eco-terrorists, Marxists and their PR arm, the “lame -stream” media. We don't want confiscation of our property just to have you give it back through your manipulative programs ( after you've taken your cut of course). Get out of Americans' way and we'll innovate, produce, profit and compete just fine.



...I took on health care because of the stories I’ve heard from Americans with pre-existing conditions whose lives depend on getting coverage; patients who’ve been denied coverage; and families – even those with insurance – who are just one illness away from financial ruin.



After nearly a century of trying, we are closer than ever to bringing more security to the lives of so many Americans. The approach we’ve taken would protect every American from the worst practices of the insurance industry. It would give small businesses and uninsured Americans a chance to choose an affordable health care plan in a competitive market. It would require every insurance plan to cover preventive care. And by the way, I want to acknowledge our First Lady, Michelle Obama, who this year is creating a national movement to tackle the epidemic of childhood obesity and make our kids healthier.”



Why does taking my money and having a bureaucrat buy my insurance for me in Washington, D.C. make more sense than letting me buy my insurance myself, right here? And why is health care insurance a right before food, clothing and housing. If health care is a right based on it's existential importance, then we've skipped a couple of VERY important predicate rights in free food, shelter, and housing. They are far more important on a daily basis for health than insurance. How do you explain that horrid oversight?



...Starting in 2011, we are prepared to freeze government spending for three years. Spending related to our national security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security will not be affected. But all other discretionary government programs will. Like any cash-strapped family, we will work within a budget to invest in what we need and sacrifice what we don’t. And if I have to enforce this discipline by veto, I will.“

It's better than continued uncontrolled spending, but not nearly as restrictive as it sounds, or should be. A little late too. Sort of like the proverbial closing of the barn door after the cow got out. Several trillion cows later, Obama has seen the light. I guess better late than never, but I can't help but think this is another example of the political posturing he is so good at. He's like a magician that knows how to get your attention misdirected to his off-hand, so he can then do whatever he wants with the other one without you even suspecting.



...From some on the right, I expect we’ll hear a different argument – that if we just make fewer investments in our people, extend tax cuts for wealthier Americans, eliminate more regulations, and maintain the status quo on health care, our deficits will go away. The problem is, that’s what we did for eight years. That’s what helped lead us into this crisis. It’s what helped lead to these deficits. And we cannot do it again. 
 
Rather than fight the same tired battles that have dominated Washington for decades, it’s time to try something new. Let’s invest in our people without leaving them a mountain of debt. Let’s meet our responsibility to the citizens who sent us here. Let’s try common sense."



The Government can't make investments “in our people”. They must first take money FROM the people to then give it back. I want tax cuts for ALL Americans. Stop the class warfare and let ALL of us keep the fruits of our labor.



Let's get the Federal Government out of our lives, give up on redistribution of wealth and let Americans use the product of their efforts as they see fit. What an investment! Common sense? Indeed!



...Last week, the Supreme Court reversed a century of law to open the floodgates for special interests – including foreign corporations – to spend without limit in our elections. Well I don’t think American elections should be bankrolled by America’s most powerful interests, or worse, by foreign entities. They should be decided by the American people, and that’s why I’m urging Democrats and Republicans to pass a bill that helps to right this wrong. “



We live in a free society with the right to support who we want to support. To artificially limit the freedom of support among certain class of citizens is wrong. Interesting how people like Soros, MoveOn.org and others were able to get around the prior limits. For them it won't matter, except they'll confront a more level playing field with those corporations they demonize.



...It lives on in the 8-year old boy in Louisiana, who just sent me his allowance and asked if I would give it to the people of Haiti. And it lives on in all the Americans who’ve dropped everything to go some place they’ve never been and pull people they’ve never known from rubble, prompting chants of “U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A!” when another life was saved.“



The fact that that poor misinformed little boy sent his money for Haiti to the President says more about what's wrong with our attitudes than anything I could write. Send it to the Red Cross or Salvation Army. The President has nothing to do with that sort of stuff. At least he's not supposed to. But of course everything is about Obama, isn't it.

Just don't bomb us Ms. Pelosi

Here's a quote from Madam Speaker this morning:

"You go through the gate. If the gate’s closed, you go over the fence. If the fence is too high, we’ll pole-vault in. If that doesn’t work, we’ll parachute in. But we’re going to get health care reform passed for the American people."

Whatever it takes to take over 1/6th of the American economy they will do. What will we do to defend it?

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Could less discipline improve productivity?

This is a great discussion about the realities of practical time and task management. So much of the "guru's" tips techniques and tools are inflexible and lack proportion that they become unwieldy and actually get in the way of real productivity. This thread addresses that reality and provides suggestions for using your time management tools and techniques in a disciplined but flexible manner that benefits but doesn't enslave.

It's like having a realistic and healthy diet that isn't so restricted that it's impossible to adhere to. A little wiggle room prevents the inevitable failure that can often occur when realities of cheesecake and hot dogs are confronted in the real world.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Wow! Prophetic! From Harding College 1948...

Friday, January 15, 2010

MILITARY PROSECUTORS WITHHOLD EVIDENCE

There is no question I am not privy to all the facts of this case, but experience has taught me that we have become so biased against America and it's military that we often offer up our heroes as PC sacrifices in these situations regardless of the facts. If I had to bet whether the guilt lies with the Lieutenant or the prosecutor, I'd bet on the prosecutor.

If nothing else, this situation deserves very close scrutiny. Check out the facts and make up your own mind. If your conscience permits make a donation.
Dr Dave