Well, I was gonna write about Egypt but...

Yeah, I was looking over the news regarding the situation in Egypt. I hear that the people asked the military to intervene when Morsi started collecting all the marbles. I also heard that the military is part of Egypt's version of governmental checks and balances. Now, M's supporters, other brothers I suppose, are burning churches, beating people up, and driving Christians out of the country. I find it odd they're not burning mosques... Anyway, it'll be interesting to see how our crippled government will deal with the situation. But then, I"m not going to talk about Egypt... or Somilia... or Syria... or Iran... or ... ... ...

Did you hear about the contest our HHS is running? Oh yeah! They're offering cash prizes (yours and mine) to young people who write the most compelling paper on why young adults should spend thousands of dollars a year to buy a policy they don't need rather than pay the 1% of gross pay or 95 bucks to avoid buying the insurance. I guess they're hoping our youth will not be smart enough to fully understand that they can pay nothing, essentially, until they need major.. MAJOR health care. Then, thanks to the "existing condition" part of the ACA, junior can start paying $100/month for full medical coverage... and then stop paying once he's cured. Pretty neat huh? Wish I only needed to buy car insurance after I had the accident. Maybe we can get that passed in the next year or two. Anyway, back to the contest. I'm thinking of giving it a try under the pen name, "Teenager for Obamacare"... I could use the money.

I like to challenge my detractors when they complain about something. I ask them how they'd solve the problem. I'm not immune so I'll set the example. With the medical issue, there are a couple of things that could be done right away. First, tort reform would reduce the ridiculous awards being given "victims" of malpractice. Have you noticed it is called the "PRACTICE" of medicine? Crap happens. Compensation is cool but be fair for crying out loud. Cutting the pie slice the attorneys get would help too. Anyway, next, instead of spending our money to help others buy insurance, spend it to subsidize research for techniques, drugs, and hardware. If the gov put a fraction of the funds into healthcare they waste everyday, prices could come down a bunch. I would also encourage you to find a youtube video of Dr. Ben Carson's plan to rein in costs. This dude is one of the unsung heroes of our time... and he is... S... M... A... R... T!

One last word on attorneys... We need to get their commercials OFF THE AIR! Jeez I'm tired of "... call the accident hotline..." junk.  Just sayin'  While we're at it, cap their fees to medicare guidelines. See how many decide to get "real" work!

WOW! I am sooo glad two of the major networks are doing rah-rah mini-series on Hillary. I think she is the most honest, forthright, understanding person I've ever seen. I mean, the parents of the victims from Benghazi were impressed with her handling of the situation. Sure she was fired from the house Judiciary Committee for unethical behavior including lying and obstruction.  The chief counsel said she was unethical and conspired to violate the Constitution... I know that's the kind of person I want in office!

Oh well, not much else to chat about. I will leave you with a question. I especially want to hear from my progressive friends. 

ARE YOU BETTER OFF THAN YOU WERE IN '08?  If you are, how?

OK, two questions :)

It's all about GREED!

OK, now that I have your attention, let me ask you a question. Do you have anything in your house that was not made in the USA?  It's OK, be honest. You aren't alone. Of course you do. Your computer was made in Malaysia, Singapore or China. Your car has 30% foreign content. Your flatware was probably made in China. Your TV was made overseas as well. So, whose fault is it that our country is losing jobs overseas? Well... it's yours!

Imagine this.  You need to repair a bad pipe. You go to Sears to buy a pipe wrench. Well, there are two on the wall. The first one is bright red. The machining is awesome perfect and the mechanism works flawlessly. You look on it and it says, "Craftsman - forged in the USA" ... yeah, that's right. Even the flagship Craftsman line uses foreign steel. Anyway, at least it's forged and finished here. The price is 25 bucks. Next to it is another wrench. It's bright red. the machining is awesome perfect and the mechanism works flawlessly. You look on it and it says, "Made in China". The price is 7 bucks. Do you reach for the Craftsman or do you reach for the Chinese wrench? You think... well, if I buy the Chinese wrench, I can also buy the Chinese screwdriver set!

Yup, there you go. YOU are the reason our jobs are going overseas. You might as well put 10 bucks in an envelope and address it to Peking, Shanghai, or wherever you want.

"Whoa!" you say. "They don't make TVs in the US anymore so I have to buy one from China.." Uh... no you don't. You don't NEED a 60" flat screen TV. You don't NEED that new tool. Search for items made in the USA and pay the price of labor... your labor. If enough people refuse to buy overseas, manufacturers will make things here... if there's a market.

There was a time when people would save for something they wanted. But easy credit and our "I want stuff and I want a lot of stuff and I want it now!" mentality drives us to buy overseas. There are manufacturers in the US for things like jeans and shirts. Sure they cost double... but... what? You can't afford US made goods? You can get 2 pair of chinese jeans for the same price? Well... there you go. You did it again.

A most interesting event occurred awhile back. I pulled into Harbor Freight... which sells nothing but Chinese stuff... and as I walked into the store, I passed a pickup truck with a "Proud to be Union AFL-CIO" sticker on the back of the cab. This dude was in Harbor Freight.  See what I mean?

So, next time you bitch about your job going overseas, take a look your watch... your Chinese watch.

.

It's always that Bad Banks

I've been following the news regarding Detroit's bankruptcy filing. I find it amazing, but not surprising, that big banks and business is being blamed. Now, it can't possibly be anything else.

How about a little insight?

The city has been run by progressives for the last 50+ years.
Progressives believe in helping people
When unions threatened to strike, lucrative contracts were awarded
    Cash
    Benefits
    Work rules
When the city income went down, the city borrowed to pay the contracts and the unions refused to budge.
Now the city has a huge debt, can't pay its obligations, and has filed for protection.

Now, where in there are big banks and business mentioned? Uh, you're right... they're not.

Even now, when the EM went to the unions, his offers were rebuffed. There was anger and accusations but the same mindset that resulted in the mess the city is in prevailed. They were there with their hands out when times were good, but they're not willing to give back when times are bad.

Ok, so you say... "... yeah, but they earned that money!" and I would counter with... well, where is it going to come from? That's where the discussion stops, until a thought comes up... "The BIG BANKS owe us for charging high interest on the loans they gave the city."  OK, let's check a few things out. First, when you have bad credit, any money a bank gives you will be at a higher interest rate. That's because there's a greater risk that they won't get repaid. If they feel the risk is high enough, they'll want security for protection. You may have to put up your car or your house. If you sign that loan, you agreed to the terms. They promised to give you the money... you promised to pay it back. You'd be pissed if they broke their promise and they have every right to be just as upset if you stop paying them back. Here's the kicker... The city is no different.

Let's look at just one other item.. and that's work rules.

Read an article that mentioned that, before the plumbers could fix a water leak, an operator had to be called to shut off the valve. Huh? A city like Los Angeles has a fraction of the number of people working per gallon of water delivered. Studies have shown that there is a huge amount of redundancy in the city government... but these people can't be laid off... why?

So, maybe you disagree with me. That's fine. I'd like to hear why you believe there's some other reason. Be sure you can back it up though.

individual mandate and the ACA

Is it just me or does it seem that our teens and young adults are about to get a lesson in life? I mean, OK, how many did you know, I know 5, who argued that it was the humane thing to do to provide health care to everyone. You and I tried to tell them... but, how many teens and young 20s listen to those "old people who don't know what is really happening in this country"? Well, now the chickens have come home to roost.

The employer mandate has been extended... but the individual mandate is still, as of today, in full force and effect. What does that mean? Well, it means that all these ppl who advocated health care for all... will have to start paying for it. What do you mean? I thought the government was going to take care of it. OK, well, here's a lesson in civics 101 WE ARE THE GOVERNMENT! OK, so, each individual has to buy insurance. Oh, but wait! In the first year, our youngsters can opt to pay the sub hundred buck fine. But, the plan needed their premiums to survive. So, I guess that means that each young person who takes the fine, rather than stepping up to their civic duty, are hypocrites. Maybe the fines should be in the thousands of dollars. 

OH, OH, OH... alert! Did you think the money collected by the IRS for your policy will go to the ACA? Uh, no. It's all going into the general fund... the ACA is an entitlement. Can you think of another "entitlement" or two that, at present, are being touted as being underfunded... and short lived...? Uh huh... 

So, we have a system where the money is going into the general fund. We have death-panel-like rationing of health care (remember the 9 or 10 yo girl who needed a liver? HHS head said, "well, some people die". OK, add companies who are cutting ppl hours to <30... and even the IRS UNION says it will destroy the 40 hour work week. 

Ah, but we're doing the right thing... or are we?  Can you say, "an additional 40M will be without insurance once this bill goes into full effect"?  

There is a way to put a stop to this. If you are one of the dreamers that still believe this is good for the country, you can go back to MSNBC and hear how the government has a duty to care for its citizens. If you knew what was happening, and you see the predictions coming true... and you really, really want to keep the medical system admired... and used... by the rest of the world, call your senator... call your rep... or, you deserve what you get... and it'll be too late for anything but me saying, "I told you so....'  

Peace  

Oh, gun homicides are down? So what's the hubbub... bub?

It's been awhile... I know... but for the most part, things have been pretty quiet. A piece of information came up that got me to thinking.

I read the report from the FBI regarding homicides in the good 'ole US of A.  I was surprised to see that, in spite of the rhetoric, homicides by firearm are down... way down.  Should it be of any concern that we haven't heard squat about the reduction in the news?  It was a byline on our local fox station. I would think there'd be celebration, citations presented, praise, fireworks... to show how happy we are... uh... nothing. I would think gun control advocates would say that apparently what was in place was working so let's see where it takes us... but... no.

Yeah, your death by blunt instrument is still greater than death by rifle... but what surprised me was when I saw that death by hands/feet/etc. were more than double that of rifle. Though the report didn't break down the ages of the victims, I'm wondering how many were children. Is it possible that more kids were killed by shaking, hitting, dropping than died at Sandy hook?  Huh?  Maybe we should be crying for more controls on ... hands.  The difference is, when someone kills a child by hitting them with a baseball bat, we blame the perp... When a child is killed by shooting him, we blame the gun...

What the hell is wrong with the lemmings we call our fellow citizens?

OK, so, we're on the brink of war.  North Korea (NK), as it has over and over in the past, is threatening to wipe the US and South Korea (SK) off the map. They chat it up every time the US and SK hold joint military operations. So, why has it escalated this time?  Could it be because SK has stepped up threats against NK. The US, at the same time, is sending heavy artillery to SK including stealth bombers and big boats... so, how can we avoid a war?  Is NK serious?  Are we backing them up against a wall?  Will they react like any cornered animal and attack... even though they know they will not survive?  Will they feel they must attack to save face? 

Some time back, I attended a class on negotiation. In that class, I was introduced to the teachings of W. Edwards Deming, the architect of Japan's quest for quality.  The course also taught about leaving 1/2% for the chairman. In Japan, the chairman was the ultimate authority. After his minions negotiated what a vendor called his "best price", the chairman would insist on more off. If there wasn't that 1/2% for the chairman, the deal would not be approved. In that part of the country, it is more important to "save face" as it is to get the best price. We are not looking at a leader that wants to destroy anyone... he is just trying to "save face" among his people. If we want to deescalate this situation, we must give this dude a way to save face. 

OK, you say, what about the nukes?  Could it be the increasing sanctions? Could it be we've all but cut off their ability to feed their people?  Would it be possible to trade corn for access?  Has anyone offered wheat for closing down nuclear facilities?  How do we know if any of that has been tried?  Does it seem to you that both NK and SK, and the US for that matter, are puffing out their chest and thumping on it like 10 ton gorillas?  

What would you suggest?

 

Immigration Problems, Crime, Solved

Ya know, sometimes you read something that just makes you go, "what the heck!".

While researching gov't expenditures, I found that it costs around

FORTY SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR

to incarcerate a single prisoner in California. It would seem to me that, for that money, we could give every single arrestee a job picking strawberries, melons, and other produce. We could teach them how to landscape, drywall, carpentry. We could teach them how to fix roads and bridges. There is a huge demand for welder. The 2.5 million in prison would take the jobs from a quarter of the illegals... who would just go back home...

Making $47,000.00/yr, they could help the real estate market, pump dollars into the local economy, support schools. They would gain a sense of worth, purpose... They would no longer need to steal to to feed their family.  Add incentives for productivity. Offer to expung records, reduce charges if certain benchmarks are achieved.

The trick is to catch these folks before they enter the system... or target low risk inmates.

I only see one problem. All our chronically unemployed would start holding up liquor stores and turning themselves in.... just for the job.