Random Thoughts

Kudoos

I want to commend Carroll County Commissioner Richard Rothschild for his effort to wake up a sleeping public to the dangers of UN Agenda 21 and its step child Plan Maryland. If you don't know much about this disastrous attack on American values check out this presentation: Agenda 21 For Dummies

www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzEEgtOFFlM

Phony Jobs Bill spin

FactCheck.org decided to take a look at Obama's jobs bill claim that it will create two million jobs. Here is their conclusion: "President Obama exaggerates when he claims 'independent economists' say his jobs bill 'would create nearly 2 million jobs.' The median estimate in a survey of 34 economists showed 288,000 jobs could be saved or created over two years under the president's plan."  Mrk Zandy of Moodys says "Beginning in 2013, and certainly into 2014, the plan is a drag on the economy because the stimulus starts fading away," while Obama's tax increases remain in effect.

More Green

Fisker, an electric car company that received a $529 million federal government loan guarantee is assembling its first line of cars in Finland.  They claim they could not find a facility in the United States capable of doing the work but predict they will eventually be building thousands of these cars.  Well maybe, but they are pretty costly and they don't save much fuel. electric vehicle makers pretend that the electricity to charge the car comes from magic pixies sprinkling pixie dust rather than burning fossil fuels.  In fact fossil fuels are utilized somewhere to make that electricity.  And with that understanding, the Fisker miles per gallon is about the same as an SUV - around 20 MPG' What kind of market exists for Fisker's $97,000 electric car? So far "Government Motors" has only managed to sell 4,000 of the $41,000 taxpayer-subsidized Chevy Volt.  Want to bet the taxpayer will get stuck again?

Political Genius

The political geniuses in Louisiana have passed a law that bans cash on all second-hand transactions. Now if someone  holds a garage sale and accepts cash for their old record collection, they’ve broken the law.  And no cash at the rummage sale or if you sell your old bike to your buddy.  And it hurts the  small business owner of a second hand shop who will have to pay transaction costs associated with a credit card swipe because the customer can't pay in cash.  WOW.  What a great country.

The Economist has some terrible statistics:

Over 6 million Americans, more than 40% of all those unemployed, have now been out of work for more than six months. Most of these, 4.5 million, haven’t worked for a year or more. This crisis of long-term joblessness is unprecedented in the post-war period.  Workers are escaping unemployment more slowly than at any time since 1948. The long-term unemployed are struggling most.  For the first time in decades, jobless workers are more likely to drop out of the labor force (and cease to be counted as unemployed) than to get a job.

Misery Index

Ballooning prices and high unemployment have created a miserable economic reality— the worst in more than 28 years, according to the “misery index.”    This is a measure which is put together by adding the national unemployment rate to the increase in consumer prices.  The misery index rose to 13 in September, up from 10.7 in the same period last year.  While it is still a lot lower than Jimmy Carter days, if inflation takes off the index will soar.

Reapportionment:

As you have read, In western Maryland a district is being reformed to include a large chunk of Montgomery County for the purpose of taking out Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, one of only two Republicans out of the eight Maryland Congressional districts.   The real devil in the details in this scenario poses serious concerns for Montgomery County minorities who represent over 50% of the population.  Now all three of the new districts there are designed with less than 35% minority population.  This may be a violation of federal law that mandates majority minority districts must be created wherever they can

Pensions - private vs. public

Most 55-year-olds don't have pensions. Just 26% of people older than 55 get a retirement benefit from a former employer, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute. The average pension in 2009 was $13,007 for private-sector retirees and $25,286 for public retirees.  The average pension for 455 retired federal lawmakers is $57,590, according to the Congressional Research Service

The stars, stripes and a pink slip: 

Sean May was fired last week by the Casa Monica hotel in St. Augustine, Fla., for refusing to take off a lapel pin displaying the American flag. He says he had been wearing it on a daily basis for some two years... With the hotel showing no signs of reconsidering the decision, locals were planning to organize a boycott on behalf of May. Were such a movement to take off, May would become just the latest American worker to be in the spotlight of a lapel pin controversy.

As was reported on AOL Jobs in 2009, Florida-based Home Deport cashier Trevor Keezor was fired for refusing to take off an American flag pin that had an inscription that read, "One nation under God, indivisible."  Keezor said that he was wearing the pin out of solidarity with his brother, then on a second tour of duty in Iraq for the National Guard. Home Depot's rationale was of a piece with that of the Casa Monica.

The continuing saga of Occupy Wall Street

In an op-ed in a recent Wall Street Journal, Doug Schoen,the former Clinton pollster warns Democrats not to embrace the Occupy Wall Street movement. Schoen sent one of the top researchers at his polling firm into the OWS crowd to interview 200 demonstrators. Here are some of his findings:

·         65% believe government should provide "health care, a college education, and a secure retirement—no matter the cost."

·         "48% say they will vote to re-elect [Obama] in 2012, while at least a quarter won't vote."

·         31% "would support violence to advance their agenda."

Schoen writes, "What binds a large majority of the protesters together … is a deep commitment to left-wing policies: opposition to free-market capitalism and support for radical redistribution of wealth…" He bluntly concludes, "President Obama and the Democratic leadership are making a critical error in embracing the Occupy Wall Street movement -- and it may cost them the 2012 election." I sure hope Schoen's instincts are right, but Obama will have a huge war chest and the best campaign that money can buy.

Schoen writes, "What binds a large majority of the protesters together … is a deep commitment to left-wing policies: opposition to free-market capitalism and support for radical redistribution of wealth…" He bluntly concludes, "President Obama and the Democratic leadership are making a critical error in embracing the Occupy Wall Street movement -- and it may cost them the 2012 election." I sure hope Schoen's instincts are right, but Obama will have a huge war chest and the best campaign that money can buy.