Archive for category Politics
Re-election Chances: Pelosi, No Sweat–Reid, “Angry-Mob Unpopular”
Posted by Tom in Democrats, Nationalized Health Care, Nevada, Politics on March 8, 2010
Saturday Night Live’s skit on Obamacare focused on the final push and how it jives with re-election chances. Quite funny:
“Paygo” Is Really Meaningless!
“Now, Congress will have to pay for what it spends, just like everybody else,” saith Obama in his weekly radio address last month.“After a decade of profligacy, the American people are tired of politicians who talk the talk but don’t walk the walk when it comes to fiscal responsibility. It’s easy to get up in front of the cameras and rant against exploding deficits. What’s hard is actually getting deficits under control. But that’s what we must do.” (See: Politico post.)
As Steve Martin used to say, EXCUSE ME!!!
When this “bedrock principle” was raised by Senator Jim Bunning of Kentucky that Congress could only spend a dollar if it saves a dollar elsewhere, to ask where the $10 Billion in extended unemployment and Cobra benefits was being paid for, the Democrats were outraged and foot-in-mouth Vice President Joe Biden lambasted the Republicans as inhumane!
As Jay Ambrose of the OC Register points out, you would think that the Democratic Congress could find a measly $10 Billion in all the pork they’ve barbecued in recent legislation.
“The special sadness in all of this is the hypocrisy of a president who just recently sold paygo as a mighty step toward fiscal responsibility. Not only was Biden then turned loose on an honest man trying to make paygo work, but the whole paygo law is by and large a con game to begin with. It can be waived with flimsy excuse and seems to exempt virtually every other budgetary sentence that begins with a capital and ends with a period. Even if it were religiously heeded, the budget could be swamped by the costs of the exceptions.”
I cannot say it any better: “It’s time to start worrying, fellow Americans. Really worrying.”
Tom Motherway
A Politician Who Tells the Hard Truth
Posted by Tom in Deficit, Nationalized Health Care, Politics, Social Security, Welfare on March 4, 2010
I listened to Chris Matthews MSNBC’s leftist Obama fan at the Bohemian Grove last summer and met him after the panel discussion; he is indeed liberal. That made me appreciate all the more his recent interview with Representative Paul Ryan from Wisconsin. The “unsustainability” of the current welfare system is the topic and Chris recognizes our need to defend ourselves at the same time, but he doesn’t seem to connect the dots!
In any case, I like this guy, Ryan.
Tom Motherway
A Matter of Style
Effective communication is essential, especially for political leaders. Some obvious rules of thumb:
- Know your audience.
- Get close to them.
- Be comfortable and relaxed.
For example, here is what Obama needs for a talk to a few school children. As you can see, there’s not much room for the kids. Note: the secret service guy in the back is not taking any chances with any terrorist-type 8-year olds!
And, here’s what the last guy needed.
BOY, THANK GOD FOR TELEPROMPTERS!
“Catholic Charities in Albany NY Now Providing Free Syringes to Addicts”
Posted by Tom in Government Regulation, Individual Freedom, Law, Morality & Religion in the Public Square, National Character, Politics, Statism on February 21, 2010
Another well-intentioned, liberal Bush idea that Obama has continued and enhanced is the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. Michael Tanner of Cato calls it Obama’s Faith-Based Boondoggle. Michael, who has video-conferneced with our Reno Hayek Symposium meeting, correctly states that, “the damage done by government co-option of private charity goes far beyond money.” His point is that the addiction of federal dollars soon distorts the purposes of the charity–by dependency, sloth and ultimate control.
The Bush/Obama program of leveraging government dollars by using low cost (sometimes free) charity workers, is better than creating another government department to accomplish some social (not religious) goal. But the point is that the charity would ultimately accomplish the same or near same goal with private dollars. In short, there is no need to spend government dollars. Excuse me, your tax dollars.
“Government funding is antithetical to the nature of charity. After all, the essence of private charity is that it is voluntary. Tax money is based on coercion. There is neither compassion nor love behind a grant of money forcibly taken from taxpayers who may have no desire to support the charity in question.”
“There is no reason for government to be in bed with private charity. Charity is thriving in America. We are the most generous nation on earth. Every year, Americans contribute more than $300 billion to charity. In addition, more than half of all American adults perform volunteer work. That time and effort is worth more than another $300 billion. And that does not include the countless dollars and time given to family members, neighbors and others outside the formal charity system. A few extra dollars from Washington add little to this amazing success story.”
The proper role of government is the crux of all political difference. Big and all-intrusive or small and limited, that is the question. Our founding fathers set up a limited federal government with checks and balances and specifically delegated powers. Roles and powers not delegated to the federal government by the people were specifically reserved to the states or to the people. The founding fathers would be shocked to see how far the federal government has evolved from their vision.
The principle of subsidiarity is an organizing principle that matters ought to be handled by the smallest, lowest or least centralized competent authority. This concept is applicable to government, management, and society. The parent, the family, the school, the church, the social group, the village, the city, the state and only then should the central authority, the federal government be competent to handle any given issue or concern. Let’s see… that would leave defense, postal service, national currency, and… what else to the federal domain? Read the constitution! You will be surprised.
Point is…if we continue to cede our obligations and our rights to the central authority, we will become dependent serfs….without moral fiber, character, or courage. That we can gather, speak, give to charity, volunteer, teach our children, defend ourselves and our families is our strength, our essence. Once ceded, never retrieved. Let charities do charitable work….yes even in healthcare!
A friend and member of our group on reading about Catholic Charities providing syringes to addicts in Albany wagged, “what’s next, condoms?” Makes me, a practicing Catholic, question– as have others–whether Catholic Charities is indeed Catholic, or for that matter, a charity!
Tom Motherway
“Good News-Obama Headed to Vegas to Save Harry”
So read an email today from one of my friends. Well we wish Obama the same success he had on his trip to Copenhagen on behalf of the Chicago Olympic bid and the same success he had on his trip to Boston on behalf of Martha Coakley.
Asking Obama to come to his aid is par for the course as far as Harry’s decision making goes!
Tom Motherway
Nevada Town Hall Meetings
This as a public service announcement from Nevada News Bureau:
Town Hall Meetings With Nevada Legislators
By Elizabeth Crum | 7:38 am February 11th, 2010
This is a public service announcement re: the Nevada Legislature’s Town Hall meetings on the state budget which will (reportedly) include public testimony of proposals for balancing the state budget plus Q&A sessions.
Day/Time: Saturday, February 13, 2010 at 9 a.m.
Southern NV location: Grant Sawyer State Office Building, Room 4401 at 555 East Washington Avenue, Las Vegas. Moderated by Senator Horsford, Assemblyman Stewart and Assemblyman Arberry.
Up north: Reno City Hall, 1 East First Street, Reno. Moderated by Senator Mathews, Senator Raggio, Assemblywoman Gansert and Assemblywoman Leslie.
What’s Harry Done For Nevada?
Despite Reid’s campaign ads his popularity is sinking. The state’s voters see the well publicized back room deals he’s cutting for Obamacare and realize that he’s actually doing more for Louisiana with the “Louisiana Purchase” and Nebraska with the “Cornhusker Kickback” than for Nevada. According to a recent Weekly Standard article by Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, the former editor in chief of Readers Digest, “when Paul Laxalt left office in 1987 Nevada got back 98 cents of every dollar Nevadans paid to the federal treasury. Now the state receives 65 cents.” So much for Reid’s “most powerful senator in the history of Nevada” TV ads!
Tomlinson’s article, When Harry Meets Sue, shines a positive light on Sue Lowden. Other candidates are mentioned in this national weekly like Sharron Angle and Danny Tarkanian, but the spotlight is on Sue.
The beautiful former Miss America contestant is anything but a dumb blond. She’s an intelligent, savvy business woman and politician who, from second generation Ellis Island roots, worked to gain an education eventually graduating magna cum laude from American University. A woman of the people she waitressed and won scholarships from beauty pageants to gain an education. She even joined the Bob Hope 1971 Christmas Tour in Viet Nam. A stint as a cub TV reporter lead to a news anchor role that the Las Vegas Sun called one of the most professional in the nation. She is married to Paul Lowden and is the mother of four children.
Upset by a large tax increase in 1991 she took on the state senate majority leader in a largely Democratic district and won. In the state senate was strong in opposing taxes and eventually became the Republican whip. She was targeted by the culinary union in 1996 and lost.
She then became involved in a number of charitable causes, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, Salvation Army, and organizations helping severely challenged children. In 2007 she became Republican Party Chair and later incurred the wrath of Ron Paul supporters over convention rules, eventually closing down the convention. She’s certainly not afraid to take a position. Early on she voted for Reid but claims that was a different time.
It’s great to see a positive article on Sue in a respected national magazine with a conservative reputation. So, in answer to the title question, what’s Harry done for Nevada….well, he’s provided a wonderful contrast for candidates of Sue Lowden’s caliber.
Tom Motherway
Who Owns Obama and the Democrats?
Posted by Tom in Democrats, Economics, Energy Facts & Policies, Environment, Individual Freedom, Politics, Unions, Wall Street on January 29, 2010
There are primarily four major political groups that literally own Obama, Reid, Pelosi and the rest of the Democrats: Unions, particularly the public employee unions. Trial lawyers. Environmentalists. And, Wall Street and Business Rent Seekers. The cost of these relationships to the economy and to our freedom is significant but difficult to completely quantify.
Unions. According to the latest figures overall union membership as a percentage of the workforce has held steady with 2008 at 12.4% and 2009 at 12.3%. Within that overall group, however, the private sector unionization declined from 7.6 to 7.2% while the public sector grew from 36.8 to 37.4%. It’s no secret that Obama favored the unions over the bondholders in his nationalization of GM and Chrysler. Nor is it a secret that his most frequent visitor is Andy Stern who will let you know what they spent to get Obama elected! Oh, and about 1 million of the federal work force are union members, 28% of the wage and salary workforce. As to the effects of this, see my post of January 7th Unions and Excessive Government Compensation.
Trial Lawyers. This is that monopoly of “professionals” who are licensed to represent real or pretended injured people for “contingency fees” of 25-50% of the awards obtained in trial or, more likely, settlement. These “injured” plaintiffs can be investors, cancer patients, or “whiplash” victims. Oftentimes the attorneys advertise to let them know they are “injured” or purchase new issue stock to become self fulfilling injured plaintiffs themselves! Recent cases have highlighted the manufactured testimony that these lawyers pay for, the perjury that they suborn. According to a recent post in OpenSecrets.org, during the last decade the trial lawyer given over 90% of their political contributions to the Democrats. In 2009 $2.86 Million to the Democrats and $140 Thousand to Republicans. Is it any wonder that there are no caps on medical malpractice damages in Obamacare? Thus big awards, large insurance premiums and defensive medicine will continue to drive up medical costs. (In the interest of full disclosure, I was once one of these trial lawyers, but as Woodrow Wilson said, “I have repented of it”)
Environmentalists. This is the most difficult economic drag and freedom surrender to estimate. Consider the ethanol debacle both in terms of costs and free market damage where the government pays producers to produce, forces customers to buy and restricts cheaper imports for a process and substance which increases greenhouse gasses! Consider the recent cap and trade bill passed by the House. Or, how about the CO2 we exhale and the EPA’s intention to regulate it as harmful! Has there been a cost-benefit analysis on the solar, wind, insulation state and federal tax and other subsidies or the wasted economic investment as a result thereof? And all of this for a “global warming science” in which the scientists manipulate the data!
Wall Street and Business Rent Seekers. Now we get to the folks we love to hate, the money guys who have long sucked at the Democratic teat. These folks spend the money to get the edge. They love cap and trade because they will become the traders getting the juice of commissions. They love Barney Frank’s push on Fannie and Freddie for more subprime mortgages because they generated fees from packaging and selling them as securities. Some felt “forced” to deal like drug companies, hospitals and insurance companies in the recent Obamacare debacle. Others just sought advantage over honest competition; in economic terms they are simply rent seekers.
These poor seekers of corporate welfare are the easiest to turn on for political reasons, so Obama is turning on them appearing like the populist he isn’t, while still taking their cash. This is truly fun to watch but is of little significance.
As long as the elite Democratic rulers are literally owned by these very special and influential interests, our economy will flounder and our freedoms will diminish.
FOLLOW UP: Media-Educators. At dinner tonight on this penultimate day of January Bill Collins suggested that Hollywood should have been included in the list of “owners.” Sure enough, common knowledge and a cursory internet search reminds us that Democrats dominate “Tinsel Town.” But this is just one segment of the media, the entertainment segment of the Fourth Estate, if you will. So, it seems incumbent to include the MSM (Main Stream Media) like MSNBC, CBS, ABC, CNN. It’s not too obvious that fawning lap dogs like Chris Matthews or Keith Olbermann are more than a bit biased. Stretching the “media” definition we can easily include the educational establishment. Hard to find a non-Obama hope-change professor on a college campus today. It would seem fair to say that the Media-Educators should indeed be included in the list of owners of Obama and the Democrats. Their influence aside from environmentalism would seem to be more social than economic. Things like “gay marriage” and “don’t ask, don’t tell” interest them. The cost here is to our intelligence and to the future of our society, thus our freedom. This is hard to measure in economic terms. But it is perhaps more critical to our democracy. The lack of education, intelligence in the electorate, and a free press willing to to its critical, investigative job will if continued doom our future.
Pray that the next generations are smarter than ours and will remedy this sorry state of affairs!
Tom Motherway
State of the Union Preview
Certainly not a theme song for the Tea Parties!