Before we get into the meat of this rant let me answer a question that probably each of you has: what is that fool doing up blogging at this hour (1:30 a.m. EST)? The short answer is insomnia. So its really not anything to worry about but a time of day when everyone except me is sleeping and I feel like expressing myself.
Back to the topic above. I am not going to give you an Amazing Kreskin prognostication but just an opinion of what I think will happen next year and why.
In the past couple of weeks there have been a number of politicians on the national scene that are giving me the distinct impression that they finally get it. They understand the root to our national financial crisis and what it is going to take to fix it. Granted these are the Republican version of today's maggot politician so they theoretically had a shorter distance to get there but, considering the way the GOP has been acting in the past 6 years, their epiphany is significant. As with most addicts the baseline for recovery is the self awareness of your problem. Just because they are addicted to spending it is nonetheless an addition. The most encouraging thing is that many of these same politicians are in leadership in the new congress and will be in a position to effect a change. Granted they will be going against a Democratically controlled Senate and Executive branch. So as I see it they worst case will be gridlock and the best case might mean that we can get some meaningful progress toward that long range goal of fiscal responsibility.
One of the big questions in the mix for 2011 is what will Obama do after the butt-whipping he and his fellow Democrats took in November? All of the pundits and his sycophants in the mainstream media expect him to move to the center in anticipation of his run for re-election in 2012. That would be the smart thing to do. The problem is that I just don't think he has it in him! He is the most liberal president we have ever had and it's hard to change that. Already he is taking steps to implement his agenda by executive order and bureaucratic regulation where it is obvious that he will not get it done legislatively. That might have worked 20 years ago before the 24 hour news cycle but not now. Bloggers and "alternative" news organizations will report this information and the mainstream press will be forced to as well. Otherwise they face the real prospects of losing what legitimacy they still have. So the long and short of it is that I believe the American electorate was fooled in 2008 but will send Obama home after one term.
On the opposite side of the table I expect a strong candidate for 2012 to emerge for the Republican nomination. One I really like is Senator Tom Coburn from Oklahoma. He just won re-election and has self-imposed a limit of two terms in office. He has been one of the leading voices over the years in sounding the alarms about our looming fiscal crisis. There are a couple of others like Mike Huckabee that may be attractive as populists candidates but I question their commitment to making the hard choices that will need to be made when dealing with the reforms of Social Security and Medicare. It is a sure thing that Obama will never touch those programs so it is crucial to elect someone in 2012 that can make the tough, unpopular decisions needed to reduce our spending. Someone has to be the adult in this national family and I pray such a candidate steps forward.
I am hoping that we start putting some people back to work in this country. It is appalling the number of able-bodied young people I see every day that are not working. Most of these are men that choose to stay home while they send their wives out to make a living. Or at least try. They rationalize it by saving on daycare costs by him taking care of the kids, which really means he is taking them to Grandma to take care of while he drinks or cheats on his wife. Meanwhile he draws unemployment on some job he got fired from two years ago. In many cases there is not a marriage but just a shack-up situation which allows for the multitude of government programs kicking in "for the children". It is past time for these "boys" to become men and get out there and get a job! If that means stopping unemployment benefits after 26 weeks, which was the limit for many years, then so be it! If it means throwing their sorry asses in jail for non-payment of child support that's okay too. Whatever will make taking responsibility for your actions, or inactions, the more attractive route I am in favor of it. Government programs are rewarding bad behavior and it's time to put an end to it! In our new austerity the federal funds backing these local and state programs will not be available and the states will need to cut these as well.
A final topic for this blog entry is health care reform. As we all know Obama's signature piece of legislation was passed and now we are reaping it's benefit. It is becoming increasingly apparent that it is going to cost much more than we were told and that many things in the bill are just now coming to light. While it is unlikely that Obama would every sign a bill to repeal what was passed it is crucial that all of the incremental program implementations going forward be fought aggressively at every chance. With Republicans being in charge of the House and that being where all budgetary funding begins they can refuse to fund these new programs in their appropriations bills. Of course the Senate and/or the President can disagree and nothing gets done. Gridlock! I anticipate at least one government shutdown due to budgetary disagreements in 2011. Great! I believe the Dems and the President will blink for the sake of their sacred government operations. They will trot out every senior citizen and unwed mother they can find to tell the woes brought down on them by those evil Republicans. The key factor is whether this new group taking over the House on Wednesday can take the heat.
These are just a few things I have been thinking about. I am on vacation for the next week so don't be surprised to see some more.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
And the Winner is?
In this day of competitive sports and politics it seems that the most important thing to anyone is winning. My beloved Longhorns have one losing season since 1997 and somebody has to get fired. Losing is not tolerated! A coach is only as good as his last game and if he has a few bad games those record good years are quickly forgotten and out he goes. I wonder how many of us could stand up to the same level of scrutiny in our own professions?
Politics is much the same. The last two election cycles are a perfect example of this. In 2008 the sentiment of the country was to throw the bums out, the bums being the Republicans. The Democrats were handed comfortable majorities in both houses of congress and the "Messiah" was elected as president. The Democrats immediately began working their magic giving us Obama Care, Stimulus I, and other wonderful programs. So we got mad and threw those bums out, this time being the Democrats. Seems a little schizophrenic, doesn't it?
This brings us to the present day. A lame duck Congress is like a pen of hogs trying to suck down that last drop of slop before they are taken to the slaughter house. They know this is their last opportunity and they are trying to play it for all it's worth. The mandate of the last election is being ignored by both parties and, like the New Year's dieter, they are going to binge between now and the end of the year and get "serious" on January 5th when the 112th Congress takes over. Both houses past the extension of the Bush tax cuts for two years, and extension of unemployment benefits to almost 3 years, and a reduction of the Social Security taxes for a year. They also want to pass much more liberal legislation between now and the end of the year at a cost only God can envision.
They just don't get it! This country is BROKE!!!!! We do not have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem. They all think we can spend our way out of this problem. Tax breaks for everything under the sun may stimulate economic growth but unless you couple that with significant cuts in government spending we will never balance the budget or reduce the debt. The way they want to deal with it is to do what is politically expedient and popular rather than what is fiscally sane. The Democrats want to make everybody happy with government spending while the Republicans favor tax cuts. Both are wrong and criminally negligent of their responsibilities. It's time they and we grow up and cut up the credit card! Time to face the music and begin the process of reducing the national debt. Adding $1.5 trillion to it each year is definitely not the answer.
And, of course, I can help. All spending needs to be put on the table for cuts, no exceptions. It's time we quit subsidizing the defense of the world through our treasury. The reason why we are the only military superpower is because the rest of the world refuses to pay for it. It's like we are in a drinking contest with a teetotaler. We are the only ones paying or playing. The purpose of the U.S. military should be to defend the U.S. While we are flitting around butting into every backyard squabble around the world our country is leaving its flanks open with its porous borders. A re-focus of priorities is past due and a minimum of a 25% reduction in defense spending is in order.
Secondly, entitlements need to be reviewed, reduced and eliminated where possible. We are rapidly becoming a country where the majority of our citizens are not invested in their government. They pay no income tax and, in many cases, get most of their Social Security taxes back in the form of earned income tax credits. We are now going to pay people not to work for up to 3 years. These folks are making no contribution, just sucking the resources from an empty bucket. As these non productive people gain more influence by shear numbers they have no problem in taking the fruits of the producers to continue to pay for their benefits.
Speaking of entitlements, the Holy Grail, Social Security, needs to be revamped. There is no argument that the system is more generous than we can afford and that benefits need to be reduced, eligibility reviewed and, God forbid, taxes increased. The entire program has been distorted, including people it was never intended to, and there is no way to pay for it going forward.
So the Republicans take over in House in January and decrease the majority in the Senate. Obama is scrambling for his political life and barring a massive case of amnesia we will vote his tired butt out in 2012. Realistically we are looking at gridlock for the next two years with a lot of finger pointing going on for the next election. I prefer gridlock to the misguided actions of the past two years. I'm not sure either party has the will to do what is right but the Republicans are saying the right things. Only time will tell.
So maybe we can come up with a new definition of winning, politically speaking. A win should be leaving the country in better shape than you found it. Improving the fiscal condition of our country should be the number one priority. With this in mind why do we keep giving the keys to the vault to this bunch of losers?
Politics is much the same. The last two election cycles are a perfect example of this. In 2008 the sentiment of the country was to throw the bums out, the bums being the Republicans. The Democrats were handed comfortable majorities in both houses of congress and the "Messiah" was elected as president. The Democrats immediately began working their magic giving us Obama Care, Stimulus I, and other wonderful programs. So we got mad and threw those bums out, this time being the Democrats. Seems a little schizophrenic, doesn't it?
This brings us to the present day. A lame duck Congress is like a pen of hogs trying to suck down that last drop of slop before they are taken to the slaughter house. They know this is their last opportunity and they are trying to play it for all it's worth. The mandate of the last election is being ignored by both parties and, like the New Year's dieter, they are going to binge between now and the end of the year and get "serious" on January 5th when the 112th Congress takes over. Both houses past the extension of the Bush tax cuts for two years, and extension of unemployment benefits to almost 3 years, and a reduction of the Social Security taxes for a year. They also want to pass much more liberal legislation between now and the end of the year at a cost only God can envision.
They just don't get it! This country is BROKE!!!!! We do not have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem. They all think we can spend our way out of this problem. Tax breaks for everything under the sun may stimulate economic growth but unless you couple that with significant cuts in government spending we will never balance the budget or reduce the debt. The way they want to deal with it is to do what is politically expedient and popular rather than what is fiscally sane. The Democrats want to make everybody happy with government spending while the Republicans favor tax cuts. Both are wrong and criminally negligent of their responsibilities. It's time they and we grow up and cut up the credit card! Time to face the music and begin the process of reducing the national debt. Adding $1.5 trillion to it each year is definitely not the answer.
And, of course, I can help. All spending needs to be put on the table for cuts, no exceptions. It's time we quit subsidizing the defense of the world through our treasury. The reason why we are the only military superpower is because the rest of the world refuses to pay for it. It's like we are in a drinking contest with a teetotaler. We are the only ones paying or playing. The purpose of the U.S. military should be to defend the U.S. While we are flitting around butting into every backyard squabble around the world our country is leaving its flanks open with its porous borders. A re-focus of priorities is past due and a minimum of a 25% reduction in defense spending is in order.
Secondly, entitlements need to be reviewed, reduced and eliminated where possible. We are rapidly becoming a country where the majority of our citizens are not invested in their government. They pay no income tax and, in many cases, get most of their Social Security taxes back in the form of earned income tax credits. We are now going to pay people not to work for up to 3 years. These folks are making no contribution, just sucking the resources from an empty bucket. As these non productive people gain more influence by shear numbers they have no problem in taking the fruits of the producers to continue to pay for their benefits.
Speaking of entitlements, the Holy Grail, Social Security, needs to be revamped. There is no argument that the system is more generous than we can afford and that benefits need to be reduced, eligibility reviewed and, God forbid, taxes increased. The entire program has been distorted, including people it was never intended to, and there is no way to pay for it going forward.
So the Republicans take over in House in January and decrease the majority in the Senate. Obama is scrambling for his political life and barring a massive case of amnesia we will vote his tired butt out in 2012. Realistically we are looking at gridlock for the next two years with a lot of finger pointing going on for the next election. I prefer gridlock to the misguided actions of the past two years. I'm not sure either party has the will to do what is right but the Republicans are saying the right things. Only time will tell.
So maybe we can come up with a new definition of winning, politically speaking. A win should be leaving the country in better shape than you found it. Improving the fiscal condition of our country should be the number one priority. With this in mind why do we keep giving the keys to the vault to this bunch of losers?
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Bizarro World
I must say that it has been interesting watching the last minute maneuvering of the Democrats and their willing accomplices in the mainstream media. Just when you think they will not stoop any lower they come up with stuff that was not only irrelevant but mean-spirited and personal. Take the revelation about Christine O'Donnell (a darling of the media) and her celibate one-night stand many years ago. By the way they promoted it you would have thought she had given old Abe Lincoln a lap dance yesterday at the Lincoln Memorial! Like Sarah Palin, the Dems and the media have been attempting to destroy her with varying results. I would die laughing if she pulls out the election.
Then there is Florida (it must be something in the water!) How bizarre is it that the Democrats are trying to get the nominee of their party, a black liberal no less, to drop out of the race so that a Republican turncoat could win over a conservative Hispanic Republican candidate? It's not that they really want Crist, the current Governor, but that they really don't want Rubio. Apparently it's okay for Democrats to put their boots on the necks of minority candidates as long as it is to retain power for them. Can you imagine the uproar if the Republicans tried that?
Amazingly the more of these shenanigans they try to pull the more determined the opposition gets.
And last, but certainly not least, it is the attack by liberal watch groups on Fox News Channel and anyone that might dare appear on one of their programs. Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg's disgraceful behavior in recent weeks in regard to Bill O'Reilly and Sharon Angle as well as the NPR debacle with Juan Williams (see previous blog entry) has only served to damage the credibility of each of them and increased Fox News viewership significantly. Fox and Friends each morning is truly a treat!
Two years ago I could not understand how America could elect the likes of Barack Obama to the presidency. If you read my blogs I predicted our current mess and screamed warnings at anyone who would listen. Thankfully the sleeping giant is awakening. I believe the Dems have a butt-kicking of biblical proportions coming their way. But this is only a start. That giant needs to stay awake and make sure Mr. O spends January 21, 2013 in some smoke-filled room in Chicago and not in the White House. America is much more conservative than most people think and it is time to elect representatives to government that reflect that perspective. The future of our country depends on solving the current and long term fiscal crisis we face and it will take a 180 degree turn in government to get there.
If you didn't vote early
VOTE TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2ND!!!!!!!!!!!
Then there is Florida (it must be something in the water!) How bizarre is it that the Democrats are trying to get the nominee of their party, a black liberal no less, to drop out of the race so that a Republican turncoat could win over a conservative Hispanic Republican candidate? It's not that they really want Crist, the current Governor, but that they really don't want Rubio. Apparently it's okay for Democrats to put their boots on the necks of minority candidates as long as it is to retain power for them. Can you imagine the uproar if the Republicans tried that?
Amazingly the more of these shenanigans they try to pull the more determined the opposition gets.
And last, but certainly not least, it is the attack by liberal watch groups on Fox News Channel and anyone that might dare appear on one of their programs. Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg's disgraceful behavior in recent weeks in regard to Bill O'Reilly and Sharon Angle as well as the NPR debacle with Juan Williams (see previous blog entry) has only served to damage the credibility of each of them and increased Fox News viewership significantly. Fox and Friends each morning is truly a treat!
Two years ago I could not understand how America could elect the likes of Barack Obama to the presidency. If you read my blogs I predicted our current mess and screamed warnings at anyone who would listen. Thankfully the sleeping giant is awakening. I believe the Dems have a butt-kicking of biblical proportions coming their way. But this is only a start. That giant needs to stay awake and make sure Mr. O spends January 21, 2013 in some smoke-filled room in Chicago and not in the White House. America is much more conservative than most people think and it is time to elect representatives to government that reflect that perspective. The future of our country depends on solving the current and long term fiscal crisis we face and it will take a 180 degree turn in government to get there.
If you didn't vote early
VOTE TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2ND!!!!!!!!!!!
Friday, October 22, 2010
Eating Their Young.......
Political discourse in this country took it in the shorts this week as National Public Radio, that protector of free speech that we taxpayer shell out millions on every year, decided that right did not extend to their employees, especially those who have the audacity to cross over to the dark side that is the Fox News Channel. For those that do not watch the Fox News Channel Juan Williams, one of the token liberals that grace the discussion panels on various news programs, was fired for expressing his opinion. He had the audacity to say on The O'Reilly Factor that when he sees someone dressed in Muslin garb on a plane that he gets nervous. Imagine that! Of course Fox, seizing upon a great opportunity, defended Williams and gave him a contract extension for $2 million. I love this country!
For those who are not familiar with Brother Juan he serves as a panelist on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace. I very seldom miss the program and find that I rarely agree with Williams on anything. First he is a lackey for the Obama administration (of course). This brings with it so many Anti-American principles that I would run out of hard drive space enumerating them. Second, like other liberal journalists, he has very little tolerance for the opinions of the other panelists, such as Brit Hume and Bill Crystal. Ironic huh? It is really enjoyable watching those two pack up on him but he generally does a good job of defending his misguided opinions.
So why did they fire him? As I see it it is a combination of political correctness and desperation on the part of the liberal establishment. In case you have been under a rock for the last few months there has been a backlash against this wonderful Obama administration and the things they are trying to do to us as a country. This will culminate on November 2nd with a resounding message and probably two years of stalemate until Obama is sent back to Chicago. Since the mainstream media has been in the bag for him forever they are a reflection of the Democrats desperation. Top that with the apparent fact that we cannot say that terrorists are Muslims his comments created the perfect storm and he is out and he is mad about it. Yesterday he was the headline on every program on the Fox News Channel. He appeared on several of them defending himself. That's more backbone than I thought he had!
Juan will, or has, come out of this well. I cannot imagine that NPR was paying him what Fox is now. The more important issue is whether this is a foretelling of where our freedom to express our opinions is going. Will your opinions cost you your job because it doesn't conform to what our government masters tell us it should be? This freedom has been eroded over the past twenty years and it is going to be incumbent upon the people, not sheeple, to take it back. We are making strides but I hope the enthusiasm being displayed now doesn't die away November 3rd. I cherish the fact that I can sit here at 3:30 am and express my opinion to whoever wants to read it. Many men and women have fought and died for this right and I do not take their sacrifices lightly.
For those who are not familiar with Brother Juan he serves as a panelist on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace. I very seldom miss the program and find that I rarely agree with Williams on anything. First he is a lackey for the Obama administration (of course). This brings with it so many Anti-American principles that I would run out of hard drive space enumerating them. Second, like other liberal journalists, he has very little tolerance for the opinions of the other panelists, such as Brit Hume and Bill Crystal. Ironic huh? It is really enjoyable watching those two pack up on him but he generally does a good job of defending his misguided opinions.
So why did they fire him? As I see it it is a combination of political correctness and desperation on the part of the liberal establishment. In case you have been under a rock for the last few months there has been a backlash against this wonderful Obama administration and the things they are trying to do to us as a country. This will culminate on November 2nd with a resounding message and probably two years of stalemate until Obama is sent back to Chicago. Since the mainstream media has been in the bag for him forever they are a reflection of the Democrats desperation. Top that with the apparent fact that we cannot say that terrorists are Muslims his comments created the perfect storm and he is out and he is mad about it. Yesterday he was the headline on every program on the Fox News Channel. He appeared on several of them defending himself. That's more backbone than I thought he had!
Juan will, or has, come out of this well. I cannot imagine that NPR was paying him what Fox is now. The more important issue is whether this is a foretelling of where our freedom to express our opinions is going. Will your opinions cost you your job because it doesn't conform to what our government masters tell us it should be? This freedom has been eroded over the past twenty years and it is going to be incumbent upon the people, not sheeple, to take it back. We are making strides but I hope the enthusiasm being displayed now doesn't die away November 3rd. I cherish the fact that I can sit here at 3:30 am and express my opinion to whoever wants to read it. Many men and women have fought and died for this right and I do not take their sacrifices lightly.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
The Narcissist-In-Chief
It's been quite a while since I have had a good rant about Barry Obama so I guess I need to get it out of my system.
Back in the day it was considered unseemly or impolite to constantly be drawing attention to oneself. Men were to be modest, accept praise reluctantly, and work harder to support yourself and family. Braggarts were disdained and ridiculed behind their backs. Confident men let their actions speak for themselves and confidently let others by example. I am around such men everyday and have a never ending respect for how they lived their lives, raised their families and set examples for us.
Unfortunately these men are dying away and taking with them these wonderful values. What is being left to rule the world and lead our future generations is a bunch of girly men that are being raised in families where the father is either ambivalent or absent, leaving the only people to imprint upon is women. These mothers, try as they might, cannot be a father and the boy grows up confused and insecure in his role as a father and a man.
Okay, before you women drag me back into my cave, let me say that this is a generalization and I am sure we can all come up with examples of men that have succeeded from such an environment. Life is what life is and we do the best when it hands us a bunch of lemons. But when you look and the national divorce rate being over 50% and single parent households being the rule rather than the exception you can see that men have been relegated to a means of financial support only in the future of our nation.
Such is the world our president came from. It is not his fault that his mother made some rather poor choices and that "Good Time Barack Sr." wasn't "down for the struggle" of parenthood. He was carted all over the world never having a clear picture of himself or clear guidance in his development as a man. He grew up a bright boy but very impressionable and people kept telling him how wonderful he was so he began to believe it. His teleprompter skills developed and everyone marveled at his oratory prowess. So what evolved was a shell of a man with a very slick exterior and a hollowness inside.
Have you noticed how many times over the past year and a half he has felt compelled to weigh in on subjects that he really shouldn't be commenting on? He is like the kid in the class that will do anything to get noticed because it is from that recognition that he derives his self worth. So he just can't help himself when the cop at Harvard arrested his friend. He had to not only comment on it inappropriately but further draw attention to himself with the infamous "beer summit". The end result was for him to make light of a situation that he should have left alone. His latest problems with the mosque to be built next to the world trade center site has also resulted in his drawing attention to himself over what is clearly not an debate he needs to enter.
In the final analysis he is a very impressionable man that is being jerked around like a puppet. He has no regard for what he is doing to this country because the important thing to him is making Barry and his friends happy. With some luck his wings will be clipped in November and he can be retired two years later. Then maybe our country will survive.
Back in the day it was considered unseemly or impolite to constantly be drawing attention to oneself. Men were to be modest, accept praise reluctantly, and work harder to support yourself and family. Braggarts were disdained and ridiculed behind their backs. Confident men let their actions speak for themselves and confidently let others by example. I am around such men everyday and have a never ending respect for how they lived their lives, raised their families and set examples for us.
Unfortunately these men are dying away and taking with them these wonderful values. What is being left to rule the world and lead our future generations is a bunch of girly men that are being raised in families where the father is either ambivalent or absent, leaving the only people to imprint upon is women. These mothers, try as they might, cannot be a father and the boy grows up confused and insecure in his role as a father and a man.
Okay, before you women drag me back into my cave, let me say that this is a generalization and I am sure we can all come up with examples of men that have succeeded from such an environment. Life is what life is and we do the best when it hands us a bunch of lemons. But when you look and the national divorce rate being over 50% and single parent households being the rule rather than the exception you can see that men have been relegated to a means of financial support only in the future of our nation.
Such is the world our president came from. It is not his fault that his mother made some rather poor choices and that "Good Time Barack Sr." wasn't "down for the struggle" of parenthood. He was carted all over the world never having a clear picture of himself or clear guidance in his development as a man. He grew up a bright boy but very impressionable and people kept telling him how wonderful he was so he began to believe it. His teleprompter skills developed and everyone marveled at his oratory prowess. So what evolved was a shell of a man with a very slick exterior and a hollowness inside.
Have you noticed how many times over the past year and a half he has felt compelled to weigh in on subjects that he really shouldn't be commenting on? He is like the kid in the class that will do anything to get noticed because it is from that recognition that he derives his self worth. So he just can't help himself when the cop at Harvard arrested his friend. He had to not only comment on it inappropriately but further draw attention to himself with the infamous "beer summit". The end result was for him to make light of a situation that he should have left alone. His latest problems with the mosque to be built next to the world trade center site has also resulted in his drawing attention to himself over what is clearly not an debate he needs to enter.
In the final analysis he is a very impressionable man that is being jerked around like a puppet. He has no regard for what he is doing to this country because the important thing to him is making Barry and his friends happy. With some luck his wings will be clipped in November and he can be retired two years later. Then maybe our country will survive.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
A Public Service Announcement
Studies have found that Americans give more to charity than any other country on earth. When an earthquake, hurricane or flood happens you can bet that the American public, as well as our government will open our wallets to help those in need.
Unfortunately there is a never ending list of "charities" that will take advantage of this generosity for their own gain. They claim to represent the interests of law enforcement, soldiers, animals, or children and have effective marketing campaigns that tug on your heart strings. How much of your money goes to the charity's stated purpose? How much goes to fund raising and administrative costs? How much money do they have sitting around, not being spent? How much are they paying their CEO? I want to know these things before I fork over my hard earned bucks.
I have found a couple of resources that will give you this information on most national charities. Charity Navigator.org is a website that gives ratings on charities based on the above criteria. Their rating system is in the star system; 4 stars being the best, one star being the worst. I suggest you go to the website and look up some of the national charities. You may be surprised.
The second resource is the American Institute of Philanthropy (charitywatch.org). This is a subscription service ($30 per year) that gives a rating on many charities using an A to F rating just like we did in school. What makes this service worth the $30 is their Charity Rating Guide and Watchdog Report that is updated and sent out every 4 months. It's a quick reference you can keep by your phone to deal with those phone calls. In about 30 pages it gives the scoop on hundreds of charities.
At the risk of preaching here is a list of suggestions that will help in your charity giving.
1. Charity begins at home. Support your local charities such as churches, food banks, women's shelters, and health care clinics. These are usually run by people you know and are easy to see their effectiveness. Also, administrative costs are generally low and you have an opportunity with these charities to get involved.
2. Never commit to donate over the phone. Almost all of the phone solicitors are paid fundraisers who extract most of what you give to cover their costs. When we get them on the phone Emma breaks out the guide and looks up their rating. All of the ones we did this on were rated "F". When you tell the fundraiser on the phone they are done with you. Time will tell if this gets us off their list.
3. Not all cancer charities are created equal. One of the most prolific types of charities are related to cancer. The American Cancer Society rates a C+ where Susan G. Komen for the Cure rates a B+. Many of the names are similar but their ratings vary widely. Be careful!
4. Decide on your bottom rating level that you will donate to. We generally don't give to charities rated below a B- but make some exceptions occasionally if they are a C or better. For example I have been involved in the Relay for Life sponsored by the American Cancer Society. I raise money for this but their rating is a C+. NEVER GIVE TO AN F!!!!!
We have been blessed as Americans beyond the imagination of most of the rest of the world. It is our responsibility as stewards of this blessing that we help those that really need it; not the fat cat administrators drawing million dollar salaries. Maybe eventually those bogus charities will go away.
Unfortunately there is a never ending list of "charities" that will take advantage of this generosity for their own gain. They claim to represent the interests of law enforcement, soldiers, animals, or children and have effective marketing campaigns that tug on your heart strings. How much of your money goes to the charity's stated purpose? How much goes to fund raising and administrative costs? How much money do they have sitting around, not being spent? How much are they paying their CEO? I want to know these things before I fork over my hard earned bucks.
I have found a couple of resources that will give you this information on most national charities. Charity Navigator.org is a website that gives ratings on charities based on the above criteria. Their rating system is in the star system; 4 stars being the best, one star being the worst. I suggest you go to the website and look up some of the national charities. You may be surprised.
The second resource is the American Institute of Philanthropy (charitywatch.org). This is a subscription service ($30 per year) that gives a rating on many charities using an A to F rating just like we did in school. What makes this service worth the $30 is their Charity Rating Guide and Watchdog Report that is updated and sent out every 4 months. It's a quick reference you can keep by your phone to deal with those phone calls. In about 30 pages it gives the scoop on hundreds of charities.
At the risk of preaching here is a list of suggestions that will help in your charity giving.
1. Charity begins at home. Support your local charities such as churches, food banks, women's shelters, and health care clinics. These are usually run by people you know and are easy to see their effectiveness. Also, administrative costs are generally low and you have an opportunity with these charities to get involved.
2. Never commit to donate over the phone. Almost all of the phone solicitors are paid fundraisers who extract most of what you give to cover their costs. When we get them on the phone Emma breaks out the guide and looks up their rating. All of the ones we did this on were rated "F". When you tell the fundraiser on the phone they are done with you. Time will tell if this gets us off their list.
3. Not all cancer charities are created equal. One of the most prolific types of charities are related to cancer. The American Cancer Society rates a C+ where Susan G. Komen for the Cure rates a B+. Many of the names are similar but their ratings vary widely. Be careful!
4. Decide on your bottom rating level that you will donate to. We generally don't give to charities rated below a B- but make some exceptions occasionally if they are a C or better. For example I have been involved in the Relay for Life sponsored by the American Cancer Society. I raise money for this but their rating is a C+. NEVER GIVE TO AN F!!!!!
We have been blessed as Americans beyond the imagination of most of the rest of the world. It is our responsibility as stewards of this blessing that we help those that really need it; not the fat cat administrators drawing million dollar salaries. Maybe eventually those bogus charities will go away.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Smell the Roses, Please!
A sad thing happened to me last night. Emma and I were on the couch and the doorbell rings. Of course the wiener dog goes into an immediate seizure wanting to attack whatever is making the noise. After we corralled the idiot I answered the door. The guy at the door identified himself as the circulation supervisor for the Austin American Statesman. Here was his sales pitch:
"I am (name) and I am here to offer you a special deal for subscribing to the Statesman. Because our subscriptions are down we are in danger of losing your local carrier. We have a price for a subscription just to cover the cost of delivery. "
At this point I cut him off and told him that I do not read a daily paper and that I was not interested. He thanked me and left, clearly showing me that this was not his first rejection today nor would it be his last. He had that look of defeat that showed he understood something that the people above him didn't: the relevance of the print press has seen it's day. The newspaper industry has been beating a dead business model for 10 years and it's time for someone to get a clue.
I have a soft spot in my heart for newspapers. Correction: I HAD one. My first job was at the age of 12 I had a paper route. I had 100+ customers and was up at 5 a.m. every morning delivering. On rainy days Mom or Dad would take me in the car but otherwise it was on the bike. I remember that a monthly subscription was $1.90 and I had to do all of my own collections. I would show special attention to those customers that I knew would give me that $0.10 tip. I had one lady that really made me work for it! The deal was that I put the paper on the porch each morning. I had a pretty good arm but sometimes I would miss so I would have to get off the bike and put the paper on the porch. I knew that this extra effort would be rewarded with that $0.10 tip at the end of the month. Little did I know at that time how valuable the lessons were. Customer service, collections, work ethic and money management were some great lessons learned from this 3 year experience. This was an opportunity afforded many young men of my time that is not available to kids these days.
Alas, that was almost 50 years ago and things have changed. By the time the newspaper hits the yard(nobody puts it on the porch anymore) there is no "news" in it. Cable news 24/7, internet news groups available at the touch of a finger and radio news stations give you the latest news instantaneously. Most of the print press have online versions with free content and subscription content. The problem is that most news can be found online for free. Nevertheless they stubbornly persist in putting out and environmentally unfriendly print version of stuff that is only good for the bottom of the cat box. And don't get me started on the opinion page! When was the last time you were influenced by who some newspaper editor endorsed for an election? 'Nuff said!
Sadly, economics will dictate the end of print media sooner rather than later. They are not immune to progress anymore than any other industry. Who of us would still be working if we tried to produce the same product in the same manner that we did 20 years ago, or even 5 years ago? Adaptation is the key to survival and those that do not recognize this will be hard pressed to survive.
"I am (name) and I am here to offer you a special deal for subscribing to the Statesman. Because our subscriptions are down we are in danger of losing your local carrier. We have a price for a subscription just to cover the cost of delivery. "
At this point I cut him off and told him that I do not read a daily paper and that I was not interested. He thanked me and left, clearly showing me that this was not his first rejection today nor would it be his last. He had that look of defeat that showed he understood something that the people above him didn't: the relevance of the print press has seen it's day. The newspaper industry has been beating a dead business model for 10 years and it's time for someone to get a clue.
I have a soft spot in my heart for newspapers. Correction: I HAD one. My first job was at the age of 12 I had a paper route. I had 100+ customers and was up at 5 a.m. every morning delivering. On rainy days Mom or Dad would take me in the car but otherwise it was on the bike. I remember that a monthly subscription was $1.90 and I had to do all of my own collections. I would show special attention to those customers that I knew would give me that $0.10 tip. I had one lady that really made me work for it! The deal was that I put the paper on the porch each morning. I had a pretty good arm but sometimes I would miss so I would have to get off the bike and put the paper on the porch. I knew that this extra effort would be rewarded with that $0.10 tip at the end of the month. Little did I know at that time how valuable the lessons were. Customer service, collections, work ethic and money management were some great lessons learned from this 3 year experience. This was an opportunity afforded many young men of my time that is not available to kids these days.
Alas, that was almost 50 years ago and things have changed. By the time the newspaper hits the yard(nobody puts it on the porch anymore) there is no "news" in it. Cable news 24/7, internet news groups available at the touch of a finger and radio news stations give you the latest news instantaneously. Most of the print press have online versions with free content and subscription content. The problem is that most news can be found online for free. Nevertheless they stubbornly persist in putting out and environmentally unfriendly print version of stuff that is only good for the bottom of the cat box. And don't get me started on the opinion page! When was the last time you were influenced by who some newspaper editor endorsed for an election? 'Nuff said!
Sadly, economics will dictate the end of print media sooner rather than later. They are not immune to progress anymore than any other industry. Who of us would still be working if we tried to produce the same product in the same manner that we did 20 years ago, or even 5 years ago? Adaptation is the key to survival and those that do not recognize this will be hard pressed to survive.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
What's That I Smell?
Just when you thought I'd given up in disgust here I am back to torment you with my political rantings. Since I haven't posted at all since April 11th and very infrequently this year it would be impossible to address all of the stuff that has occurred. As the risk of sounding smug I will say I told you so and leave it at that. We can't do much until we neuter Obama's political power and that should be the focus for November. The Democrats need to lose and lose bad! Only a political smack down will stop the bleeding and give us an opportunity to fix some of the damage he and his willing accomplices have dealt us.
Realistically the best we can hope for is to take back control of one or both houses of congress. With this done it is unlikely that anymore of his Socialist agenda will be passed. So then we have two years of government gridlock (Praise the Lord!!) until such time in 2012 that we can rid ourselves of this guy once and for all. We will continue to march toward the health care plan that was passed because any attempt to modify it or repeal it would be vetoed. The wonderful financial reform legislation that just passed will wreak havoc on our economy in ways we don't even know yet. Like the health care bill it was thousands of pages of legislation that nobody bothered to read and is chocked full of surprises! Assuming these are the only things he gets through before next year at least we will be able to get our arms around them in the future.
There is, however, a down side to gridlock. The Bush tax cuts are due to expire on January 1st. At that time the tax rates revert to 2003 levels and amounts to a big increase in taxes. No attempts have been made by this group of chuckleheads to make them permanent so chances are that was their plan all along. This could be the knockout punch that our economy doesn't need now. The Republicans may get legislation passed but Barry will no doubt veto it. So as we approach year end and nothing seems to be going on in regards to taxes it might be the time to recognize those capital gains you are sitting on. The tax difference will be significant.
So what I smell is victory in November followed by more victory in 2012. Hopefully this will be the final repudiation of the "liberal experiment" and we will never be forced to endure another. I know that's hoping for a lot but a boy can dream, can't he?
Realistically the best we can hope for is to take back control of one or both houses of congress. With this done it is unlikely that anymore of his Socialist agenda will be passed. So then we have two years of government gridlock (Praise the Lord!!) until such time in 2012 that we can rid ourselves of this guy once and for all. We will continue to march toward the health care plan that was passed because any attempt to modify it or repeal it would be vetoed. The wonderful financial reform legislation that just passed will wreak havoc on our economy in ways we don't even know yet. Like the health care bill it was thousands of pages of legislation that nobody bothered to read and is chocked full of surprises! Assuming these are the only things he gets through before next year at least we will be able to get our arms around them in the future.
There is, however, a down side to gridlock. The Bush tax cuts are due to expire on January 1st. At that time the tax rates revert to 2003 levels and amounts to a big increase in taxes. No attempts have been made by this group of chuckleheads to make them permanent so chances are that was their plan all along. This could be the knockout punch that our economy doesn't need now. The Republicans may get legislation passed but Barry will no doubt veto it. So as we approach year end and nothing seems to be going on in regards to taxes it might be the time to recognize those capital gains you are sitting on. The tax difference will be significant.
So what I smell is victory in November followed by more victory in 2012. Hopefully this will be the final repudiation of the "liberal experiment" and we will never be forced to endure another. I know that's hoping for a lot but a boy can dream, can't he?
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Fair and Balanced
During my vacation I had the opportunity to watch a lot of the Fox News Channel. We upgraded our cable back in January but haven't really had that much time to get into their programming. However, this past week I started watching some of their regular programs during the night and found it very entertaining. Fox & Friends, O'Reilly Factor, Hannity and Glen Beck speak to the issues that I feel are important. The fact that they have a conservative slant is that much better.
However, I would like to take issue with their slogan, Fair and Balanced. I would interpret that as meaning treating all sides of the issues fairly and reporting all perspectives in a balanced manner. My question is why do they feel it is necessary to be fair and balanced? Why pretend to be something you are not? Unless this is some kind of inside joke a blind dog could see that their programming is from a decidedly conservative perspective. The mainstream media doesn't even bother with balanced reporting so why should Fox give it lip service?
Friday night I was watching the Factor and Laura Ingram was the guest host. An aside, I think she is one of the smartest interviewers and commentators out there. Well, she had Sally Quinn of the Washington Post in a segment and was interviewing her about the Obama playbook on health care, nuclear treaties, the dissing of Israel, etc. Old Sally sounded like she was channeling Robert Gibbs instead of being a member of the Fourth Estate, the vaunted media. She defended him like he was signing her paycheck. Then Laura played a clip of Sarah Palin with one of her catchy little barbs at Obama. OMG did the claws come out! I'll swear that if they had been in the same room we would have had a cat fight for sure. Sally started down the mantra that all the liberals have against Palin and you could see the spittle coming from her lips. Laura straightened her out and just as Sally was revving up again Laura ended the segment with "we are all out of time".
As I said I am really enjoying their programming and want to see more of Sarah Palin on their channel. With Glen Beck and Rush Limbaugh doing their daily bits and Sarah making her jabs I think Obama and his people will be thrown into seizures in the not too distant future.
However, I would like to take issue with their slogan, Fair and Balanced. I would interpret that as meaning treating all sides of the issues fairly and reporting all perspectives in a balanced manner. My question is why do they feel it is necessary to be fair and balanced? Why pretend to be something you are not? Unless this is some kind of inside joke a blind dog could see that their programming is from a decidedly conservative perspective. The mainstream media doesn't even bother with balanced reporting so why should Fox give it lip service?
Friday night I was watching the Factor and Laura Ingram was the guest host. An aside, I think she is one of the smartest interviewers and commentators out there. Well, she had Sally Quinn of the Washington Post in a segment and was interviewing her about the Obama playbook on health care, nuclear treaties, the dissing of Israel, etc. Old Sally sounded like she was channeling Robert Gibbs instead of being a member of the Fourth Estate, the vaunted media. She defended him like he was signing her paycheck. Then Laura played a clip of Sarah Palin with one of her catchy little barbs at Obama. OMG did the claws come out! I'll swear that if they had been in the same room we would have had a cat fight for sure. Sally started down the mantra that all the liberals have against Palin and you could see the spittle coming from her lips. Laura straightened her out and just as Sally was revving up again Laura ended the segment with "we are all out of time".
As I said I am really enjoying their programming and want to see more of Sarah Palin on their channel. With Glen Beck and Rush Limbaugh doing their daily bits and Sarah making her jabs I think Obama and his people will be thrown into seizures in the not too distant future.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
219 Targets - Taking Back Our Country
It took something very significant to get me back to blogging and I would say that the so-called Health Care Reform bill qualifies as such. The creation of another entitlement program may well be the final nail in the coffin of our country.
Overly dramatic? Just consider what has been the history of other entitlement programs implemented by the federal government. Currently programs such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, etc. represent a large percent of our annual budget. Add to that the fact that we currently spend about 40% more than we bring in each year and it apparent to me that the last thing we need is to create another entitlement. The one inescapable fact is that all entitlement programs grow like a cancer. Take Social Security, for example. It was never meant to be the primary source of retirement income. When the program began in 1937 the age to qualify for full benefits was 65. This was several years older that the life expectancy at that time. So the plan was that the average American would draw little if any social security benefits. The reality is that only recently has the full benefit age been raised and is well below the life expectancy today. The end result is that the "trust fund" is full of I.O.U.'s from the federal government and the piper is about to come looking for his payment!
I think most of us have, at one time in our life, been through a period where we have spent more than we bring in. In most cases this occurred in the '90's when it seemed like every day some credit card company was sending you a new card, encouraging us to transfer the balance from an existing card to theirs with an introductory rate. Where we got into trouble is not canceling the old card. We ran it up to the max as well as the one we transferred debt to. Before you knew it had happened you had thousands of dollars in debt and the minimum payments on these cards barely covered the interest. The day of reckoning came and resulted in either bankruptcy or a significant change in lifestyle to pay that debt off. Well, our country is at that day of reckoning now. The problem is that we collectively do not know it! Our politicians, the slimy lot that they are, really only care about their own power. So they are like the indulgent parent, wanting to be friends with their children rather than take the responsibility to do the right thing. And it works! They end up getting re-elected every term, either due to voter apathy or the "what's in it for me" mentality of their constituents.
So, as the title says, we have some opportunities to send a message to Congress. I will be sharing more information about some of the key races that would make a big difference in how business is done in Washington. I will also focus on races that, while maybe not in your district, the candidates could use support to get them in. I want to make those slim buckets rue the day last week when they all jockeyed for position around Pelosi so they could get some "face time". What a bunch of maggots!
Overly dramatic? Just consider what has been the history of other entitlement programs implemented by the federal government. Currently programs such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, etc. represent a large percent of our annual budget. Add to that the fact that we currently spend about 40% more than we bring in each year and it apparent to me that the last thing we need is to create another entitlement. The one inescapable fact is that all entitlement programs grow like a cancer. Take Social Security, for example. It was never meant to be the primary source of retirement income. When the program began in 1937 the age to qualify for full benefits was 65. This was several years older that the life expectancy at that time. So the plan was that the average American would draw little if any social security benefits. The reality is that only recently has the full benefit age been raised and is well below the life expectancy today. The end result is that the "trust fund" is full of I.O.U.'s from the federal government and the piper is about to come looking for his payment!
I think most of us have, at one time in our life, been through a period where we have spent more than we bring in. In most cases this occurred in the '90's when it seemed like every day some credit card company was sending you a new card, encouraging us to transfer the balance from an existing card to theirs with an introductory rate. Where we got into trouble is not canceling the old card. We ran it up to the max as well as the one we transferred debt to. Before you knew it had happened you had thousands of dollars in debt and the minimum payments on these cards barely covered the interest. The day of reckoning came and resulted in either bankruptcy or a significant change in lifestyle to pay that debt off. Well, our country is at that day of reckoning now. The problem is that we collectively do not know it! Our politicians, the slimy lot that they are, really only care about their own power. So they are like the indulgent parent, wanting to be friends with their children rather than take the responsibility to do the right thing. And it works! They end up getting re-elected every term, either due to voter apathy or the "what's in it for me" mentality of their constituents.
So, as the title says, we have some opportunities to send a message to Congress. I will be sharing more information about some of the key races that would make a big difference in how business is done in Washington. I will also focus on races that, while maybe not in your district, the candidates could use support to get them in. I want to make those slim buckets rue the day last week when they all jockeyed for position around Pelosi so they could get some "face time". What a bunch of maggots!
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