If we are not frightened by what is going on around us in the Federal Government, we've stuck our heads so far down into the sand that ostriches have nothing on us. In fact, we may have chosen to stick our heads in quick sand! It doesn't appear that the Obama administration is going to stop the reckless spending, the intrusion into private industry or the usurpation of states' rights. There is the problem that Congress is not reading bills before they are passed. There is the problem of smokescreens that blunt the press' reportage of the country in favor of the spectacle.
Christine Romer was just interviewed on television. This MIT Ph.d and former Berkley professor is part of the Obama economic team. Here's the skinny right from the horse's mouth concerning the effectiveness the Stimulus package. It is the same stimulus package that had to be passed immediately without time for Congress to read it and without time to separate the wheat from the chaff.
1. Only 4% of the money has thus far been dispersed.
2. By the end of the year, only 23% will have been dispersed.
3. Despite campaign promises (though she admits the Obama campaign had no “crystal ball”), unemployment, today at 9.5% is quickly approaching double digits. It is at its highest level in 26 years. (I note that double digit unemployment is endemic in socialist France and Spain)
4. Despite campaign promises, there is no predicted “end” to the recession. There is hope it will moderate by the end of this year—or next year. (Or….)
In other words, even the Administration cannot conceal the abysmal failure of the Stimulus package that has slam dunked this country and its future generations into a money pit of debt. But we, the people, are not hearing or reading of this in the news outlets. We are, except for those who search for news, being kept in a stupored ignorant state,
Yesterday CNN, reporting on California's tragic budget crisis giving rise to the issuance of IOUs to workers—an interesting turn as I assume no mortgage companies, grocery stores, gas stations, etc. will accept those IOUs in lieu of payment—stated that most troubled state governments are using the stimulus money to close budget gaps. That means paying their own bills! How in the world will that use stimulate the economy? The simple and obvious answer is that it will not. In reading the scenario, however, one can readily see how, despite the massive debt we are building to countries like China, our problems will only worsen. When the aforementioned companies, stores and gas stations do not accept IOUs, how will they pay their employees or restock their shelves or refill their tanks? And so the snowball rolls.
While I'm on the subject of CNN, this morning their “money girl” sat with Kiran Chetry and explained how money “experts” are “sifting through the numbers” looking for signs of economic improvement. That’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. But when the “experts” find one sign, that's what they report, and it makes poll numbers change on the populace's long-term outlook. These days the polls have slightly increased in the belief that things are looking a touch better. I think of that old adage, “Figures never lie but liars figure.” I also pray that offering HOPE will be an acceptable way to pay one's bills. (Does one say, "I HOPE to pay"?)
With the untimely deaths of Michael Jackson and Farah Fawcett grabbing the headlines so many of the country did not realize the House barely passed the Cap and Trade bill, a bill that will severely impact on our way of life. Now it goes to the Senate where it hopefully will be stopped. Nevertheless, one piece of the bill keeps hitting the news—Fox News—that is. When a homeowner wants to sell his home, the house must first be inspected and the seller must upgrade to fulfill any energy requirements the Federal government has instituted. Who decides on these requirements? Who does the inspections for the government? How does one factor in the cost of the improvements to the selling price of the house? None of these issues are addressed in any but the most general way, but they will impact every single seller in this country in a major and very specific way. Think about it.
I called Congressman John Hall's office twice before the vote on the Cap and Trade. I left a message at his NY office, and spoke to someone in the DC office. When I said that there was no way the Congressman could have read the 300+ page Waxman amendment submitted at 3AM that morning and therefore how could the Congressman vote intelligently on the final legislation, the answer I received was, “Good question.” No kidding. John Hall, by the way, voted for the bill. Why? Good question. I hope the Democratic party gave him a reward treat—perhaps a doggie biscuit for doing well in obedience school.
I guess I will continue banging my head against the wall by contacting my two Senators—don't laugh—Schumer and Gillibrand—asking them to consider us, their constituents, first. I do believe EVERYONE SHOULD CONTACT SENATORS to let them know how awful it will be to bury what’s left of the country in Chinese debt and to send what's left of our business to countries who do it for less. Meanwhile, it's interesting that Obama is against any trade restrictions. All of a sudden he is a free market dude. He'll create jobs, all right. Only they won't be in America.
Christine Romer was just interviewed on television. This MIT Ph.d and former Berkley professor is part of the Obama economic team. Here's the skinny right from the horse's mouth concerning the effectiveness the Stimulus package. It is the same stimulus package that had to be passed immediately without time for Congress to read it and without time to separate the wheat from the chaff.
1. Only 4% of the money has thus far been dispersed.
2. By the end of the year, only 23% will have been dispersed.
3. Despite campaign promises (though she admits the Obama campaign had no “crystal ball”), unemployment, today at 9.5% is quickly approaching double digits. It is at its highest level in 26 years. (I note that double digit unemployment is endemic in socialist France and Spain)
4. Despite campaign promises, there is no predicted “end” to the recession. There is hope it will moderate by the end of this year—or next year. (Or….)
In other words, even the Administration cannot conceal the abysmal failure of the Stimulus package that has slam dunked this country and its future generations into a money pit of debt. But we, the people, are not hearing or reading of this in the news outlets. We are, except for those who search for news, being kept in a stupored ignorant state,
Yesterday CNN, reporting on California's tragic budget crisis giving rise to the issuance of IOUs to workers—an interesting turn as I assume no mortgage companies, grocery stores, gas stations, etc. will accept those IOUs in lieu of payment—stated that most troubled state governments are using the stimulus money to close budget gaps. That means paying their own bills! How in the world will that use stimulate the economy? The simple and obvious answer is that it will not. In reading the scenario, however, one can readily see how, despite the massive debt we are building to countries like China, our problems will only worsen. When the aforementioned companies, stores and gas stations do not accept IOUs, how will they pay their employees or restock their shelves or refill their tanks? And so the snowball rolls.
While I'm on the subject of CNN, this morning their “money girl” sat with Kiran Chetry and explained how money “experts” are “sifting through the numbers” looking for signs of economic improvement. That’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. But when the “experts” find one sign, that's what they report, and it makes poll numbers change on the populace's long-term outlook. These days the polls have slightly increased in the belief that things are looking a touch better. I think of that old adage, “Figures never lie but liars figure.” I also pray that offering HOPE will be an acceptable way to pay one's bills. (Does one say, "I HOPE to pay"?)
With the untimely deaths of Michael Jackson and Farah Fawcett grabbing the headlines so many of the country did not realize the House barely passed the Cap and Trade bill, a bill that will severely impact on our way of life. Now it goes to the Senate where it hopefully will be stopped. Nevertheless, one piece of the bill keeps hitting the news—Fox News—that is. When a homeowner wants to sell his home, the house must first be inspected and the seller must upgrade to fulfill any energy requirements the Federal government has instituted. Who decides on these requirements? Who does the inspections for the government? How does one factor in the cost of the improvements to the selling price of the house? None of these issues are addressed in any but the most general way, but they will impact every single seller in this country in a major and very specific way. Think about it.
I called Congressman John Hall's office twice before the vote on the Cap and Trade. I left a message at his NY office, and spoke to someone in the DC office. When I said that there was no way the Congressman could have read the 300+ page Waxman amendment submitted at 3AM that morning and therefore how could the Congressman vote intelligently on the final legislation, the answer I received was, “Good question.” No kidding. John Hall, by the way, voted for the bill. Why? Good question. I hope the Democratic party gave him a reward treat—perhaps a doggie biscuit for doing well in obedience school.
I guess I will continue banging my head against the wall by contacting my two Senators—don't laugh—Schumer and Gillibrand—asking them to consider us, their constituents, first. I do believe EVERYONE SHOULD CONTACT SENATORS to let them know how awful it will be to bury what’s left of the country in Chinese debt and to send what's left of our business to countries who do it for less. Meanwhile, it's interesting that Obama is against any trade restrictions. All of a sudden he is a free market dude. He'll create jobs, all right. Only they won't be in America.
Technorati Tags:
politics opinion Obama energy Cap and Trade stimulus economics California government tax "Christine Romer" CNN "Kiran Chetry" "John Hall" Congress Senate "New York" Gillibrand Schumer China jobs MIT Berkley
5 comments:
Assemblyman Greg Ball (R, C, I - Patterson) urged members of the House of Representatives to vote "no" on the American Clean Energy and Security Act, a national energy tax, which many independent experts are calling the largest tax increase in American history.
“Reducing our carbon footprint is one of the most pressing issues facing us as elected officials,” Ball said. “Sustainable conservation should be based on incentives, and not a national energy tax based on government mandates. People need to urge our Congressman to vote against Waxman-Markey. This will devastate American families and the Hudson Valley economy. The Hudson Valley would be one of the hardest hit areas by this legislation, which could cause over 46,000 job losses within the 19th Congressional District, and a $1.4 billion dollar loss per year in our gross state product.”
The figures cited by Ball (Table 1, WM 2504: "How the Waxman-Markey Climate Change Bill Would Affect the States, by Congressional District", Heritage Foundation) have raised similar ire throughout the country from Democrats and Republicans, many of whom point to the far-reaching implications of the tax bill, which would even replace local building codes with new federal ones.
Ball says he favors an approach based on less government intervention, and that would favor alternative energies such as hydro power, clean coal, wind, solar and geothermal energies, as well as the expansion of zero free emissions nuclear energy, and highlighted his state legislation to eliminate taxes on alternative energy sources (A4731/S3150), create green-collar jobs (A8359), and establish a state energy planning board to create a state energy plan and process for the siting of electric generating facilities (A7250).
“I would hope that our representative from the 19th congressional district would have the the common sense, to vote 'no' on this job-killing bill, which amounts to the largest tax increase in U.S. history,” Ball concluded.
Assemblyman Greg Ball (R, C, I – Patterson), a candidate for the House of Representatives in New York’s 19th congressional district, sent an automated message to residents of Dutchess and Putnam Counties yesterday, lambasting Congress for passing the Waxman-Markey ‘Cap and Tax’ bill (H.R. 2454), which he calls the “largest job killing bill ever.”
“Albany is a disaster, and in Washington, our own Congressman was one of the deciding votes for cap and trade, a national energy tax that will cost your family sixteen hundred dollars,” a Ball voiceover says during the call. “Have you had enough?”
The American Clean Energy and Security Act, otherwise know as ‘Cap and Trade’ or ‘Cap and Tax’ is major comprehensive energy legislation that many economists expect to cost tens of thousands of jobs in New York State. While some have launched misleading statements the bill would create jobs, even liberal economist Paul Krugman, a strong proponent of the bill, conceded to NPR yesterday that at best “employment would be as it would have been otherwise.”
Ball’s prospective 2010 opponent cast a deciding vote for the measure, which he calls “the largest tax hike in American history” and says would dramatically raise energy prices while New York is in the depths of an economic recession.
The calls, which reached over 40,000 households in the Hudson Valley, invite recipients to the July 6th Tax Day Tea Party at Dutchess Stadium, where Ball is slated to be a guest-speaker. The April Tax Day Tea Party at Dutchess Stadium drew over 4,000 angry taxpayers and was the 25th largest in the nation.
Obama is a dangerous, radical Communist who must be stopped. Obviously, as you so astutely point out, Congress is not even reading what they are passing. The far left wing politicians are doing whatever they want and the Conservatives, Republicans and moderate Democrats are not doing enough to stop this madness. I truly can see a revolution taking place in our country to bring some sanity back to the government.
Everything Obama said was a big lie to get people to vote for him, but that is what he was taught to do in Chicago and as a student of Saul Alinsky. The stimulus package was a way to get special projects to the politicians who would vote for it if they received what they wanted. The bailouts are a way to control the people through "big government", something that we absolutely do not need. Stay out of our lives! The government is necessary, to protect us through the military (which Obama seems interested in destroying) and it is necessary to raise some taxes to pay for things like roads, education, police, fire departments, etc. We do not need pork. We do not need money being funneled into communities to build tunnels for frogs (yes, that is part of the stimulus package) or to fix bridges that are scheduled to be torn down in a few years.
You want to stimulate the economy? Create jobs, but not in the public section as much as in the private sector. We do not need more government jobs! Accd. to statistics, only government jobs have increased while every other area has lost jobs. Lower taxes, give breaks to companies that hire people, do something about the illegal immigration problems, lower taxes on all Americans and keep all welfare at a minimum. Giving people money does nothing to solve the long term problem!
I read all about Obama BEFORE the election. Nothing that he is doing is surprising me in the least. He is the most inexperienced, most radical president that we ever had. He wants to change our country... into a Communist nation. He wants everybody to need him so he is portraying himself and his government as being the only answer. He has a plan and we must all be very scared of what he plans to do to our great nation.
Here we are a few days later and VP Biden is announcing the mistakes the Obama administration has made in assessing the economic condition.
Obama, of course, denies the mistakes, and now he is talking about a "slow" recovery as the sensible way to go. Yeah? Tell that to the guy or gal trying to find a job.
Frank is right. Obama said all of this during the campaign. That is the one place where there was transparency.
Post a Comment