Category Archives: Economy

2012 Election, Economy, Organized Labor, Politics

While You Were Out – Open Thread

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In the ‘while you were out’ department, this went on while distracted by the goings on in Libya.

In January, Social Security recipients will get a 3.6% increase for a Cost Of Living Adjustment. But some won’t even notice. That’s because the increase will be eaten up by the increase in their Medicare premiums. Didn’t Obama say that under his plan your premiums would decrease?

And speaking of Obamacare, the CLASS Act was yanked out of it. On Friday afternoon, the Department of Health and Human Services released a report that said there was ‘no viable path forward’ to implementing the CLASS Act, a major — if little-advertised — piece of the administration’s signature Affordable Care Act. The reason it was pulled is that lawmakers could not certify that the Act would be paid for by subscribers. That’s because the number of subscribers they expect to get is nowhere near the figure used to justify it as not only a money-maker, but it was advertised to be contributing a full 40 percent of the funding needed for the Affordable Care Act. The real challenge for the administration is how to play this as no big deal. Especially when President Obama promised the American people that he would not sign the Affordable Care Act if it increased the debt one dime. The good news is, if you believe what President Obama says, he will be making an announcement very soon to ask congress to repeal the whole thing.

Winding down his bus-tour-that-isn’t-a-campaign-fundraising tour, President Obama is having trouble drawing crowds. Especially when his single stop in one city was not open to the public. He had a fundraiser in a union hall in Pennsylvania and couldn’t fill a 100 seat room. And at one of his last stops, touting his son of stimulus bill that he calls a jobs act to a lukewarm reception of  union firefighters, he had to encourage them to applaud. It’s like a human applause sign, and Barack was the sign. Who is it that’s ‘out of touch’ again? Barack Obama has really traveled a long way in the lives of the American people. And I don’t mean how he has put government in control of nearly everything. I mean how three years ago he was in front of huge white Greek columns in a packed stadium during his acceptance speech. Three years later he is trying to fire up a room-full of union members. Unsuccessfully I might add. Sucks to be him.

The Misery Index rose to its highest since 1983. The misery index — which is the sum of the country’s inflation and unemployment rates — rose to 13.0, pushed up by higher price data the government reported on Wednesday. The last time the misery index was at current levels was in 1983. And speaking of price data, have you noticed that whenever the government quotes inflation that they do not include food and energy prices in the mix? For example . . .

While the misery index rose in September, many economists expect some respite in coming months, driven by softer inflation.  Wednesday’s price data showed inflation outside food and energy rose at the slowest pace in six months in September.

So if you throw food and energy out, inflation is no big deal. After all, we don’t need to eat and we don’t need to get anywhere.  So it’s not a problem.  Everything’s looking rosy.

Then there’s the Department of Energy caught covering up records pertaining to Solyndra and SunPower. According to Andrew Stiles, National Review Online: “It appears as though the Obama administration has been caught red-handed trying to cover up evidence in relation to the ‘green’ loans programs that helped finance Solyndra. CNBC reports that a number of press releases posted by the Department of Energy have been retroactively altered to remove the name [of] a solar company thought by many to be the next ‘green’ failure:  The changes occurred in two press releases from the Department of Energy’s loan guarantee program — the same program that has been the center of controversy surrounding the failed solar company Solyndra.  Both were changed to remove the name of a company that has received negative press attention in recent days, SunPower, and replace it with the name of another company, NRG Energy.”

Last but not least, five-term Democratic Rep. Dennis Cardoza of California says he won’t seek re-election next year, blasting what he calls “the increasingly harsh tone in American politics.” Who can argue that Obama’s ‘new tone’ is nothing short of divisive politics at its worst?

2012 Election, Economy, Fair Tax, Media, Pensacola, Politics

Phase 2, The FairTax

If the mainstream media could ignore Herman Cain’s economic plan any more, I can’t imagine how. From the questions asked at the Bloomberg so-called debate about economic plans, you would think that Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 economic plan was just a nine percent tax. When in real life, the 9-9-9- tax plan is the bridge to converting to the FairTax.

We get there in two stages. Phase one is the 9-9-9 taxing structure, which also ends the payroll tax, capital gains tax, the death tax, and the elimination of double taxation of dividends. And by the stroke of a pen, it also eliminates the fear, uncertainty, and doubt caused by our current tax policies and the politicians in Washington. The economic impact is immediate, and sets the stage for the permanent, more stimulative, and more progressive ‘FairTax’ method of funding the government.

That there are two stages is out of necessity. The FairTax requires more time to educate the public of its benefits to them and to the country. It is Phase One that will get us going sooner than later, and in due course it will be replaced by the FairTax.

The FairTax is the best long-term solution to funding the government in a business friendly, pro economic growth, pro job growth environment than anything ever tried in the United States. It is the bold reform that we need.

Update: 10/16/2001

2012 Election, Economy, Energy, Politics, Race Relations

aSide Order

Rev. Al Sharpton tells listeners of the Tom Joyner Morning Show that blacks should hop on to this ‘Occupation Wall Street’ (sic) bandwagon because it is all about redistributing the wealth. Don’t sleep through this revolution, he says.

So if you are a black American, Massa Sharpton says you need to get in line on the ideological plantation. Show up Saturday, 10 a.m. at the Lincoln Memorial and demand a job.

I think their time would be better spent if they went to The White House instead.

Well, the race to The White House is over for Gov. John Huntsman. Did you know as Utah governor he was the chief architect of the Western Climate Initiative, a regional cap-and-trade program? And that he was part of a group that pushed Congress to pass cap-and-trade legislation?

His story now is that ‘economic circumstances have changed so it’s no longer relevant.’

Sorry Gov. Huntsman, what has not changed is your view that climate change is due to man, and that man can change the climate. That necessarily makes you no longer relevant.

This could be the shortest hold-up ever.

2012 Election, Economy, Organized Labor, Politics

Love Affair With The Wall Street Protesters

Democrats in Washington are just aching to attach themselves to the Occupy Everywhere protests. Pelosi is in love with them. Democrats want so badly their version of the Tea Party (which isn’t a real political ‘party’) to help advance their agenda. I wish them luck with that. They are fomenting chaos, enabling and stoking the useful idiots, most of which are anti-capitalists and socialists. Big Labor doesn’t care which way it goes. They’re in the government money laundering scheme no matter what happens to the country.

Oh, now I get it.

Any other political party would distance themselves from these mobs (some of them paid to be there) rather than condone their shameful behavior.

But not these three Democratic leaders:

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Yes, I think people are frustrated and, you know, the protesters are giving voice to a more broad-based frustration about how our financial system works.

The scary thing is that they believe that crap. They are dumb enough to not blame you, Mr. President, for the laws and regulations that mangled our financial system.

REP. NANCY PELOSI, D-CA, HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: God bless them for their spontaneity. It’s — you know, it’s an independent people coming. It’s young, it’s spontaneous, it’s focused, and it’s going to be effective.

This begs the question for former Speaker Pelosi, at what is it going to be effective? In her case, I can see why Nancy Pelosi holds a special bond with the protesters. Neither of them have a clue.

VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: The core is the American people do not think the system is fair or on the level. That is the core of what you’re seeing on Wall Street.

The ‘system’ isn’t fair? Where on earth did they get that idea? The Divider in Cheif? And who thinks it is the job of government to distribute fairness?

Link: Political Influence of ‘Occupy Wall Street’?

2012 Election, Economy, Fair Tax, Media, Politics

Phase 2, The FairTax

If the mainstream media could ignore Herman Cain’s economic plan any more, I can’t imagine how. From the questions asked at the Bloomberg so-called debate about economic plans, you would think that Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 economic plan was just a nine percent tax. When in real life, the 9-9-9- tax plan is the bridge to converting to the FairTax.

We get there in two stages. Phase one is the 9-9-9 taxing structure, which also ends the payroll tax, capital gains tax, the death tax, and the elimination of double taxation of dividends. It also eliminates the fear, uncertainty, and doubt caused by our current tax policies and the politicians in Washington. The economic impact is immediate, and sets the stage for the permanent, more stimulative, and more progressive ‘FairTax’ method of funding the government.

That there are two stages is out of necessity. The FairTax requires more time to educate the public of its benefits to them and to the country. It is Phase One that will get us going sooner than later, and in due course it will be replaced by the FairTax.

The FairTax is the best long-term solution to funding the government in a business friendly environment than anything ever tried in the United States. It is the bold reform that we need.

2012 Election, Economy, Fair Tax, Media, Politics

Debate Falls Short On Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 Plan

There’s no doubt that Herman Cain’s challengers for the Republican nomination want to knock him out of the race ASAP. They want the nomination. There is also no doubt that his challengers, and the media, are not being honest with you about Cain’s 9-9-9 plan.

The demagoguery begins with misrepresentation #1. Adding a sales tax. The truth that they all intentionally miss is that this plan REPLACES (that means ends) the current income tax, payroll tax, capital gains tax, death tax, and the double taxation of dividends. This 9 percent sales tax is not in addition to the current IRS tax code. The taxes that are eliminated more than make up for a 9 percent tax which is applied only on new goods and services. Advantage to ‘working people.’

On the corporate / business level, Cain’s 9-9-9 plan provides certainty. The 9-9-9 plan eliminates the FUD factor. The biggest impediment to economic recovery we face is the Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt that this administration foments, and that Cain’s challengers’ plans do not address. His challengers want to tinker around with the current abortion of a tax code which is part of the problem for our economic woes. The current tax code, which supports hundreds of special interest lobbyists and manipulative politicians, must go.

Whether it is a deliberate dodge or incomplete preparation, Cain’s opponents (media included) don’t talk about Phase 2 of Cain’s plan for economic recovery. That’s because they have nothing better that can touch it.

Phase 1 will give an immediate stimulus to business and personal income. It will end the FUD factor. It will increase the tax base. It will level the playing field for our multi-national businesses. The reason Phase 1 is needed is because it will be an economic stimulus right away. And it does all that now.

The other blatant obfuscation of Cain’s 9-9-9 plan is its ‘Phase 2.’ Enacting the FairTax requires educating the folks about it. Because of that, it will take longer to implement. What they are all missing is that 9-9-9 is the bridge to the FairTax. 9-9-9 is Phase 1. The FairTax is Phase 2. Which so far has not even been mentioned by his opponents or the media.

Bottom line, Herman Cain has the right solution to the country’s problem. It is bold enough to do exactly what is needed. The FairTax will be the economic engine to grow our economy. And growing the economy is the only possible way to solve our economic problems. The solution is not higher taxes. The solution, according to  Cain, is eliminating the FUD factor, decreasing spending, broadening the tax base, and decreasing taxes.

 

Economy, Florida, Organized Labor, Pensacola, Politics, Whiners

Occupy Everything, What’s Their Goal?

When you think about the Organizing Everything protests and Democrats like Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Rahm Emanuel, and Barack Obama, do you ever think of the SEIU? Maybe most people would just think that the administration would do anything, like endorsing these protesters, to draw the focus away from their failed policies and onto the bogeyman, Wall Street.

Despite all attempts from the Left to legitimize these Marxist mobs by comparing them to Tea Party rallies, these two videos will, all on their own, show them for protest-corporate-greedwhat they are. Anti-capitalists, socialists, and then some.

First up is radical labor organizer Stephen Lerner, serving on the International Executive Board of the 2.2 million member Service Employees International Union, SEIU. He intends to take it to the next level and terrorize the families of bank executives in their homes as part of the Occupy Wall Street protests.

Stephen Lerner . . .

There’s moments in history where people take action and do something heroic. Where we do something heroic. Where we take risks.

If we are really serious about movement building then we think one part is we have to act heroically. That we have to inspire people by our actions and we have to be willing to take incredible personal and collective risks.

And that’s the time and there’s moments where history shifts and we’re going to decide if it shifts.

And this one is an interview with one of the organizers of the Occupy Wall Street group. She says up-front exactly what they’re all about. Anti-capitalism, anti-corporation.

Now this third video just shows that some pundits on the Left, like talk show host Mike Papantonio, are a little out of step with the movement. Doing what lawyers do, progressive Papantonio says capitalism is great! Ed Shultz was speechless. Papantonio starts at 3:50 into the video.

However, the title of his video, Now’s The Time to Get Mad and Do Something, is right in tune with Stephen Lerner. Looks like he is inciting some front yard action himself. He does go on to whine about something local. The ATU / ECAT dispute. The union is the victim. They want to be exempt from the Obama depression. Oh well. He says they are being attacked by a foreign corporation that operates the bus transportation for Escambia County. The AFL-CIO affiliate is considering a second strike on the backs of the poor.

Economy, Politics

Obama’s ‘You’ve Gotten Soft’

Obama Scolds Nation: You’ve Gotten Soft

“The way I think about it is, you know, this is, uh, you know, a great, uh, great country that had gotten a little soft, and you know, we didn’t have that same competitive edge that we needed over the last, uh, couple of decades. We need to get back on track.” — President Barack Obama.

The gall is breathtaking, even from a man who as a presidential candidate said, “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.”

Continue reading Obama’s ‘You’ve Gotten Soft’ →

2012 Election, Economy, Organized Labor, Politics, Whiners

Remembering What ‘Democracy’ Looks Like

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This Is What A Mob Looks Like

I am not the first to note the vast differences between the Wall Street protesters and the tea partiers. To name three: The tea partiers have jobs, showers and a point.

No one knows what the Wall Street protesters want — as is typical of mobs. They say they want Obama re-elected, but claim to hate “Wall Street.” You know, the same Wall Street that gave its largest campaign donation in history to Obama, who, in turn, bailed out the banks and made Goldman Sachs the fourth branch of government.

This would be like opposing fattening, processed foods, but cheering Michael Moore — which the protesters also did this week.
Continue reading Remembering What ‘Democracy’ Looks Like →