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Starting soon I'll begin blogging about my training and my journey.  I am building (at least in my head) an introduction to why I'm doing this and who I've become.

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The conservative plan for solving our healthcare 'crisis'.

The conservative plan for solving our healthcare 'crisis'.

I am going to set up an analogy to make it clear the roles fedgov, private enterprise and individuals are.  We have a game called football.  This game has rules that have been agreed to, rules that were made by 'we the people' .  We have teams (represents private enterprises) that play on this field and we have referees (represents fedgov) to ensure all the rules are followed and the game is played fairly.  As you can see, this situation is mutually agreed upon and constitutional. 


The game is played, and when new rules are warranted, they are added by 'we the people'.  When one team or another breaks the rules, the referee steps in and calls a penalty.   The game is fair yet the outcome is uncertain for there are no guarantees of success .


But, what happens when the referees suddenly take sides, favoring one team over another?  This creates a very unfair situation, regardless of who the referees are favoring.  This is exactly the situation that the 'Stimulus' bill does, it favors spending on certain industries (green tech for example), or propping up failing companies (Solyndra for example), or funneling cash to states that otherwise need to fix their own fiscal problems rather than hide them (California for example).  This is unfair to well run companies who are playing by the rules, or industries who are providing goods and services that we need and it's unfair to states who do have their fiscal houses in order.


What happens when the referee ALSO fields a team (aka Obamacare)?  Who can compete against that?  The answer is no one can.  The Referee team can pretty much do whatever they please because  they are also refereeing the game.  Anything goes because there will not be any penalties called on themselves.  It is a huge conflict of interest.  A private entity has no chance of succeeding against this team/referee combination for 2 huge reasons: 1) The referees aren't going to call any fouls against themselves, yet will call fouls on their opponents for any reason whatsoever to get them out of the game; and 2) The referee team, if they get into a financial bind can print their own money whereas a private entity cannot.  What private entity can succeed against that?


When a private entity does wrong, it can be sued and people can go to jail.  If fedgov does wrong, it doesn't get sued and people don't go to jail.  Why?  Because in the case of fedgov performing operational tasks such as Obamacare, the regulatory agency is ALSO fedgov.  Fedgov is not going to sue itself. 


What is the solution?  It's actually quite simple.  Fedgov continues in the regulatory function (referee) and 'we the people' set up the parameters of this game thus:

1. Set up the rules governing minimal coverage that people must have; rules to dealing with changing plans and rules for 'pre-existing' conditions (for which will be moot issue)
2. Eliminate barriers to competition by eliminating the restrictions of selling policies across state lines.  Fedgov has been quashing competition in this way, which drives up costs.  Of course there will be consolidations in this industry, but that is all good for competitive reasons. 
3. Allow 'we the people' to set up medical savings accounts (MSA) that employers and individuals can contribute to.  (Rules governing these accounts come from fedgov).  An MSA is yours to do with and is your to manage, they follow you from job to job, so all you need to do is tell your employer where your MSA is, and they will contribute accordingly, thus there is no break in coverage due to changing jobs.  An individual can contribute to an MSA account themselves.  For example, if your parent is ill, you can add money into it to help her out.  Medicare and Medicaid payments also flow into these accounts.  If you know you have an upcoming procedure, you can begin to contribute to it ahead of time.
4. With an MSA, you can choose your own healthcare insurance policies.  You go online, and select the federally (and state) mandated minimum coverage, and then you select whatever options you wish above that.  Because there is no more interstate barriers, you will now have hundred's of companies to choose from.  The choice is now yours, not your company's.  Because there is greater choice, there is greater competition which drive efficiencies and  cost savings to you. 
5. With an MSA, you choose your own doctors according to whatever plans they accept.  It is your money so it is your choice.
6. With an MSA, you can choose WHO to cover, and you can pool your MSA with a spouse(married or a legal domestic partnership, depending on the state).  Every child must be covered, so when a child is born, you tell your employer what to withhold (just as you do now).    Rules need to apply for changing accounts and coverage.  You can choose who to cover so you can cover anyone you wish, including a live-in-boyfriend.  You just pay the premium for his coverage. 
7. With an MSA, the plan is yours and it follows you from employer to employer.  It also is yours when you are unemployed, and you can contribute to it via cobra, or medicaid if need be. Or, your rich uncle can contribute to it.  But, because you have the account, you are covered.  Thus, eliminating the majority of uninsured people, as well as eliminating the majority of 'pre-existing conditions' issue.
8. Hospital visitations are done by who is being covered, not by who is married to whom.
9. Tort reform must be addressed as it is a huge cost driver of healthcare.
10. Rules surrounding 'pre-existing conditions' must be dealt with.  As an analogy, let's say you have no auto insurance, yet you get into an accident.  You then call Geico to get insurance.  Would it be fair for Geico to give you insurance for the accident that already took place?  As you see above, we are trying to eliminate this condition, and with MSA's, we attempt to eliminate them entirely.


As you can see, this plan tackles all of the goals that Obamacare is trying to achieve, but it does so in a way that fedgov still plays referee, but does not field a team.  Costs are driven down for an individual because of enhanced competition, and tort reform.  Costs are also driven down for employers because they do not need to administer plans anymore.  'Pre-Existing Conditions' is being tackled by attempting to eliminate the issue entirely.  Gay spouses can be covered, whereas they are not in most states now. 




  

iOwnTheWorld.com » Blog Archive » America Turning Redder

iOwnTheWorld.com » Blog Archive » America Turning Redder

» The GOP Pro-Growth, Flat Tax Competition - Big Government

» The GOP Pro-Growth, Flat Tax Competition - Big Government

Senate rejects big piece of Obama jobs bill

Senate rejects big piece of Obama jobs bill

USPS in Trouble

Here is the basic problem with federal government operating a business.  This article is all about the US Post Office, but it highlights clearly the issues.  USPS has been losing customers for years due to several factors.  One factor is competition from UPS and FedEx and another factor is technology that has enabled people and businesses to go Green by becoming paperless.

The paperless company has the ability to do Electronic Fund Transfers (no more mailing checks), emails, EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) which allows sales orders, Purchase Orders, Invoices, Shipping Documents etc. all to be electronically mailed rather then using USPS.  USPS has been losing volume for years and will continue to do so.  It's not like this was sudden or unexpected.

Competition is stiff among USPS, UPS and FedEx.  Competition leads to innovations and improvements in services as we see all the time with UPS and FedEx's commercials detailing new, cheaper services. They can make these changes to products and services rather easily, and bring these to market quickly.  The USPS cannot.  THE USPS needs an act of congress to enable change (and we all know how fast they can move...not).  By design, the USPS cannot be flexible enough to really compete.  So far, they have been able to get away with this because no other service delivers mail to the door because by law, the USPS has a virtual monopoly on this service.

Labor costs are literally strangling the USPS. 

"At the same time, decades of contractual promises made to unionized workers, including no-layoff clauses, are increasing the post office’s costs. Labor represents 80 percent of the agency’s expenses, compared with 53 percent at United Parcel Service and 32 percent at FedEx, its two biggest private competitors. Postal workers also receive more generous health benefits than most other federal employees. "

Let me repeat:  Labor represents 80% of the expenses.  How can the USPS compete or just survive with labor costs so high, and no ability to make any changes due to contract?  (Who in their right mind signs a no-layoff contract knowing full well the need to lay off workers?)  Obviously the labor issue is a political hot potato.  USPS needs to lay off workers for obvious reasons but unions will not allow it. 

So far, I've attempted to keep partisanship out of this to lay the foundations for the discussion.  Here are the points I wish to make:

1. How did labor get to be 80% of USPS costs?  As the NYT points out, "decades of contractual promises made to unionized workers, including no-layoff clauses, are increasing the post office’s costs."  This is what happens when a political party and a Public Sector Union get together in a cozy situation.  The unions get great benefits and great contracts and the political party gets untold support in money, organization, protesters, phone banks, gotv etc. to reelect members of that party.  It’s a vicious cycle that may benefit unions and the party, but it is extremely costly to 'We The People" who have to pay for it.  I know there is a need for Private sector Unions, but not for Public Sector Unions.  Like it or not, Scott Walker in Wisconsin fought hard to give the tools needed for districts to save money.  The results are clear that he did the right thing. 

2. This is an example of why government should not run an industry.  It cannot react fast enough to compete, nor can the business model change without an act of congress.   This applies to Obamacare, which is about to destroy the health insurance industry to replace it with Government run healthcare.  The very same issues that are happening to USPS will happen to Obamacare, except there will be no competition from the private sector  thus reducing any incentive to innovate or improve services.  How can a company compete against Obamacare  Inc. when Obamacare Inc. can just print more money?

3. As to what to do about the USPS, perhaps it is time to privatize it.  Let it operate as a stand-alone business with some congressional oversight, but allow it to make it's own contracts with unions, allow it to modernize, allow it to operate in a way it can make money again, and lastly, remove some of the restrictions about carrying 1st class mail that perhaps other companies can compete in this arena.  This is just a suggestion.  One thing is clear, we cannot just print more money to allow this situation to continue.  USPS has to get control over its labor costs, and it has to figure out ways to compete.  Otherwise, it will not survive, and believe me, I just can't wait for the next delivery of junk mail and bills.

Progress Report -- Week1

This is the 1st full week on this new program.  I kinda feel like I woke up from a very long sleep.  Woke up groggy and wondering where the heck am I?  I feel like I'm beginning to get my head straight.  I opened my eyes just a little further and saw my house.  I closed them shut again!  But... opened them up reluctantly to see that I have lots of work to do to get the place in order.  Its a beginning.

Things are still overwhelming, but I feel much better this past week.  I have to rediscover the mental toughness that I had several years ago.  It won't happen overnight, but I'm encouraged so far with the progress.

I laughed this weekend.  Its a very common experience for most people, but not for me in a very long time.  Most people laugh and feel better afterwards.  That's why we laugh... to feel better and put aside problems for just a little bit. Yeah, I fake laugh a lot to keep up appearances but it isn't the feel better kind of laugh.

I laughed this weekend because of something my eldest did.  She played a practical joke on me that a week  before, I would have been very angry.  She put a rubber band around the kitchen sink spritzer and made sure it was aimed well.  So when I turned on the faucet, I got a blast of water in my face.  Of course the entire kitchen was hosed down too before I stopped the water.  It was a great joke executed very well!  Seeing my eldest's face trying to hold back the mirth... waiting for my reaction to know if she needed to run to the next county... I laughed.  And when I was done laughing, I gave her a big hug and some sponges to clean the mess up.

It felt good to laugh.  I hope to do it more.  Its a beginning.

Back to the program.  I am learning lots and I'm losing weight!  I have now lost 2 pounds already!  My energy levels are very good.  I don't feel run down anymore.  I hope to start putting the rest of the items together this week so I can start to earn some money from this.  More to follow when I know more if this will work or not.

My Inner Scream

As you can see, my blog is named 'My Inner Scream'.  I chose this name for a reason, but when I chose it, I didn't know how apropos the name really was.

Most people have an inner monologue.  That voice inside your head that you can debate with, think with, plan with, review past events with etc.  It is the sounding board for editing what will eventually come out of your mouth.  When working properly, it filters out the  improper behaviors or inappropriate responses.

I say most people have this function working properly.  Some do not.  My youngest does not have an inner monologue, it all comes out of her mouth without any editing at all.  There are many clinical names for this and many types of remedies, but that isn't the focus of this discussion.  She is a very happy, intelligent person who just needs to fine tune her editing skills.

When something out of the ordinary happens, that inner voice begins screaming "LOOK OUT!".  It's what causes the hair at the back of your neck to stand up and to get you to pay close attention to your surroundings and to ensure your speech filters are more tuned than normal.  For instance, you are driving your car and your '6th' sense is warning you something is amiss.  You look over your shoulder and another car is in your blind spot moving into the lane you are moving into as well.  This is your Inner Scream at work.

I suffer from hearing loss in one ear, and due to the specific injury i suffered when I was 5, I constantly have a high pitched ringing called tinnitus.  It is always there and there is no cure.  All one can do is ignore it, but it is always there.  Ive had 40 years of practice at ignoring it and i'm quite good at it.

What if there are so many things going amiss that your Inner Monologue is constantly screaming at you?  At the time I created this blog, This was the situation I was in.  The job was a hassle, I was going through a divorce, I had financial problems etc.  Everything I was doing seamed to be screaming at me.  At some point, all one can do is ignore it as if it was tinnitus.

As time went on, I became unemployed again.  But this time, it affected me more than I could imagine.  Now I am jobless, house in foreclosure etc.  The racket cannot be ignored any longer.  The din in my head is deafening to a point that it affects everything I do.  It is difficult to do the things that needs to be done.  In more quiet moments I can look around and see what is happening as it manifests itself in my surroundings.  My house is a mess, simple things like paying bills, bathing, getting dressed, laundry or signing up for food stamps etc., aren't taken care of.  I look around and the screaming become louder to take care of things!

I have immersed myself in stupid things to keep me from thinking about my problems: political discussions, TV, online games.  I used to like to read books. I find that I cannot focus on reading because it is too noisy inside to concentrate.

The image on my blog is a perfect representation of how I feel... hands against my ears and screaming back.  At first when I started this blog, the screaming back was in defiance that I CAN and I WILL.  I used this blog as an outlet --- to give written voice to that inner scream.  As time went on and the inner scream didn't subside no matter what I did including therapy.  There was so much screaming that it became overwhelming to write it out.  My screaming back became that of anguish that I was losing the battle.  Unfortunately, now my screaming back resembles the picture perfectly in that it is a scream of utter despair.  I am so overwhelmed by my inner scream.  I don't sleep much and when I wake up most every day wishing that I hadn't.

I hate to admit this but I have shut down almost completely.  Even the activities that I enjoyed such as woodworking and playing my guitar hold no release, no joy nor distraction from my inner scream.  I still go through the motions of searching for work.  I've even had some interviews.  But i fear my passion for IT has also left me and it shows in my voice.  I muster enough enthusiasm when my kids are around, but I just hope I'm not doing them more harm than good.  

One of the reasons I got a dog was to distract them from seeing me as I really am, and to distract me from the inner scream.  Who can be sad with that extremely cute, shaggy face, floppy-eared waggie-tailed doggie around.  When Bella is around, things kinda seem normal.  She has saved my life on numerous occasions and continues to do so.  I take her almost everywhere I go.  She makes everyone smile.  She forces me to get outside a few times a day.

There is no doubt I suffer from depression in the clinical sense.  If you read this, you will have a glimpse into how depression works on people and how they feel.  I had a girlfriend of almost 10 years who suffered from depression and I only caught glimpses of this.  I now know exactly what she is going through.  I broke up with her because as I was sliding hard into depression, all she could do is empathize.  She could not help.  Also, I felt unworthy of being loved nor can I return love because I don't even like myself.  

I am not writing this to gain sympathy!  I don't want it!  No depressed person wants anyone's sympathy.  It only makes us feel worse.  You cannot tell me anything I don't already know and when you try, it makes me feel worse.  Don't tell me 'Do it for your kids.'  I already know this and it just comes off as condescending.  I have alienated several people already by telling them this.  I know the people around me who love me hate seeing this and I know you feel powerless to help.  I truly am sorry, and believe me, it just adds more fuel to the inner scream.  What is a good thing to say is 'I am here for you'...and to be there when we choose to talk about it... but don't respond back with condescending remarks... just listen.

Why am I writing this... why now?  Because something may be happening to change all of this.  I don't want to get into too many details until I know this will work.  I have embarked on a program that hopefully will change the way I think, live and work.  This has the potential to repair my body, mind and soul.  If this works, I'll describe what happened.

Suffice it to say that I started the program today.  I wrote all of this because for the 1st time in a very long time I woke up looking forward to the day.  I feel a little better and the screaming inside has subsided enough to write this out.  I think the 1st step to repairing myself is to repair my body.  I am at 180 pounds and 38 inches around. I will be tracking this all month and I'll post the results here weekly.

Wish me luck!

I beg to differ Mr President

Via Drudge:

NEW YORK (CBS) — After suffering a “shellacking” in the midterm elections, President Obama acknowledges what many have seen as his chief weakness – failing to sell the importance of several legislative milestones to the American people.

“I think that’s a fair argument. I think that, over the course of two years we were so busy and so focused on getting a bunch of stuff done that, we stopped paying attention to the fact that leadership isn’t just legislation. That it’s a matter of persuading people. And giving them confidence and bringing them together. And setting a tone,” Mr. Obama told 60 Minutes’ Steve Kroft in an exclusive interview set to air Sunday.

Mr. President, I think you were very successful in delivering your message. Your problem is that no one was buying it! No matter how much you sell, wrap up your terrible policies with guilded words read from your teleprompter, 'we the people' are smart enough to see through the lipstick to know that we didnt want what was being sold. Nor do 'we the people' like having bad policies rammed down our throats without debates and without a proper reading of the legislation. Us dumb folks don't like people who say 'we need to pass this so we can know what's in it'.

Even those hayseeds from Kansas know that when you buy a car, you need to know what kind of engine it has. Only a true idiot would purchase something that expensive and not know what they are buying. No Mr. President, those people you talk down to and your colleagues like Pelosi, Reid, Kerry et al. who publicly call us morons have purchased a big box full of shit. Who are the idiots?

The election of 2010 -- Rejecting Liberal Policies

The election of 2010 was a complete rejection of the Democrat's liberal policies.  This rejection wasn't just at the federal level either.  State and local elections saw a tidal wave of Republicans being elected.     People are now recognizing that government IS the problem, not the solution and have elected those politicians who advocate for a limited, less intrusive government at all levels.

Historic GOP Gains in State Legislatures

• Going into the 2010 election, Democrats held 60 partisan legislative chambers and Republicans held 36, with a couple of ties.

• It looks like the GOP has picked up an astounding 20 chambers, including both houses in Alabama, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Wisconsin and additional chambers in Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

• In total legislative seats, it is possible that after all the results are posted, Republicans will have won a nationwide majority.

• Republicans haven’t enjoyed this much power in state capitals since the 1920s.

This rejection wasn't exactly nationwide, however.  There were a few hold-out states --- NY, NJ, CA, MA, WA --- that are so overwhelmingly liberal that this election had virtually no effect.  But, races that should have been cake walks for Liberals were much closer than expected.  The people of those states need to suffer another 2 years of crushing debt and bad policies before the rising red tide can impact these states as well.  NJ has a fighting chance to curb Liberal policies due to Governor Chris Christie who has already made significant gains by taking on unions, special interests and insuring sound fiscal policies.

I believe 'We the People' have woken up to the destructive policies of the left and are saying finally 'enough is enough'.  WTP DON’T want to be told what light bulb or toilet bowl to use; we DON'T want to be told what kind of car to drive; we DON'T want to be told what doctor to see; we DON'T want nationalized healthcare; we DON'T want crushing national debt left to our children; and we certainly DON'T want a nameless, faceless Washington bureaucrat telling us how to raise our kids.

Now a note to the GOP---  Remember those that got you where you are; Conservatives.  Remember that several squishy Republicans were replaced in the primaries by Conservative Republicans.  We are watching you and we will not forget.  We are fired up and very active and will remain so for quite some time.  2012 will see a new President and it should see a new Senate leadership as well.

perhaps a better image for my blog?

Are We are Facing the Greatest Threat to Humanity?

We are Facing the Greatest Threat to Humanity: Only Fundamental Change Can Save Us | | AlterNet

Here is the money quote: "A 'wild law' is a law to regulate human behaviour in order to protect the integrity of the earth and all species on it".

In order to do this, you need to change all governments to a totalitarian dictatorship in order to attempt to regulate human behavior. You must take away everyone's freedom. You must regulate or take over all industries to a central planning agency.

Time after time, attempts to regulate human behavior has failed. It has NEVER worked and it never will. Humans believe they have a basic right to be free and do not wish to be regulated. China has tried this. They even took people's right to have children away. Russia has tried this and i remember stories of people lining up just to purchase toilet paper. Witness North Korea who can't even afford to keep its lights on at night.

Time after time, each attempt has failed because the attempt always left the country in ruins without the proper resources left to protect its own citizens, let alone the environment. Look at the pollution in China or the nuclear meltdown in Chernobyl as examples of what happens when resources are depleted with communism/socialism/totalitarianism.

It takes resources to protect our environment. The worst thing you can do is to confiscate money from those entities that generate these resources. The USA is the richest country on this earth and this country does more FOR the environment than any other country and we do it of our own free will. Can we do more... sure we can. But when you confiscate wealth, that wealth cannot then be used to generate more wealth and we will become poor, without funds to do what is needed for the environment.

The question: "Are We are Facing the Greatest Threat to Humanity?" can be answered: Yes, and the threat is coming from this author and her ilk who think they can control human behavior, setting trees, animals and bugs above human beings. This is the greatest threat to humanity and our way of life and freedom.

As an side, the author's premise is completely off base. Most of the assertions have been proven false. For example, our overall temperature has not been rising at all over the last 15 years.

Why is there a Tea Party?

What is so difficult to understand about the tea party? This is not a tail wag dog situation. This is an organic movement by people who are genuinely angry that our fedgov is completely out of control and spending money like drunken sailors. Our fedgov derives its power from 'we the people'... not the other way around. 

This movement, just as the Boston Patriots did , decided to DO something about it.  It didn’t start off as a state sponsored activity, it started with 'we the people' and it grew from there.   Of course money is flowing to the Tea Party... just as money and materials flowed to the patriots in Boston to hold off the British.  As opposed to unions confiscating money from its members to support the dems as well  as George Soros and other deep pocketed people purchasing true astroturf ops.  

We witnessed several very large protest rallies held by the Tea Party than no one was paid to attend.   We witnessed the liberal rally where unions had to pay people to attend and teacher unions bused their kids to the rally regardless if the kids wanted to attend.  There is another liberal rally upcoming that deep pocketed liberals are paying people to attend.   If this was grass-roots, then no one should be paid to attend because if people feel strongly enough about the issues, they'd attend on their own.  No, The Tea Party movement is  the real deal.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."  -- The Declaration of Independence.http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/

How can I say our fedgov is out of control? Our tax code has thousands of IF statements each designed to make us unequal; when fedgov can force you to buy a certain toilet or light bulb; when fedgov endeavors to treat people unequally solely based upon the color of their skin or gender; when fedgov takes over entire industries; when fedgov passes laws to force a citizen to purchase something just so it can be regulated; when a fedgov refuses to even protect our borders and denigrates states who have the audacity to protect it's citizens; when fedgov spends billions on a nebulous concept that has been proven false repeatedly (global warming) etc.  This is the tyranny that 'we the people' fought against over 200 years ago and we must fight against it today.

No, I'm not advocating a new way to selecting our congressmen and president. the Tea Party is working within the constitutional framework and removing GOP via primaries and now removing DEMS via the general election.  This is true democracy in action and it should be celebrated.  Republicans have ceded the debate when they say 'lets not spend as much on federal program' or 'I don't like their big government ideas so lets try our big government ideas'.  The debate needs to be brought back to 'Why should fedgov be involved in these things?'.  That, first and foremost needs to be debated.

I am not a cold and heartless person.  I share the same values that most people do.  The problem with our current fedgov is that it IS cold and heartless, no matter how much money and programs it creates.  Once you recognize this simple fact, then you'll  then come to the conclusion that these programs do not belong at this level but at the state and local level.  Our founders recognized this fact and wrote it into the USC.  'The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.'  It was this recognition that the values of Massachusetts may not be the same as Virginia.   It is the same today as it was back then, that each state has a different set of values .  Slavery was an issue that couldn’t be resolved immediately but they understood that eventually the 'all men are created equal' would abolish slavery once and for all.

For example, if California decides it wants to have state run health care then let them. If people feel this is a great thing and want to pay higher taxes for it then move to California.  If Alabama wants to allow its residence to choose their healthcare plan thus making it cheaper due to increased competition, then  so be it.   This is just one of many examples of differences  in the approach to achieve the same goals.  'We the People' will decide what is best for themselves and make life decisions accordingly.  We have seen over several decades now that people are rejecting the liberal policies of NY, CA, MI, et al. and moving to more business and individual friendly states like AR, TX and FL.  We see this in the numbers of congressional seats  changing from liberal states to conservative states.  This is also the free market at work for people of free will.

I welcome the debate as you can tell. There is a proper role for fedgov, lets debate that first because unless you fully understand our concepts as laid out by the DOI and US Constitution, then what you have left is trying to defend the indefensible.

Mr. Prez, I am frustrated

Yes, I'm getting frustrated with stories of booms sitting in a Maine warehouse unused, of refusal to get international help, of supplies not getting here because of incorrect paperwork, of Governors requesting things and not getting answers, of knee-jerk reactions stopping all deep-water drilling thus hurting everyone and solving nothing, of saying stupid things like 'boot on the Neck' and 'kick some ass' etc. 

No, I have no problems with the prez playing golf or having personal concerts, after all, being prez is stressful.  But enough is enough already.  Prioritize, Mr. Prez, go to the funerals, not the fundraisers, and take advice from Oil execs, not movie execs. 

Mr Prez, After you give a speech at a High School about not finding blame, then go out and blame everyone else, who can take you seriously anymore?

Why isn't Greenpeace, Sierra Club, et al screaming their bloody heads off?  Why isn't the press treating this admin like they did after Katrina?

If I was Prez, how I would lead on this Gulf Oil Spill

I got to thinking about how I would lead if I was President.  This came about by a comment on one of my Facebook posts, so I figured I should elaborate.

1. Meet with BP CEO and keep an open line to make sure BP has whatever they need to be successful to stop the leak.  (Without talking to CEO, you can't hold him responsible to his words and actions.)
2. Put someone in charge to work directly with BP to ensure they have every resource available and to coordinate all military and non-military assets with BP. (This may be the only step actually being done)
3. Put someone in charge of oil containment -- give them authority to acquire whatever materials are needed and coordination of navy assets to get these materials installed. (Companies can make the booms if asked, some companies are making the booms unasked, but no one is taking them, unacceptable)
4. Put someone in charge to coordinate state efforts -- Whatever a Governor needs this person ensures they get, give authority to cut thru all red tape to expedite fedgov response  (It took LA almost 30 days to get approvals to do what they needed to do, totally unacceptable)
5. Put someone in charge to accept and coordinate Foreign aid in materials and assets. (Obama/Clinton has refused all foreign ad and materials, how stupid is that?)
6. Get the best experts into a room and include people who know how to deal with man-made disasters, such as the Iraqi oil well capping. This would mean enlisting the dreaded Haliburton who I'll bet can help. Contact Alaska's experts who have dealt with Exxon Valdez disaster. (James Cameron only shows how unserious this prez is)
7. Put someone in charge of the environmental issues --Ensure the environmental groups are heard ONLY if they have something constructive to contribute.
8. Put an accountant on the team just to keep track of the expenses. Whatever it takes now will be paid for later.
9. Put a lawyer on the team to document the process and hold people accountable AFTER the disaster is over. (lawsuit now only serves to dampen the spirit of cooperation and create an adversarial environment not conducive to solving the problem)
10. Finally, don't say things like 'boot on the neck' and 'find me some ass to kick', it demeans the office and shows how un-serious, un-engaged, uncooperative and disrespectful to those who are trying to solve this issue in good faith.

All of these 'someones' are cabinet level people who will drop whatever they are doing to focus on this.  Daily briefings will happen right after the NIA briefing, and any major roadblocks will be addressed immediately.

As we witness this disaster, little of the above has happened. This is a disaster of leadership.

Pelosi heckled at progressive conference

44 - Video: Pelosi heckled at progressive conference

What's worse... there is a sign that says 'Stop Funding Israeli Terror' right next to the stage. This is our Progressive, Liberal, Lefty attitude. Helen Thomas retired, but she was just echoing the sentiments of her political allies.

from the hypocrite files

Hot Air » NRSC web video: “Never Again”

Power Line - Global Warming In One State

Power Line - Global Warming In One State

Why are the moose leaving Minnesota?

Here's what puzzles me, though: isn't global warming supposed to be--you know--global? That being the case, why are moose populations "burgeoning" in Massachusetts, returning to Wisconsin, "growing" in Michigan, moving into Connecticut, where historically they did not live, "booming" in Oregon, "resurging" in Vermont, "increasing" in Washington, "growing exponentially" in New York, "significantly increas[ing]" in Colorado, and "growing" in Utah?

Perhaps because thats where the moose-jobs are?