I’m preparing to take a trip see the grandchildren so my next posts will be from a warmer (hopefully) Evans, Georgia.
I have a short essay trying to defend us boomers from some of the attacks that people without anything better to say launch at us.
Kentucky is on the hunt for another championship so that will probably occupy a lot of our time for a few days longer.
Please forward this link to anyone you think may be interested.
http://rfmoore.blogspot.com/
I appreciate those of you who have signed up to be followers of my blog. I appreciate those of you who have not summarily dismissed me and requested to be removed from my mailing list.
There is a lot going on in the world today that will directly bear on our fortunes in short order. In my opinion the most critical issue in the United States is the growing inequity between the wealthiest of us and those who are not sharing in the American Dream. Many of you will be familiar with what I mean.
Have a great weekend and thanks.
Bob Moore
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
A Moment in Time
A Moment in Time
Action expresses priorities.
Mohandas K. Gandhi
The other day I read a blurb in the news about Diet Coke becoming the second leading soft drink brand in the world behind only Coke. The snippet of information went on to speculate that it was a result of the Baby Boomers becoming more weight conscious in our older age and switching. That made sense but then I started thinking about how the Baby Boomers get blamed for everything and I decided to make a small stand for all us Boomers who have been reviled for one thing or another ever since we became old enough to make noise.
There was that “free love” thing that had everyone talking. I’m uncertain exactly where that came from but it wasn’t from me. I am suspicious that the rumors of that were way overblown but publicized better because of more television. The pill did relieve the girls of some anxiety but I can’t attest to there being any more love than usual. Free or otherwise. I am of the opinion that if people want to express themselves in such a manner they will find a way to do so.
I suppose there was more pot and some other drugs. Pot had always been kind of a beat thing but it looks like one of those things were demand drove supply. Kind of like it is now. Without demand supply dries up. Simple capitalism. People where I was would hear of LSD from time to time but it rarely showed up. A lot of people don’t know it but the first LSD came from government labs that were testing it on soldiers and other unwitting subjects. Some of them developed an appreciation of the stuff. But when you look at the Boomers today I dare say there is no more use of those substances than in any other demographic. Alcohol was then and still is the most abused drug in the world.
The Boomers were brought up to believe that in a society such as ours that one could rise to whatever station he or she aspired to. I’m not sure that is true any more. We were taught by our parents that our opinion was as important as any other but not more important. Some of us were more insistent on getting someone to pay attention to our opinion than others were. Some were not insistent enough. Some of us saw injustice in how minorities were being treated and demanded that our country live up to its promise. Some didn’t. Women realized that they were not being paid as much nor being listened to as much as they would if they were men. Of course, they had known that for quite some time but could not find many allies in their cause. They found some allies in the Boomers. On the other hand, many Boomers were content to not rock the boat and leave things just as they were.
What I think the Boomers did was hold a mirror up to America and ask whether or not we liked what we saw. The Boomers made it difficult to sweep under the rug because we did rock the boat. And it didn’t take a few days for the newspapers to publish it because the TV cameras were right there and Walter had it on the evening news.
What I mean to say is things change and if they don’t then they should. The Boomers just shouted it out. Some of us had staying power and others didn’t. The Boomers are much like most other generations in that regard. Youth is insistent and refuses to wait. Just evidence the turmoil and upset in the Arab nations. It is the youth that are in the vanguard not realizing they their cause is nigh impossible. To youth, all things are possible and that is a wonderful thing. It is now the responsibility of the Boomers to try to show that exuberance can be tempered with wisdom but not extinguished. We haven’t been as good as I would like with that.
The Boomers were many of the things people say we were. And many weren’t. We were the largest generation America had ever produced and at a time when there was much to be changed. We tried with some success and some failure. But we tried and we are still trying. Some of us.
The Boomers are getting ready to retire and we are going to bankrupt the nation with our huge numbers requiring health care and a Social Security check. No matter that we have been paying into it for all of our working lives. For those who weren’t there I will point out that we are not the ones who started that. Social Security became law in 1936 while our parents were not even thinking about making Boomers. Social Security was instituted by our grandparents many of whom were born in the previous century, lived through the gilded age, World War I, the stock market crash and the Great Depression. Their children fought World War II and then made us. They liked it so much that they instituted Medicare. Our parents are often called “The Greatest Generation” and deservedly so. The point is that they did not lack compassion for the less fortunate and agreed that a just society shared its wealth more equitably. We have forgotten that.
That’s my take on the Boomers. Some of you Boomers will see yourself here and some won’t. We are all still Boomers.
Action expresses priorities.
Mohandas K. Gandhi
The other day I read a blurb in the news about Diet Coke becoming the second leading soft drink brand in the world behind only Coke. The snippet of information went on to speculate that it was a result of the Baby Boomers becoming more weight conscious in our older age and switching. That made sense but then I started thinking about how the Baby Boomers get blamed for everything and I decided to make a small stand for all us Boomers who have been reviled for one thing or another ever since we became old enough to make noise.
There was that “free love” thing that had everyone talking. I’m uncertain exactly where that came from but it wasn’t from me. I am suspicious that the rumors of that were way overblown but publicized better because of more television. The pill did relieve the girls of some anxiety but I can’t attest to there being any more love than usual. Free or otherwise. I am of the opinion that if people want to express themselves in such a manner they will find a way to do so.
I suppose there was more pot and some other drugs. Pot had always been kind of a beat thing but it looks like one of those things were demand drove supply. Kind of like it is now. Without demand supply dries up. Simple capitalism. People where I was would hear of LSD from time to time but it rarely showed up. A lot of people don’t know it but the first LSD came from government labs that were testing it on soldiers and other unwitting subjects. Some of them developed an appreciation of the stuff. But when you look at the Boomers today I dare say there is no more use of those substances than in any other demographic. Alcohol was then and still is the most abused drug in the world.
The Boomers were brought up to believe that in a society such as ours that one could rise to whatever station he or she aspired to. I’m not sure that is true any more. We were taught by our parents that our opinion was as important as any other but not more important. Some of us were more insistent on getting someone to pay attention to our opinion than others were. Some were not insistent enough. Some of us saw injustice in how minorities were being treated and demanded that our country live up to its promise. Some didn’t. Women realized that they were not being paid as much nor being listened to as much as they would if they were men. Of course, they had known that for quite some time but could not find many allies in their cause. They found some allies in the Boomers. On the other hand, many Boomers were content to not rock the boat and leave things just as they were.
What I think the Boomers did was hold a mirror up to America and ask whether or not we liked what we saw. The Boomers made it difficult to sweep under the rug because we did rock the boat. And it didn’t take a few days for the newspapers to publish it because the TV cameras were right there and Walter had it on the evening news.
What I mean to say is things change and if they don’t then they should. The Boomers just shouted it out. Some of us had staying power and others didn’t. The Boomers are much like most other generations in that regard. Youth is insistent and refuses to wait. Just evidence the turmoil and upset in the Arab nations. It is the youth that are in the vanguard not realizing they their cause is nigh impossible. To youth, all things are possible and that is a wonderful thing. It is now the responsibility of the Boomers to try to show that exuberance can be tempered with wisdom but not extinguished. We haven’t been as good as I would like with that.
The Boomers were many of the things people say we were. And many weren’t. We were the largest generation America had ever produced and at a time when there was much to be changed. We tried with some success and some failure. But we tried and we are still trying. Some of us.
The Boomers are getting ready to retire and we are going to bankrupt the nation with our huge numbers requiring health care and a Social Security check. No matter that we have been paying into it for all of our working lives. For those who weren’t there I will point out that we are not the ones who started that. Social Security became law in 1936 while our parents were not even thinking about making Boomers. Social Security was instituted by our grandparents many of whom were born in the previous century, lived through the gilded age, World War I, the stock market crash and the Great Depression. Their children fought World War II and then made us. They liked it so much that they instituted Medicare. Our parents are often called “The Greatest Generation” and deservedly so. The point is that they did not lack compassion for the less fortunate and agreed that a just society shared its wealth more equitably. We have forgotten that.
That’s my take on the Boomers. Some of you Boomers will see yourself here and some won’t. We are all still Boomers.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Todays C-J Column
finally a column that I had submitted for last week was published. Please excuse the occasions mentioned in the column for being slightly dated. I have a difficult time getting my stuff published on my timetable. I suppose it is the most that can be expected for free work.
Final Four: VCU Stuns Kansas; Kentucky Beats North Carolina : NPR
Final Four: VCU Stuns Kansas; Kentucky Beats North Carolina : NPR
This guy is right. 13 years is a lifetime at Kentucky.
This guy is right. 13 years is a lifetime at Kentucky.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
The Washington Post: National, World & D.C. Area News and Headlines - washingtonpost.com
The Washington Post: National, World & D.C. Area News and Headlines - washingtonpost.com
I have said all along that it is not clear that there is sufficient energy in the rebellion to accomplish regime change in the face of determined defense. This could have happened in Egypt it Mubarak had chosen to do so. Do we really belong in a civil war on the weak side?
I have said all along that it is not clear that there is sufficient energy in the rebellion to accomplish regime change in the face of determined defense. This could have happened in Egypt it Mubarak had chosen to do so. Do we really belong in a civil war on the weak side?
Libya No-Fly Zone to be Led by NATO - NYTimes.com
Libya No-Fly Zone to be Led by NATO - NYTimes.com
sort of like a hot potato. Nobody wants the darned thing.
sort of like a hot potato. Nobody wants the darned thing.
U.S. Soldier Gets 24 Years For Murders Of 3 Afghans : NPR
U.S. Soldier Gets 24 Years For Murders Of 3 Afghans : NPR
It seems this gruesome story is true. While most endure war with dignity and respect some sink to the lowest of human levels. You simply can't train people to kill without humanity suffering.
It seems this gruesome story is true. While most endure war with dignity and respect some sink to the lowest of human levels. You simply can't train people to kill without humanity suffering.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Man freed after 27 years in prison for crimes he didn’t commit - The Washington Post
Man freed after 27 years in prison for crimes he didn’t commit - The Washington Post
Things like this are why I do not favor the death penalty. It is too final a sentence in light of juries who make mistakes.
Things like this are why I do not favor the death penalty. It is too final a sentence in light of juries who make mistakes.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Libya military campaign: Obama increasingly under fire for U.S. military campaign in Libya - latimes.com
Libya military campaign: Obama increasingly under fire for U.S. military campaign in Libya - latimes.com
there was no apparent upside to the Libyan action. All I can figure is that it was payback to the Brits and French.
there was no apparent upside to the Libyan action. All I can figure is that it was payback to the Brits and French.
Monday, March 21, 2011
U.S. Banks Resist Tighter Money Rules - WSJ.com
U.S. Banks Resist Tighter Money Rules - WSJ.com
For these people it's all about making money. To hell with the people.
For these people it's all about making money. To hell with the people.
The F-35: A Weapon That Costs More Than Australia - Dominic Tierney - National - The Atlantic
The F-35: A Weapon That Costs More Than Australia - Dominic Tierney - National - The Atlantic
Read it and weep. Do you REALLY think our defense needs justify this?
Read it and weep. Do you REALLY think our defense needs justify this?
Sunday, March 20, 2011
More Basketball, Less War
More Basketball, Less War
Sometimes it really gets to me that so many of our fellow citizens fail to grasp the intricacy of trying to form a multi-lateral consensus while still promulgating the policies and interests of the United States. Why is it so hard to understand that it is not within the proper scope of the United States to force its will on the rest of the world? It would not be a proper role even if it were in the short term best interests of the United States if it imposed undue restraint on another sovereign nation. Just as we were taught to do as children about the Golden Rule, we are bound to apply the same constraints to our foreign policy.
As the readers of this column know, I have serious reservations about our intervention in Libya. I mentioned a week or so ago that support from the Arab League, the United Nations and NATO would be a prerequisite for intervention. To my surprise all three of those conditions were met more quickly than I can ever remember happening after which we promptly entered into action to intervene in what is a civil war in Libya.
Imagine my astonishment when the President was criticized for taking too long to send our men and women into harm’s way again. Apparently there are those who wanted the United States to take unilateral action in advance of being able to act as a part of a larger coalition. Have those critics been living in a cave since 2003 when we hurled an insufficient force into Iraq based on false intelligence? (Is it really intelligent when it is false)? And hasn’t that intervention worked out splendidly?
Personally, I am elated to have a President who does not take lightly committing our men and women to combat while the rest of the world watches us squirm. I still would prefer that we had not intervened in this civil war and I have to wonder if it is payback for Great Britain and France supporting our own military adventurism. Libya ships most of its oil to Europe and without that supply the Europeans are forced to seek new sources from the rest of the oil-producing world. That has the effect of driving up prices to everyone including the United States. We certainly don’t see China helping out even though they will benefit as much as we will. Cruise missiles are fired off with abandon at a cost of a million dollars and up per shot. Where are the deficit hawks while this is going on?
Well, Newt Gingrich, who recently lost his cushy job at Fox News because he was becoming too overtly political even for them, has taken on the President for his inaction. Yes, Newt is blaming the President for squandering time filling out his NCAA tournament bracket saying that Presidents Eisenhower and Reagan would never have been caught doing that. And, lo, all of a sudden the news media repeated it as if the President had told the Joint Chiefs to just hold on, he had something important to do.
Every President I can recall, and that goes back to Eisenhower, had a special pastime that they devoted time to. Eisenhower was an avid golfer. It bears mentioning that our military did not venture overseas very much during his administration after that Korean thing died down. Kennedy was, well, he was a Kennedy. He played golf but he especially loved those family football games at Hyannis Port and yachting. Maybe if he had paid more attention that Cuban Missile Crisis thing wouldn’t have taken everyone by surprise. And the icon of the right, Ronald Reagan, was fond of his enclave at Rancho Mirage where he could go horseback riding and chop wood.
Presidents are just as human as their naysayers are prompt to point out. I am happy they are. Personally, if I don't get some down time I get a little hard to get along with and I’m far more likely to pull the trigger on some ill-advised scheme. Maybe that’s what happened here. Maybe the President didn’t get enough basketball time in and was just out of sorts and decided to take in out on Gaddaffi. I would much rather him spend more time on basketball and less on war.
I think most sane people will take Newt’s poke at the President for what it is worth. I am much more worried about how we have tied up the 6th fleet in this action. I am also worried whether or not we will be expected to do the same when the Saudis and Bahrainis begin killing off their populations. Now, to top it all off the Arab League says that what we are doing with the no-fly zone is not what they meant. They didn’t know we were going to actually hurt people. All we need is more Muslims mad at us and another tool for Al Qaeda to recruit with.
My take is that the only thing that really made sense was picking Kansas to win the championship even though I suspect it will be Duke again.
Sometimes it really gets to me that so many of our fellow citizens fail to grasp the intricacy of trying to form a multi-lateral consensus while still promulgating the policies and interests of the United States. Why is it so hard to understand that it is not within the proper scope of the United States to force its will on the rest of the world? It would not be a proper role even if it were in the short term best interests of the United States if it imposed undue restraint on another sovereign nation. Just as we were taught to do as children about the Golden Rule, we are bound to apply the same constraints to our foreign policy.
As the readers of this column know, I have serious reservations about our intervention in Libya. I mentioned a week or so ago that support from the Arab League, the United Nations and NATO would be a prerequisite for intervention. To my surprise all three of those conditions were met more quickly than I can ever remember happening after which we promptly entered into action to intervene in what is a civil war in Libya.
Imagine my astonishment when the President was criticized for taking too long to send our men and women into harm’s way again. Apparently there are those who wanted the United States to take unilateral action in advance of being able to act as a part of a larger coalition. Have those critics been living in a cave since 2003 when we hurled an insufficient force into Iraq based on false intelligence? (Is it really intelligent when it is false)? And hasn’t that intervention worked out splendidly?
Personally, I am elated to have a President who does not take lightly committing our men and women to combat while the rest of the world watches us squirm. I still would prefer that we had not intervened in this civil war and I have to wonder if it is payback for Great Britain and France supporting our own military adventurism. Libya ships most of its oil to Europe and without that supply the Europeans are forced to seek new sources from the rest of the oil-producing world. That has the effect of driving up prices to everyone including the United States. We certainly don’t see China helping out even though they will benefit as much as we will. Cruise missiles are fired off with abandon at a cost of a million dollars and up per shot. Where are the deficit hawks while this is going on?
Well, Newt Gingrich, who recently lost his cushy job at Fox News because he was becoming too overtly political even for them, has taken on the President for his inaction. Yes, Newt is blaming the President for squandering time filling out his NCAA tournament bracket saying that Presidents Eisenhower and Reagan would never have been caught doing that. And, lo, all of a sudden the news media repeated it as if the President had told the Joint Chiefs to just hold on, he had something important to do.
Every President I can recall, and that goes back to Eisenhower, had a special pastime that they devoted time to. Eisenhower was an avid golfer. It bears mentioning that our military did not venture overseas very much during his administration after that Korean thing died down. Kennedy was, well, he was a Kennedy. He played golf but he especially loved those family football games at Hyannis Port and yachting. Maybe if he had paid more attention that Cuban Missile Crisis thing wouldn’t have taken everyone by surprise. And the icon of the right, Ronald Reagan, was fond of his enclave at Rancho Mirage where he could go horseback riding and chop wood.
Presidents are just as human as their naysayers are prompt to point out. I am happy they are. Personally, if I don't get some down time I get a little hard to get along with and I’m far more likely to pull the trigger on some ill-advised scheme. Maybe that’s what happened here. Maybe the President didn’t get enough basketball time in and was just out of sorts and decided to take in out on Gaddaffi. I would much rather him spend more time on basketball and less on war.
I think most sane people will take Newt’s poke at the President for what it is worth. I am much more worried about how we have tied up the 6th fleet in this action. I am also worried whether or not we will be expected to do the same when the Saudis and Bahrainis begin killing off their populations. Now, to top it all off the Arab League says that what we are doing with the no-fly zone is not what they meant. They didn’t know we were going to actually hurt people. All we need is more Muslims mad at us and another tool for Al Qaeda to recruit with.
My take is that the only thing that really made sense was picking Kansas to win the championship even though I suspect it will be Duke again.
Popular Fatman's Paradise to close � Local News � Commonwealth Journal
Popular Fatman's Paradise to close � Local News � Commonwealth Journal
OhNo!! This is the best barbecue place in town by far. Gotta try to help.
OhNo!! This is the best barbecue place in town by far. Gotta try to help.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Buffett reaps $10B on Goldman | News.com.au
Buffett reaps $10B on Goldman | News.com.au
just think about this. If Goldman/Sachs can afford to do this have we adequately reduced exposure for the American people or are we allowing business as usual.
just think about this. If Goldman/Sachs can afford to do this have we adequately reduced exposure for the American people or are we allowing business as usual.
Obama’s shift toward military action in Libya - The Washington Post
Obama’s shift toward military action in Libya - The Washington Post
Direct involvement on the ground would still be a mistake. Providing support for air action is acceptable but only support with the Arabs and Europeans taking the lead.
Direct involvement on the ground would still be a mistake. Providing support for air action is acceptable but only support with the Arabs and Europeans taking the lead.
Friday, March 18, 2011
It Makes No Difference
Red or Blue, Wrong is Wrong
The recent appointment by Governor Steve Beshear of Jerry Lundergan to the post of Director of the Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction is ludicrous to say the least. I am intimately aware of this department because it is the one that issues the licenses for me to do business. I have been a long-term supporter of regulation and licensing in the workplace and I feel it contributes to a better product and workman.
The first trade that I became licensed in was plumbing. It was one of the first to require statewide licensing and I knew many of the first inspectors and administrators in that department. My father was one of the first inspectors to enforce the new plumbing law in Eastern Kentucky, a task not without its own hazards. One of the things I recall from that time was that there was very little political interference in the department. The director was Mr. Perkins (I don’t think I ever knew his first name). He was an autocratic director and ran the department the way he saw fit through several administrations both Republican and Democratic.
One of the things that always stuck with me was how the licensing and inspection fees were handled. In those days the money received all stayed within the department. If the department ever ran a surplus, which it did and still does, it was returned to the licensees in the form of lower permit fees for a time. These days that is not the case. Every year by executive order the department is told to hand over the surplus to the General Fund for use in the budget. This department is totally self-sustaining and receives no funds from the taxpayer at all. What does happen is that the skilled tradesmen who are licensed by this department are forced to pay higher than necessary fees, the excess of which is turned over to the General Fund. In this day of anti-tax fervor it is amazing to me that someone has not accused this of being an illegal tax foisted on the tradesmen without consent or representation. We hear cries of taxes driving up costs but no one is saying a word about this one. Why? I think it is because most of us just want to play by the rules and be allowed to make a living. We understand that it costs money to do business. What we don’t understand is how this department can continue to wrest money from us and give us very little in return.
Fifteen or so years ago the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning trades became subject to licensing and inspection by the Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction. Each year we were required to acquire continuing education credits and maintain liability insurance as a condition of license renewal. For fifteen years we were promised that inspections were just around the corner and that would drive the fly-by-night operations out of business which would protect us. We were promised enforcement would create a level playing field to protect the honest tradesmen from low bidders who do shoddy work. Last year we got our first local inspectors but a lot of us are curious where all that money we spent on licensing fees went and for what.
Just a few years ago this department required us to become licensed to do business in the electrical trades. The same things were promised but we did get inspections for some work. It is performed by a hodgepodge of utility company inspectors and local building inspectors and has all kinds of loopholes for different organizations or people to do inspections. It seems that here we are just paying our money again, doing continuing education classes and maintaining insurance so that the department can hand over money to the General Fund. We pay inspection fees to whatever body we are responsible to whoever that might be. The only reason we do not have state inspectors is that it would cost the department more money to fill those positions. Money that has already been taken from the tradesmen. Generally, I have to say that the inspectors are competent and impartial but the potential is there for misuse of funds and favoritism. Also, it makes the licensee answerable to an entity other than the one that licenses him or her. It is not a good situation.
The problem is this. If the surplus money from fees and licensing are going to be turned over to the General Fund why is this not a tax? And an illegal one at that. Since this department is supposed to be run without political interference why is the money being used to fund government instead of just this department.
I pay about a thousand dollars a year for licenses. A sizable amount for liability insurance and continuing education both of which are useful and necessary. When you figure in the lost time and wages for time spent in class there is a pretty good amount of money wrapped up in maintaining the proper licenses.
Back to the original point. Governor Beshear says that Mr. Lundergan is imminently qualified to take the job of director due to his experience in the building field. Nonsense! Jerry Lundergan has been a caterer (to many political functions), a political operative serving at one time as Director of the Kentucky Democratic Party and is a prodigious fund-raiser for Democratic causes. When the Clintons come to Kentucky they see Jerry Lundergan. Now, I’m OK with Mr. Lundergan participating in these activities and even appreciate them but that seems to be a primo disqualifier for holding the Director’s spot in a department that is supposed to be free from political interference. As for building experience, Mr. Lundergan has had some properties built and developed, some in conjunction with former Lt. Governor Mongiardo but is hardly experienced in the building trades which include both private and public buildings.
My take is that by those standards I am at least as qualified for that job and probably know a bit more about the trades than Mr. Lundergan.
The recent appointment by Governor Steve Beshear of Jerry Lundergan to the post of Director of the Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction is ludicrous to say the least. I am intimately aware of this department because it is the one that issues the licenses for me to do business. I have been a long-term supporter of regulation and licensing in the workplace and I feel it contributes to a better product and workman.
The first trade that I became licensed in was plumbing. It was one of the first to require statewide licensing and I knew many of the first inspectors and administrators in that department. My father was one of the first inspectors to enforce the new plumbing law in Eastern Kentucky, a task not without its own hazards. One of the things I recall from that time was that there was very little political interference in the department. The director was Mr. Perkins (I don’t think I ever knew his first name). He was an autocratic director and ran the department the way he saw fit through several administrations both Republican and Democratic.
One of the things that always stuck with me was how the licensing and inspection fees were handled. In those days the money received all stayed within the department. If the department ever ran a surplus, which it did and still does, it was returned to the licensees in the form of lower permit fees for a time. These days that is not the case. Every year by executive order the department is told to hand over the surplus to the General Fund for use in the budget. This department is totally self-sustaining and receives no funds from the taxpayer at all. What does happen is that the skilled tradesmen who are licensed by this department are forced to pay higher than necessary fees, the excess of which is turned over to the General Fund. In this day of anti-tax fervor it is amazing to me that someone has not accused this of being an illegal tax foisted on the tradesmen without consent or representation. We hear cries of taxes driving up costs but no one is saying a word about this one. Why? I think it is because most of us just want to play by the rules and be allowed to make a living. We understand that it costs money to do business. What we don’t understand is how this department can continue to wrest money from us and give us very little in return.
Fifteen or so years ago the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning trades became subject to licensing and inspection by the Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction. Each year we were required to acquire continuing education credits and maintain liability insurance as a condition of license renewal. For fifteen years we were promised that inspections were just around the corner and that would drive the fly-by-night operations out of business which would protect us. We were promised enforcement would create a level playing field to protect the honest tradesmen from low bidders who do shoddy work. Last year we got our first local inspectors but a lot of us are curious where all that money we spent on licensing fees went and for what.
Just a few years ago this department required us to become licensed to do business in the electrical trades. The same things were promised but we did get inspections for some work. It is performed by a hodgepodge of utility company inspectors and local building inspectors and has all kinds of loopholes for different organizations or people to do inspections. It seems that here we are just paying our money again, doing continuing education classes and maintaining insurance so that the department can hand over money to the General Fund. We pay inspection fees to whatever body we are responsible to whoever that might be. The only reason we do not have state inspectors is that it would cost the department more money to fill those positions. Money that has already been taken from the tradesmen. Generally, I have to say that the inspectors are competent and impartial but the potential is there for misuse of funds and favoritism. Also, it makes the licensee answerable to an entity other than the one that licenses him or her. It is not a good situation.
The problem is this. If the surplus money from fees and licensing are going to be turned over to the General Fund why is this not a tax? And an illegal one at that. Since this department is supposed to be run without political interference why is the money being used to fund government instead of just this department.
I pay about a thousand dollars a year for licenses. A sizable amount for liability insurance and continuing education both of which are useful and necessary. When you figure in the lost time and wages for time spent in class there is a pretty good amount of money wrapped up in maintaining the proper licenses.
Back to the original point. Governor Beshear says that Mr. Lundergan is imminently qualified to take the job of director due to his experience in the building field. Nonsense! Jerry Lundergan has been a caterer (to many political functions), a political operative serving at one time as Director of the Kentucky Democratic Party and is a prodigious fund-raiser for Democratic causes. When the Clintons come to Kentucky they see Jerry Lundergan. Now, I’m OK with Mr. Lundergan participating in these activities and even appreciate them but that seems to be a primo disqualifier for holding the Director’s spot in a department that is supposed to be free from political interference. As for building experience, Mr. Lundergan has had some properties built and developed, some in conjunction with former Lt. Governor Mongiardo but is hardly experienced in the building trades which include both private and public buildings.
My take is that by those standards I am at least as qualified for that job and probably know a bit more about the trades than Mr. Lundergan.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Va. tea-party activists frustrated with Cantor | Richmond Times-Dispatch
Va. tea-party activists frustrated with Cantor | Richmond Times-Dispatch
When Cantor is not far enough to the right there is a definite problem.
When Cantor is not far enough to the right there is a definite problem.
BBC News - Japan crisis sparks review of Europe nuclear projects
BBC News - Japan crisis sparks review of Europe nuclear projects
time to get off the dime. There are not too many good options for clean energy at this time.
time to get off the dime. There are not too many good options for clean energy at this time.
Analysis: Tiny Bahrain could provoke regional conflict | Reuters
Analysis: Tiny Bahrain could provoke regional conflict | Reuters
This is the one that could bite us. If Bahrain explodes and crosses to Saudi Arabia the US will be in the position of supporting the rulers who oppress their people. We base the 5th fleet in Bahrain which is just a short hop across the Persian Gulf to Iran.
This is the one that could bite us. If Bahrain explodes and crosses to Saudi Arabia the US will be in the position of supporting the rulers who oppress their people. We base the 5th fleet in Bahrain which is just a short hop across the Persian Gulf to Iran.
Spending Bill Breeds Dissent in GOP Ranks - WSJ.com
Spending Bill Breeds Dissent in GOP Ranks - WSJ.com
There still are some saner heads in the GOP. The Democratic Party is content to let the Tea Party implode the Republicans.
There still are some saner heads in the GOP. The Democratic Party is content to let the Tea Party implode the Republicans.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
C-J Column
It seems that my column submitted to the Commonwealth Journal and printed below has not been controversial enough to warrant publication. I have been trying to engage people in a rational conversation about restructuring the national budget. Please read it and comment if you care to.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Arab states seek Libya no-fly zone - Africa - Al Jazeera English
Arab states seek Libya no-fly zone - Africa - Al Jazeera English
the Arab League makes it clear they want no boots on the ground. OK by me.
the Arab League makes it clear they want no boots on the ground. OK by me.
IDF hunting for perpetrators of brutal Itamar killings
IDF hunting for perpetrators of brutal Itamar killings
And, as usual, the existential crisis for Israel.
And, as usual, the existential crisis for Israel.
Washington Post - Politics, National, World & D.C. Area News and Headlines - washingtonpost.com
Washington Post - Politics, National, World & D.C. Area News and Headlines - washingtonpost.com
It is difficult to imagine the chaos when Mother Nature shows us how puny our preparations can be. Japan is facing an existential crisis from first the earthquake, then tsunami and now nuclear disaster. Our West Coast is even more vulnerable and just as likely to do the same. How will we deal with it?
It is difficult to imagine the chaos when Mother Nature shows us how puny our preparations can be. Japan is facing an existential crisis from first the earthquake, then tsunami and now nuclear disaster. Our West Coast is even more vulnerable and just as likely to do the same. How will we deal with it?
Missing Wisconsin Lawmakers Return - NYTimes.com
Missing Wisconsin Lawmakers Return - NYTimes.com
This has all been an ugly mess brought on by ideological fervor that has precluded all attempts at compromise. There is enough fault to go around. For the GOP for using the nuclear option and for the Democrats for leaving the state and refusing the debate. Yes, they would have been defeated but it would have been in a fashion that is consistent with our political system.
This has all been an ugly mess brought on by ideological fervor that has precluded all attempts at compromise. There is enough fault to go around. For the GOP for using the nuclear option and for the Democrats for leaving the state and refusing the debate. Yes, they would have been defeated but it would have been in a fashion that is consistent with our political system.
Arab League Backs No-Fly Zone Over Libya : NPR
Arab League Backs No-Fly Zone Over Libya : NPR
I really did not see this coming. To my memory it is the first time the league or any other Arab country has specifically requested this kind of intervention. Under cover of the UN it gains some legitimacy but it should still fall to the Arab nations and Europe to furnish the manpower. The US will have to step in now to shore up its relations with the new order that is emerging. We have been too involved with the old order and we must shed that millstone.
I really did not see this coming. To my memory it is the first time the league or any other Arab country has specifically requested this kind of intervention. Under cover of the UN it gains some legitimacy but it should still fall to the Arab nations and Europe to furnish the manpower. The US will have to step in now to shore up its relations with the new order that is emerging. We have been too involved with the old order and we must shed that millstone.
Solutions and Options
Solutions and Options: Part One
Don’t tax you, don’t tax me. Tax that fellow behind that tree.
Senator Russell B. Long (D-La.)
I really didn’t want to do this and I have been avoiding it for some time. I just did not want to have to think or study this hard. I think that is where a lot of us are. We grasp at the simplistic answers just so we don’t have to concern ourselves with the implications. The fact of the matter is simple. If I can see things or come up with an idea or two then the people that are smarter than me should be able to also. I believe they can so that only leaves willful disregard as an excuse. It is willful disregard due to political pressures or philosophical preferences and that just will not do any longer. We are all going to have to accept a different way of doing things and, if we do, we may find that it is not too painful.
Readers of this column will recall that recently I called out those people who are trying to tell us that this country is broke and can’t afford to do things for the people. I called it poppycock and it is the worst kind of poppycock. It is the kind that selfishly desires to amass advantage and fortune at the cost of the average citizen.
Before we start it needs to be said that we are not going to get to a balanced budget or decreasing the national debt by eliminating any or all of the discretionary budget. We could eliminate all of it and still not trim the deficit or debt. There is just not enough money there. There are only a few places where there is enough money spent to be able to achieve any significant amount. They are social programs, military and tax expenditures.
In this column I want to take on tax expenditures. Up until just a few months ago I didn’t even know what tax expenditures were. These are things that are built into the tax code as exemptions to benefit specific special interests. I am not going to try to argue the value of those exemptions but only to point out where revenues and expenditures can be altered to balance our budgets and fund our social framework.
Tax expenditures make up something just short of a trillion dollars a year in lost revenue to the federal government. Now, each one of these exemptions has its own constituency that will argue that its value outweighs its cost and they may be right. But that is not what we are dealing with here. We are looking for ways to fund government. A couple of the most beloved tax expenditures are the home mortgage interest deduction and the charitable contributions exclusion. The largest is the deduction that businesses can take for contributions to employee health care. You probably thought they did that out of the goodness of their hearts.
None of this is news. The tax expenditures were taken on by the Simpson-Bowles Commission and pointed out as favoring the more wealthy in our society and being available for significantly increasing revenues without raising taxes. Of course, a lot of people will call eliminating an exemption the same thing as raising taxes and that just can’t be avoided. Everyone is going to give his or her pound of flesh. I have a list of citations for reference for any of you that would care to see them. They can provide a good visual experience for evaluating tax policy.
Much to everyone’s dismay the solution for our financial mess is going to be combinations of measures that are sure to offend everyone. We did not get into this situation by overspending a million here and a million there. We created this hole by extending tax cuts that did result in a larger economy but unbalanced revenues. By engaging in wars without putting them on the books. By creating Medicare D (which I love) without specifying a way to pay for it. Then another tax cut that did the same thing as the other one. Each one of these gaffes hit the bank for hundreds of billions of dollars. The solutions to getting out of the hole will have to be significant as well.
Tax expenditures have to be considered. Social programs have to be on the block. For them we will probably have to raise the retirement age and the maximum amount that can be tapped for FICA. Last but not least, the military that President Eisenhower warned us about those 50 years ago.
I have a list of some of the tax expenditures if anyone would like to have them. These ideas are not my own but amalgams of what others have said. There is going to be something for everyone to hate so don’t feel left out. We don’t have to like it but we do have to take the medicine.
Next week we will look at military spending and some places we might be able to knock a few hundred billion off the bill.
That’s my take on the beginning of a long conversation about debt and deficit reduction. My goal will be to cause us to think about the implications and decide what we are willing to do without.
Don’t tax you, don’t tax me. Tax that fellow behind that tree.
Senator Russell B. Long (D-La.)
I really didn’t want to do this and I have been avoiding it for some time. I just did not want to have to think or study this hard. I think that is where a lot of us are. We grasp at the simplistic answers just so we don’t have to concern ourselves with the implications. The fact of the matter is simple. If I can see things or come up with an idea or two then the people that are smarter than me should be able to also. I believe they can so that only leaves willful disregard as an excuse. It is willful disregard due to political pressures or philosophical preferences and that just will not do any longer. We are all going to have to accept a different way of doing things and, if we do, we may find that it is not too painful.
Readers of this column will recall that recently I called out those people who are trying to tell us that this country is broke and can’t afford to do things for the people. I called it poppycock and it is the worst kind of poppycock. It is the kind that selfishly desires to amass advantage and fortune at the cost of the average citizen.
Before we start it needs to be said that we are not going to get to a balanced budget or decreasing the national debt by eliminating any or all of the discretionary budget. We could eliminate all of it and still not trim the deficit or debt. There is just not enough money there. There are only a few places where there is enough money spent to be able to achieve any significant amount. They are social programs, military and tax expenditures.
In this column I want to take on tax expenditures. Up until just a few months ago I didn’t even know what tax expenditures were. These are things that are built into the tax code as exemptions to benefit specific special interests. I am not going to try to argue the value of those exemptions but only to point out where revenues and expenditures can be altered to balance our budgets and fund our social framework.
Tax expenditures make up something just short of a trillion dollars a year in lost revenue to the federal government. Now, each one of these exemptions has its own constituency that will argue that its value outweighs its cost and they may be right. But that is not what we are dealing with here. We are looking for ways to fund government. A couple of the most beloved tax expenditures are the home mortgage interest deduction and the charitable contributions exclusion. The largest is the deduction that businesses can take for contributions to employee health care. You probably thought they did that out of the goodness of their hearts.
None of this is news. The tax expenditures were taken on by the Simpson-Bowles Commission and pointed out as favoring the more wealthy in our society and being available for significantly increasing revenues without raising taxes. Of course, a lot of people will call eliminating an exemption the same thing as raising taxes and that just can’t be avoided. Everyone is going to give his or her pound of flesh. I have a list of citations for reference for any of you that would care to see them. They can provide a good visual experience for evaluating tax policy.
Much to everyone’s dismay the solution for our financial mess is going to be combinations of measures that are sure to offend everyone. We did not get into this situation by overspending a million here and a million there. We created this hole by extending tax cuts that did result in a larger economy but unbalanced revenues. By engaging in wars without putting them on the books. By creating Medicare D (which I love) without specifying a way to pay for it. Then another tax cut that did the same thing as the other one. Each one of these gaffes hit the bank for hundreds of billions of dollars. The solutions to getting out of the hole will have to be significant as well.
Tax expenditures have to be considered. Social programs have to be on the block. For them we will probably have to raise the retirement age and the maximum amount that can be tapped for FICA. Last but not least, the military that President Eisenhower warned us about those 50 years ago.
I have a list of some of the tax expenditures if anyone would like to have them. These ideas are not my own but amalgams of what others have said. There is going to be something for everyone to hate so don’t feel left out. We don’t have to like it but we do have to take the medicine.
Next week we will look at military spending and some places we might be able to knock a few hundred billion off the bill.
That’s my take on the beginning of a long conversation about debt and deficit reduction. My goal will be to cause us to think about the implications and decide what we are willing to do without.
Friday, March 11, 2011
EU ups Libya sanctions 'Problem has a name: Gaddafi'
EU ups Libya sanctions 'Problem has a name: Gaddafi'
You know the Europeans aren't going to jump off the edge without cover.
You know the Europeans aren't going to jump off the edge without cover.
Japan Expands Evacuation Around Nuclear Plant - NYTimes.com
Japan Expands Evacuation Around Nuclear Plant - NYTimes.com
just when we thought it was safe to go in the water. new questions for nuclear?
just when we thought it was safe to go in the water. new questions for nuclear?
Thursday, March 10, 2011
U.S. Trade Gap Widens Amid Oil Price Surge : NPR
U.S. Trade Gap Widens Amid Oil Price Surge : NPR
here is the single largest economic item we have. we have go to begin to get off oil.
here is the single largest economic item we have. we have go to begin to get off oil.
Mitch Daniels: A 'Grown-Up' Brand Of GOP Politics : NPR
Mitch Daniels: A 'Grown-Up' Brand Of GOP Politics : NPR
David Brooks likes this guy. Sounds like he is an adult.
David Brooks likes this guy. Sounds like he is an adult.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Was $105 Billion Really 'Hidden' In The Health Law? : Shots - Health Blog : NPR
Was $105 Billion Really 'Hidden' In The Health Law? : Shots - Health Blog : NPR
Bachmann is ridiculous. I even recall this from the debates. Those who say they are shocked are just upset because they intended to defund the bill. Read the article.
Bachmann is ridiculous. I even recall this from the debates. Those who say they are shocked are just upset because they intended to defund the bill. Read the article.
Wisconsin GOP Bypasses Democrats On Budget Repair Vote : NPR
Wisconsin GOP Bypasses Democrats On Budget Repair Vote : NPR
regardless of your position on this it has been an ugly mess. And it ain't over.
regardless of your position on this it has been an ugly mess. And it ain't over.
Hundreds of Pro-Democracy Activists Attacked in Cairo - FoxNews.com
Hundreds of Pro-Democracy Activists Attacked in Cairo - FoxNews.com
Just in case you thought it was a done deal.
Just in case you thought it was a done deal.
Christians and Muslims in Fatal Clash Near Cairo - NYTimes.com
Christians and Muslims in Fatal Clash Near Cairo - NYTimes.com
The downside of ending totalitarian rule seems to be persecution of Christians who were protected under the old regimes.
The downside of ending totalitarian rule seems to be persecution of Christians who were protected under the old regimes.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
U.S. mulls arming rebels against Gadhafi, as NATO launches 24-hour air surveillance of Libya - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News
U.S. mulls arming rebels against Gadhafi, as NATO launches 24-hour air surveillance of Libya - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News
you know, we did this in Afghanistan and now they are using those weapons to kill us.
you know, we did this in Afghanistan and now they are using those weapons to kill us.
Leaders prepare UN resolution authorizing Libya no-fly zone
Leaders prepare UN resolution authorizing Libya no-fly zone
As I said. UN or NATO, Europeans take the lead.
As I said. UN or NATO, Europeans take the lead.
Egyptian press revels in newfound freedom
Egyptian press revels in newfound freedom
Aaaah! Nothing like sunlight to cleanse a political system.
Aaaah! Nothing like sunlight to cleanse a political system.
White House considers tapping oil reserves | Reuters
White House considers tapping oil reserves | Reuters
tapping the oil reserves prior to an oil shortage would be a grave mistake. economic pressures in the absence of a shortage should be given a lot of latitude to fluctuate in response to the market. Higher prices at the pump will force consumption down just like it did the last time and may give renewables the boost they need right now.
In my opinion, a more proper path would be a windfall profits tax or even a cap. Maybe we should examine disallowing oil trading on the commodity market.
tapping the oil reserves prior to an oil shortage would be a grave mistake. economic pressures in the absence of a shortage should be given a lot of latitude to fluctuate in response to the market. Higher prices at the pump will force consumption down just like it did the last time and may give renewables the boost they need right now.
In my opinion, a more proper path would be a windfall profits tax or even a cap. Maybe we should examine disallowing oil trading on the commodity market.
Afghanistan lets Blackwater stay despite shakeup of security contractors | World news | The Guardian
Afghanistan lets Blackwater stay despite shakeup of security contractors | World news | The Guardian
Karzai is such a tool. Forced to retreat from an unsustainable position.
Karzai is such a tool. Forced to retreat from an unsustainable position.
Obama Ends Ban on Military Trials At Guantanamo : NPR
Obama Ends Ban on Military Trials At Guantanamo : NPR
I really am disappointed that we are not going to have the trials in civilian court. Viscerally I am disappointed that the President did not raise more of a ruckus about this but I am trying to take solace in the fact that he is willing to change his mind to get the job done. I dare say that there are those on the left who are not taking solace.
I really am disappointed that we are not going to have the trials in civilian court. Viscerally I am disappointed that the President did not raise more of a ruckus about this but I am trying to take solace in the fact that he is willing to change his mind to get the job done. I dare say that there are those on the left who are not taking solace.
Sen. Scott Brown Asks David Koch For Campaign Cash (Or Dog Bites Man) : It's All Politics : NPR
Sen. Scott Brown Asks David Koch For Campaign Cash (Or Dog Bites Man) : It's All Politics : NPR
It is not so much the irony of one of the most moderate of Republicans asking the reactionary conservative for money as it is a sad discourse on the cost of getting elected.
It is not so much the irony of one of the most moderate of Republicans asking the reactionary conservative for money as it is a sad discourse on the cost of getting elected.
Saudi `Day of Rage' Lures $200 Oil Call Options: Chart of the Day - Bloomberg
Saudi `Day of Rage' Lures $200 Oil Call Options: Chart of the Day - Bloomberg
if you think gas prices are high now, just wait. This is an article you need to read.
if you think gas prices are high now, just wait. This is an article you need to read.
Apocalypse Now: Redux
I have just about had it with the Apocalypse Now twins, Senators Joe Lieberman and John McCain. These two guys are joined at the hip in their zeal for intruding our armed forces into additional wars even before we have extracted ourselves from the current ones. Haven’t we experienced this before? Is this déjà vu all over again?
Now the twins are just incensed that President Obama won’t jump the shark and plant a carrier group off Tripoli and begin running missions over the desert in a repeat of the no-fly zones in Iraq. Didn’t that work out really well? Not even the Secretary of Defense will provide cover. In a speech last week at West Point he pointedly stated that any Defense Secretary that would advise a President to engage in battle in Africa or Asia should have his head examined. How much plainer can one get?
Of course, Lieberman will jump at any opportunity to plant U.S. armed forces in any location that might be beneficial to Israel regardless of the cost to the United States. John McCain believes that the only thing wrong with the Vietnam War was that we didn’t burn the place down. Both of these guys would throw the entire might and fortune of the United States into that hellhole in Afghanistan until the last of us are slaughtered at the Khyber Pass like the British or broke and trickling home like the Russians.
One of the things that really burns me is that these guys are hawks on the deficits and debt but unflinchingly cascaded hundreds of billions of dollars into uninhabitable wastelands followed by thousands of lives of our best and brightest. All this in addition to the tens of thousands sent home wounded in body and spirit with little support from a grateful nation. Just exactly what is the deal with this? Can we not allow people to seek their own revolutions and governmental paths? Have we not learned that you can’t drop democracy fully formed into a people that have never even thought about it?
Both of these guys are passionate about Democracy and, while that is music to our ears, it is not as well received in Africa and Asia where they would like to have a little more say in the kind of government they can have. Our version of democracy is not universally appreciated even though we will wave the flag endlessly for it. Personally, I like our brand and I am unconvinced that our brand of democracy should go around the world trying to get people to swallow it like a dose of medicine. When they turn up their noses we are offended at their ignorance and disregard for our superior civilization.
What we have found is that wherever we insert our military might we inevitably end up becoming the aggressor and invader. People just don’t want us messing around in their country. Sure, they appreciate our helping them achieve their aims but then they want to show us the door. If we can’t make friends by using less aggressive and militaristic methods then perhaps we need to rethink our policy.
The Europeans, well, Germany and France, want us to establish the no-fly zone. I have to ask. Exactly what do they plan to contribute or do they want to use the tried and true method of leading from the rear and leaving us there to clean up the mess? In my opinion, the only way that we should get involved in a no-fly zone is through either NATO or the UN. And then only as a supporting force with the Europeans taking the lead. After all, this is in their back yard. Or is the front yard? Russian is in the back yard.
My point is this. Just like there are people running about saying we are broke and can’t afford to fund our government I think that our military is stretched to the limit and we can’t afford any further engagements right now.
We usually don’t like to see populations massacred but we have watched Biafra, Darfur, Congo and Sudan do the same thing without sending in the Marines. The difference? Oil. We can give a lot of support other than military to those who are seeking freedom from oppression and one of the first things we can do is stop supporting governments that oppress their people. We might be surprised how much friendlier the world would be.
That’s my rant on this take. How do you feel about engaging in another military action?
Now the twins are just incensed that President Obama won’t jump the shark and plant a carrier group off Tripoli and begin running missions over the desert in a repeat of the no-fly zones in Iraq. Didn’t that work out really well? Not even the Secretary of Defense will provide cover. In a speech last week at West Point he pointedly stated that any Defense Secretary that would advise a President to engage in battle in Africa or Asia should have his head examined. How much plainer can one get?
Of course, Lieberman will jump at any opportunity to plant U.S. armed forces in any location that might be beneficial to Israel regardless of the cost to the United States. John McCain believes that the only thing wrong with the Vietnam War was that we didn’t burn the place down. Both of these guys would throw the entire might and fortune of the United States into that hellhole in Afghanistan until the last of us are slaughtered at the Khyber Pass like the British or broke and trickling home like the Russians.
One of the things that really burns me is that these guys are hawks on the deficits and debt but unflinchingly cascaded hundreds of billions of dollars into uninhabitable wastelands followed by thousands of lives of our best and brightest. All this in addition to the tens of thousands sent home wounded in body and spirit with little support from a grateful nation. Just exactly what is the deal with this? Can we not allow people to seek their own revolutions and governmental paths? Have we not learned that you can’t drop democracy fully formed into a people that have never even thought about it?
Both of these guys are passionate about Democracy and, while that is music to our ears, it is not as well received in Africa and Asia where they would like to have a little more say in the kind of government they can have. Our version of democracy is not universally appreciated even though we will wave the flag endlessly for it. Personally, I like our brand and I am unconvinced that our brand of democracy should go around the world trying to get people to swallow it like a dose of medicine. When they turn up their noses we are offended at their ignorance and disregard for our superior civilization.
What we have found is that wherever we insert our military might we inevitably end up becoming the aggressor and invader. People just don’t want us messing around in their country. Sure, they appreciate our helping them achieve their aims but then they want to show us the door. If we can’t make friends by using less aggressive and militaristic methods then perhaps we need to rethink our policy.
The Europeans, well, Germany and France, want us to establish the no-fly zone. I have to ask. Exactly what do they plan to contribute or do they want to use the tried and true method of leading from the rear and leaving us there to clean up the mess? In my opinion, the only way that we should get involved in a no-fly zone is through either NATO or the UN. And then only as a supporting force with the Europeans taking the lead. After all, this is in their back yard. Or is the front yard? Russian is in the back yard.
My point is this. Just like there are people running about saying we are broke and can’t afford to fund our government I think that our military is stretched to the limit and we can’t afford any further engagements right now.
We usually don’t like to see populations massacred but we have watched Biafra, Darfur, Congo and Sudan do the same thing without sending in the Marines. The difference? Oil. We can give a lot of support other than military to those who are seeking freedom from oppression and one of the first things we can do is stop supporting governments that oppress their people. We might be surprised how much friendlier the world would be.
That’s my rant on this take. How do you feel about engaging in another military action?
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Karzai Rejects U.S. Apology Over Afghan Killings : NPR
Karzai Rejects U.S. Apology Over Afghan Killings : NPR
And herein lies the problem of stationing a large army in a hostile land. If you have to appeal to the citizenry you inevitably will be asked to put troops in unacceptable danger and create a hostile populace. Time to go.
And herein lies the problem of stationing a large army in a hostile land. If you have to appeal to the citizenry you inevitably will be asked to put troops in unacceptable danger and create a hostile populace. Time to go.
Friday, March 4, 2011
George F. Will - Mike Huckabee, Newt Gingrich and the spotlight-chasing candidates of 2012
George F. Will - Mike Huckabee, Newt Gingrich and the spotlight-chasing candidates of 2012
A thinking conservative has scarce a place to land these days.
A thinking conservative has scarce a place to land these days.
Huntington’s Clash of Civilizations Revisited - NYTimes.com
Huntington’s Clash of Civilizations Revisited - NYTimes.com
This is an excellent article. David Brooks is one of my favorite top 3 conservative writers. You can always rely on his commentary to be well thought out and capable of overcoming ideological boundaries.
This is an excellent article. David Brooks is one of my favorite top 3 conservative writers. You can always rely on his commentary to be well thought out and capable of overcoming ideological boundaries.
Health Insurance Puzzle - Rising Premiums, Shrinking Coverage - NYTimes.com
Health Insurance Puzzle - Rising Premiums, Shrinking Coverage - NYTimes.com
It is proof positive that the health insurance industry is profit driven and has no sympathy for the ill. Until the health care bill kicks in and begins to offer lower cost alternatives the insurance companies will continue to rake the consumers over the coals.
It is proof positive that the health insurance industry is profit driven and has no sympathy for the ill. Until the health care bill kicks in and begins to offer lower cost alternatives the insurance companies will continue to rake the consumers over the coals.
Saudis mobilise thousands of troops to quell growing revolt - Middle East, World - The Independent
Saudis mobilise thousands of troops to quell growing revolt - Middle East, World - The Independent
This one has the potential to be the most disruptive of all of the rebellions in the Middle East. Many Arabs already see the United States as being key to keeping the Sheiks who oppress them in power. What the US does in response will echo down the years and affect oil prices in a very significant way.
This one has the potential to be the most disruptive of all of the rebellions in the Middle East. Many Arabs already see the United States as being key to keeping the Sheiks who oppress them in power. What the US does in response will echo down the years and affect oil prices in a very significant way.
Florida's Scott Turns Away $2.4 Billion For Rail Project : The Two-Way : NPR
Florida's Scott Turns Away $2.4 Billion For Rail Project : The Two-Way : NPR
It's hard to change the mind of someone who has his mind made up.
It's hard to change the mind of someone who has his mind made up.
Solutions and Options: Part One
Don’t tax you, don’t tax me. Tax that fellow behind that tree.
Senator Russell B. Long (D-La.)
I really didn’t want to do this and I have been avoiding it for some time. I just did not want to have to think or study this hard. I think that is where a lot of us are. We grasp at the simplistic answers just so we don’t have to concern ourselves with the implications. The fact of the matter is simple. If I can see things or come up with an idea or two then the people that are smarter than me should be able to also. I believe they can so that only leaves willful disregard as an excuse. It is willful disregard due to political pressures or philosophical preferences and that just will not do any longer. We are all going to have to accept a different way of doing things and, if we do, we may find that it is not too painful.
Readers of this column will recall that recently I called out those people who are trying to tell us that this country is broke and can’t afford to do things for the people. I called it poppycock and it is the worst kind of poppycock. It is the kind that selfishly desires to amass advantage and fortune at the cost of the average citizen.
Before we start it needs to be said that we are not going to get to a balanced budget or decreasing the national debt by eliminating any or all of the discretionary budget. We could eliminate all of it and still not trim the deficit or debt. There is just not enough money there. There are only a few places where there is enough money spent to be able to achieve any significant amount. They are social programs, military and tax expenditures.
In this column I want to take on tax expenditures. Up until just a few months ago I didn’t even know what tax expenditures were. These are things that are built into the tax code as exemptions to benefit specific special interests. I am not going to try to argue the value of those exemptions but only to point out where revenues and expenditures can be altered to balance our budgets and fund our social framework.
Tax expenditures make up something just short of a trillion dollars a year in lost revenue to the federal government. Now, each one of these exemptions has its own constituency that will argue that its value outweighs its cost and they may be right. But that is not what we are dealing with here. We are looking for ways to fund government. A couple of the most beloved tax expenditures are the home mortgage interest deduction and the charitable contributions exclusion. The largest is the deduction that businesses can take for contributions to employee health care. You probably thought they did that out of the goodness of their hearts.
None of this is news. The tax expenditures were taken on by the Simpson-Bowles Commission and pointed out as favoring the more wealthy in our society and being available for significantly increasing revenues without raising taxes. Of course, a lot of people will call eliminating an exemption the same thing as raising taxes and that just can’t be avoided. Everyone is going to give his or her pound of flesh. I have a list of citations for reference for any of you that would care to see them. They can provide a good visual experience for evaluating tax policy.
Much to everyone’s dismay the solution for our financial mess is going to be combinations of measures that are sure to offend everyone. We did not get into this situation by overspending a million here and a million there. We created this hole by extending tax cuts that did result in a larger economy but unbalanced revenues. By engaging in wars without putting them on the books. By creating Medicare D (which I love) without specifying a way to pay for it. By another tax cut that did the same thing as the other one. Each one of these gaffes hit the bank for hundreds of billions of dollars. The solutions to getting out of the hole will have to be significant as well.
Tax expenditures have to be considered. Social programs have to be on the block. For them we will probably have to raise the retirement age and the maximum amount that can be tapped for FICA. Last but not least, the military that President Eisenhower warned us about those 50 years ago.
I have a list of some of the tax expenditures if anyone would like to have them. These ideas are not my own but amalgams of what others have said. There is going to be something for everyone to hate so don’t feel left out. We don’t have to like it but we do have to take the medicine.
Next week we will look at military spending and some places we might be able to knock a few hundred billion off the bill.
That’s my take on the beginning of a long conversation about debt and deficit reduction. My goal will be to cause us to think about the implications and decide what we are willing to do without.
Senator Russell B. Long (D-La.)
I really didn’t want to do this and I have been avoiding it for some time. I just did not want to have to think or study this hard. I think that is where a lot of us are. We grasp at the simplistic answers just so we don’t have to concern ourselves with the implications. The fact of the matter is simple. If I can see things or come up with an idea or two then the people that are smarter than me should be able to also. I believe they can so that only leaves willful disregard as an excuse. It is willful disregard due to political pressures or philosophical preferences and that just will not do any longer. We are all going to have to accept a different way of doing things and, if we do, we may find that it is not too painful.
Readers of this column will recall that recently I called out those people who are trying to tell us that this country is broke and can’t afford to do things for the people. I called it poppycock and it is the worst kind of poppycock. It is the kind that selfishly desires to amass advantage and fortune at the cost of the average citizen.
Before we start it needs to be said that we are not going to get to a balanced budget or decreasing the national debt by eliminating any or all of the discretionary budget. We could eliminate all of it and still not trim the deficit or debt. There is just not enough money there. There are only a few places where there is enough money spent to be able to achieve any significant amount. They are social programs, military and tax expenditures.
In this column I want to take on tax expenditures. Up until just a few months ago I didn’t even know what tax expenditures were. These are things that are built into the tax code as exemptions to benefit specific special interests. I am not going to try to argue the value of those exemptions but only to point out where revenues and expenditures can be altered to balance our budgets and fund our social framework.
Tax expenditures make up something just short of a trillion dollars a year in lost revenue to the federal government. Now, each one of these exemptions has its own constituency that will argue that its value outweighs its cost and they may be right. But that is not what we are dealing with here. We are looking for ways to fund government. A couple of the most beloved tax expenditures are the home mortgage interest deduction and the charitable contributions exclusion. The largest is the deduction that businesses can take for contributions to employee health care. You probably thought they did that out of the goodness of their hearts.
None of this is news. The tax expenditures were taken on by the Simpson-Bowles Commission and pointed out as favoring the more wealthy in our society and being available for significantly increasing revenues without raising taxes. Of course, a lot of people will call eliminating an exemption the same thing as raising taxes and that just can’t be avoided. Everyone is going to give his or her pound of flesh. I have a list of citations for reference for any of you that would care to see them. They can provide a good visual experience for evaluating tax policy.
Much to everyone’s dismay the solution for our financial mess is going to be combinations of measures that are sure to offend everyone. We did not get into this situation by overspending a million here and a million there. We created this hole by extending tax cuts that did result in a larger economy but unbalanced revenues. By engaging in wars without putting them on the books. By creating Medicare D (which I love) without specifying a way to pay for it. By another tax cut that did the same thing as the other one. Each one of these gaffes hit the bank for hundreds of billions of dollars. The solutions to getting out of the hole will have to be significant as well.
Tax expenditures have to be considered. Social programs have to be on the block. For them we will probably have to raise the retirement age and the maximum amount that can be tapped for FICA. Last but not least, the military that President Eisenhower warned us about those 50 years ago.
I have a list of some of the tax expenditures if anyone would like to have them. These ideas are not my own but amalgams of what others have said. There is going to be something for everyone to hate so don’t feel left out. We don’t have to like it but we do have to take the medicine.
Next week we will look at military spending and some places we might be able to knock a few hundred billion off the bill.
That’s my take on the beginning of a long conversation about debt and deficit reduction. My goal will be to cause us to think about the implications and decide what we are willing to do without.
Switch From Dollar Bills To Dollar Coins Could Save $5.5 Billion, GAO Says : The Two-Way : NPR
Switch From Dollar Bills To Dollar Coins Could Save $5.5 Billion, GAO Says : The Two-Way : NPR
Looks like this would be a no-brainer. I never have understood why we don't just eliminate the dollar bill. We ought to just do it and not ask about it any more.
Looks like this would be a no-brainer. I never have understood why we don't just eliminate the dollar bill. We ought to just do it and not ask about it any more.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Boehner Should Face Primary Challenge: Top Tea Party Activist : It's All Politics : NPR
Boehner Should Face Primary Challenge: Top Tea Party Activist : It's All Politics : NPR
The old folks used to call it cutting off your nose to spite your face.
The old folks used to call it cutting off your nose to spite your face.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
A Voice Of Republican Moderation In Wisconsin - The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan
A Voice Of Republican Moderation In Wisconsin - The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan
A link to a video of a Republican legislator in Wisconsin that speaks with a more moderate voice than what we have heard on the evening news.
A link to a video of a Republican legislator in Wisconsin that speaks with a more moderate voice than what we have heard on the evening news.
With One-Vote Margin, Ohio State Senate Passes SB 5 | TPMDC
With One-Vote Margin, Ohio State Senate Passes SB 5 | TPMDC
The South is not fertile ground for unionists but the results are to be seen in lower wages and benefits. In the cases of Ohio and Wisconsin the states simply want to get out of contracts already negotiated. They say that the negotiators for the state have no incentive to limit rewards to the unions since they have no skin in the game. I would reply that those negotiators were either elected or appointed by someone who was elected. That is what elections are for.
The South is not fertile ground for unionists but the results are to be seen in lower wages and benefits. In the cases of Ohio and Wisconsin the states simply want to get out of contracts already negotiated. They say that the negotiators for the state have no incentive to limit rewards to the unions since they have no skin in the game. I would reply that those negotiators were either elected or appointed by someone who was elected. That is what elections are for.
Lt. Gen. John Kelly, who lost son to war, says U.S. largely unaware of sacrifice
Lt. Gen. John Kelly, who lost son to war, says U.S. largely unaware of sacrifice
I once railed against the draft for armed forces and still have a negative opinion of it. However, one thing the draft did was to share the pain with the average citizen. This is not happening now and it manifests itself by a willingness to send our troops into battle where we have nothing to lose. It is despicable.
While I will still oppose conscription I will certainly acknowledge the disconnect. We should take very seriously the action of sending our sons and daughters to war. I don't think we have done so.
I once railed against the draft for armed forces and still have a negative opinion of it. However, one thing the draft did was to share the pain with the average citizen. This is not happening now and it manifests itself by a willingness to send our troops into battle where we have nothing to lose. It is despicable.
While I will still oppose conscription I will certainly acknowledge the disconnect. We should take very seriously the action of sending our sons and daughters to war. I don't think we have done so.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
The Wild West Survives
Wild West
A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America
The Constitution of the United States was ratified in 1788 but it was not until 1791 that the Bill of Rights was ratified which contained the Second Amendment. All of this is history and indisputable but that has never deterred the American People from argument. When these documents were ratified the United States had no standing army; indeed, the framers had resisted any call for a standing army as a result of their experience with armies being used to subjugate the people. They feared them and had no use for them. As a result they determined to use militias formed from the citizenry for the common defense and provision was made that the citizenry would not be hindered from the possession of firearms. They thought the risk of improper usage of firearms to be far less than the risk of misuse of a standing army.
By today’s standards that was a quaint thought but I am certain the framers of our Constitution did not foresee the dense population and dangerous world in which we live. It became evident quite soon that a standing army was going to be necessary in order to be able to mount a timely defense against attack and we were set on the path we now tread, having the most expensive military in the world. It is mind-boggling sometimes how things can change.
Once again the debate over gun control is on the front page and the NRA is rallying its forces to beat back any attempt to restrict firearms in any way by using the analogy of the slippery slope. The Supreme Court has ruled that the Second Amendment forbids restriction of firearms even though we do make exceptions to that rule.
Interpretation of the Second Amendment seems quite clear to me if poorly worded. It probably was more appropriate in 1791. First it states a postulate, that a well-regulated militia is necessary for the security of a free state. Then it states the condition of that postulate which is the right to bear arms. It seems clear that the right to bear arms is predicated on the need to provide for the security of the free state. Logically it follows that if we no longer rely on militias then we need no longer allow for the unrestricted possession of firearms.
I understand about the slippery slope thing and the adage that if we outlaw guns then only outlaws will have guns. I get that. What I don’t get is that legal authority cannot restrict their possession and use. Why can’t we restrict the possession of assault rifles and clips that allow for 30 rounds in a handgun? Why can’t we come up with some compromise that will allow us to get the most egregious weapons off the streets?
I recall that just before the Presidential election I was in a store that deals in firearms and a guy in line in front of me was purchasing multiple boxes of ammunition for fear that the new President was going to outlaw ammunition. This is the same kind of response we get anytime we begin to talk about gun regulation. To be sure, there are those who would ban all guns of any type but I don’t think we are there yet as a nation. The only legal uses of firearms are for hunting, recreation and defense. We do not need assault weapons to bring down deer unless you are a really bad shot. If you are that bad perhaps you need to rethink the propriety of your being in the woods.
After the event in Tucson some people said that if there had been more guns there then they could have stopped the shooter. I doubt that. What would have happened is that there would have been lead flying everywhere. A bullet is indiscriminate. It will kill whatever is in front of it. As evidence all we need are the instances of death by friendly fire (an oxymoron if ever there was one) in our military. I think everything was done that could have been done. The one person who admitted having a gun didn’t have time to get a shot off.
I don’t hunt any more. I used to and I don’t have anything against it. It just doesn’t appeal to me but I do own several weapons. Why? I don’t know, I just like them. They aren’t loaded so what kind of protection is that? If you don’t have a loaded one on you when you need it then they are little use for protection. But, like many Americans, I just like mine and I’m not likely to give them up. But a 30/30 with 5 shots is different than a Glock with 31.
Certainly the manufacturers are all for unlimited possession but we are told that our country is the supplier of arms to the drug cartels in Mexico and around the world. On top of that, Kentucky is one of the easiest places to purchase weapons. Do we really want that?
My take on sensible gun regulation. I think I have dealt with the Second Amendment and the slippery slope but I am interested in your personal opinions on the matter.
A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America
The Constitution of the United States was ratified in 1788 but it was not until 1791 that the Bill of Rights was ratified which contained the Second Amendment. All of this is history and indisputable but that has never deterred the American People from argument. When these documents were ratified the United States had no standing army; indeed, the framers had resisted any call for a standing army as a result of their experience with armies being used to subjugate the people. They feared them and had no use for them. As a result they determined to use militias formed from the citizenry for the common defense and provision was made that the citizenry would not be hindered from the possession of firearms. They thought the risk of improper usage of firearms to be far less than the risk of misuse of a standing army.
By today’s standards that was a quaint thought but I am certain the framers of our Constitution did not foresee the dense population and dangerous world in which we live. It became evident quite soon that a standing army was going to be necessary in order to be able to mount a timely defense against attack and we were set on the path we now tread, having the most expensive military in the world. It is mind-boggling sometimes how things can change.
Once again the debate over gun control is on the front page and the NRA is rallying its forces to beat back any attempt to restrict firearms in any way by using the analogy of the slippery slope. The Supreme Court has ruled that the Second Amendment forbids restriction of firearms even though we do make exceptions to that rule.
Interpretation of the Second Amendment seems quite clear to me if poorly worded. It probably was more appropriate in 1791. First it states a postulate, that a well-regulated militia is necessary for the security of a free state. Then it states the condition of that postulate which is the right to bear arms. It seems clear that the right to bear arms is predicated on the need to provide for the security of the free state. Logically it follows that if we no longer rely on militias then we need no longer allow for the unrestricted possession of firearms.
I understand about the slippery slope thing and the adage that if we outlaw guns then only outlaws will have guns. I get that. What I don’t get is that legal authority cannot restrict their possession and use. Why can’t we restrict the possession of assault rifles and clips that allow for 30 rounds in a handgun? Why can’t we come up with some compromise that will allow us to get the most egregious weapons off the streets?
I recall that just before the Presidential election I was in a store that deals in firearms and a guy in line in front of me was purchasing multiple boxes of ammunition for fear that the new President was going to outlaw ammunition. This is the same kind of response we get anytime we begin to talk about gun regulation. To be sure, there are those who would ban all guns of any type but I don’t think we are there yet as a nation. The only legal uses of firearms are for hunting, recreation and defense. We do not need assault weapons to bring down deer unless you are a really bad shot. If you are that bad perhaps you need to rethink the propriety of your being in the woods.
After the event in Tucson some people said that if there had been more guns there then they could have stopped the shooter. I doubt that. What would have happened is that there would have been lead flying everywhere. A bullet is indiscriminate. It will kill whatever is in front of it. As evidence all we need are the instances of death by friendly fire (an oxymoron if ever there was one) in our military. I think everything was done that could have been done. The one person who admitted having a gun didn’t have time to get a shot off.
I don’t hunt any more. I used to and I don’t have anything against it. It just doesn’t appeal to me but I do own several weapons. Why? I don’t know, I just like them. They aren’t loaded so what kind of protection is that? If you don’t have a loaded one on you when you need it then they are little use for protection. But, like many Americans, I just like mine and I’m not likely to give them up. But a 30/30 with 5 shots is different than a Glock with 31.
Certainly the manufacturers are all for unlimited possession but we are told that our country is the supplier of arms to the drug cartels in Mexico and around the world. On top of that, Kentucky is one of the easiest places to purchase weapons. Do we really want that?
My take on sensible gun regulation. I think I have dealt with the Second Amendment and the slippery slope but I am interested in your personal opinions on the matter.
Suze Rotolo, Dylan's Cover Girl, Has Died
http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2011/03/01/134168271/suze-rotolo-dylans-cover-girl-has-died
The U.S. Owes China $1.2 Trillion : Planet Money : NPR
The U.S. Owes China $1.2 Trillion : Planet Money : NPR
with a national debt of some 14 trillion dollars a lot of people think we own it all to the Chinese. Not so. Only about 4.5 trillion is owed to foreign entities. Where is the rest of it? Well, for starters, 2.5 trillion is owed to Social Security. Even at that we've only accounted for about 1/2.
with a national debt of some 14 trillion dollars a lot of people think we own it all to the Chinese. Not so. Only about 4.5 trillion is owed to foreign entities. Where is the rest of it? Well, for starters, 2.5 trillion is owed to Social Security. Even at that we've only accounted for about 1/2.
SEC and CFTC targets of Wall Street financial reform - Mar. 1, 2011
SEC and CFTC targets of Wall Street financial reform - Mar. 1, 2011
Here we are some 3 years after the Wall Street debacle and still there are none of the people responsible in jail. It could be that this is the way it is going to be. It is possible that the legal area in which they operated was fuzzy enough to allow debatable actions. One thing that is agreed on is that regulation was ineffective and that some of the crisis creating actions were allowed to continue without examination. Now we see those in Congress attempting to recreate the same conditions in their zeal to cut budgets and regulation. Penny wise and Pound foolish.
Here we are some 3 years after the Wall Street debacle and still there are none of the people responsible in jail. It could be that this is the way it is going to be. It is possible that the legal area in which they operated was fuzzy enough to allow debatable actions. One thing that is agreed on is that regulation was ineffective and that some of the crisis creating actions were allowed to continue without examination. Now we see those in Congress attempting to recreate the same conditions in their zeal to cut budgets and regulation. Penny wise and Pound foolish.
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