Happy New Year And Make A Resolution.

Well, it's nearly New Year's Eve. Time to make our annual resolutions. Does anyone remember what they resolved to do or not do, last New Year's Eve? I recall that I resolved to not eat rutabaga. It was easy to keep. I can't stand the stuff. I may try again to abstain. What about our elected officials. Both in Washington and in state capitals? Do you suppose they make resolutions too? I can hear it now. "My fellow Americans, I pledge to lower taxes and increase services in the coming year". Don't ya just know it? In closed door sessions, they pledge to increase corporate "gifting" to legislators through the fine upstanding residents of K street. I speak of our corp of money launderers known as lobbyists. True, they do speak on behalf of the needs of their employers. Therein lies the problem. If our elected officials really wanted to do the right thing, they'd give no more attention to these folks as they do to regular citizens. That is to say, they should pay no attention to lobbyists at all. Now, I understand how improper that would be, not to mention, it would be rude and inconsiderate to ignore lobbyists like they ignore John Q. Public. After all, the lobbyists foot the bill for everything of importance to our democracy. They provide free transportation, housing and meals, tee times, overseas junkets and most importantly, campaign contributions including to the PACs that have become so important and indispensable to the electoral process, to our legislators. After all, if it were not for these funds, who would tell you how terrible and vile and incompetent their opponents are? I for one applaud both our elected officials and the lobbyists who endeavor to keep them in office.

Not The State Legislatures. Please. Please. Please.

There is a move underfoot, mostly by the Tea Party, to give state legislatures veto power over the federal government. Now, on the face of it, that sounds like a good idea. After all, some rather poor legislation can occasionally come out of our Congress. Having said that, I'm not so sure the idea of giving veto power to many state legislatures is a better idea. Take a look around at your state legislatures. Anybody see one they'd want to replace our national government with? If you're not sure, take a look at a map of your state that shows the political districts. If you think that map makes no good sense, just imagine your state legislature making decisions that affect the whole country and even the whole world. The problem with most state legislatures is that they're far more political then Congress. And being political doesn't necessarily translate into an honest representation of the population. How can that happen? Easy. A sweep by one party nationally, in any given election, at the right time, can get some real boneheads elected on the state level. If it happens near the time of reapportionment of electoral districts, right after a census, one party or the other can wind up with the ability to make it much more likely that in the next election they'll win more seats, both state-wide and nationally. It's a broken system and giving this system the opportunity to cause more grief just isn't the answer. If grief is what you want, why not just fire everybody and then walk away. A taste of no government will quickly refocus your mind on the need for national health. And I'm not talking about medical needs. To give states the veto power, would make the federal government virtually powerless. In fact there would be no point in having a national government under those circumstances. The Tea Party has a few good ideas. This is not one of them. They need to pay attention to what they wanted in the first place and watch out for those who want to radicalize and those who want to co-opt for one side or the other. Tea should be nonpartisan. Coffee too.

Merry Christmas To ALL.

Well it's Christmas day so I guess I should saw something meaningful and celebratory. I'd like to say that I'm thankful for so many small things. Like the fact that there's still some wine left after everyone's gone. In the peace that follows a holiday as important as today, I read in the Washington Post that a reader feels that people who are not Christians should stop celebrating Christmas. My hat's off to this Scrooge for his or her sentiments. But after hearing our pastor speak at Christmas Eve services last night, I think the reader has it wrong. After all, Christmas is for everyone. That's the whole point of Christianity. If you don't believe that, how can you think of yourself as a Christian. After all, Christ did look to the outsider, the sinner, not the religious leaders of his time. That may well be the problem with our society today. We seem to think of ourselves as the chosen people, when in fact we're the outsiders trying to get in. If we really want to be chosen, we need to accept others. Well, so much for my sermon, have a Very Merry Christmas and I hope there's some wine left at your house. If there is, give me a call, if not, the liquor store will be open on Sunday.

So Which One's The Winner? Not You Or Me.

I just watched a couple of 'so called experts' being interviewed on TV. One was a Democrat and one a Republican. They were being asked about the 'lame duck' session of congress. The Democrat was falling all over himself telling the viewers how the Democrats and President Obama were creating some great work that will help them down the road because they've been able to force Republicans to cave in on many issues allowing for passage of some great legislation. The Republican pointed out how his party has finally been able to force Democrats to face up to reality in this session knowing that in the next session, Republicans be in control and will be able to repeal any unwanted and wasteful laws the Democrats sneaked through. Now this isn't an exact qoutational report of the interviews, but it gets the point across. What point, you ask? The point is that, both these people truly felt that his party had triumphed over the other party in this last couple of weeks. What they don't realize is that which party triumphed over the other is of absolutely no importance. What they don't realize is that the American people are losing in this struggle. There doesn't seem to be a single politician in Washington that really understands that every one of their actions directly and all too often, adversely affects millions of people. That fact isn't even on their radar. It's as though you and I decided to block the entrance door to the only supermarket in town in order to be the first ones to get at the lobster going on sale tomorrow. What if somebody needs some food to put on their kids plate tonight? Doesn't that matter? These politicians fight over who's going to get the upper hand while people go without food and shelter or medical attention. Is it really more important that some rich guy gets to keep his tax break then that some hungry family finds a job or some First Responder gets his medical bills paid for an illness he got responding to a 911 call at the twin towers? I have to say, the folks we've elected to do the nations business seem only capable of doing funny business. I'm ashamed of them all. It's too bad we don't have term limits. It's almost as bad as the upcoming reconfiguring of political districts. Which will become a scam and a sham.

An Explaination For High Gas Prices.

Have any of you folks noticed the increased gasoline prices of late? Well, I contacted Mr. B.P. Von Hexxon, noted oil impresario. Mr. Von Hexxon, can you answer my and my friends question as to why gas prices are so high? I mean, they just sort of sneaked up on us. Vell, Mr. Snowbeard, the prices are not so high as you suggest. They have only gone up slightly and that is a result of several factors. First you must remember that last spring, we had to gear up to meet demand for Summer driving habits. Then in the Autumn, we had to switch to home heating oil. Both of these factors created shortages in supply. Then there is the problem that we cannot drill more wells in the Gulf of Mexico because the government has stopped us because of the oil spill. All of this also created additional shortages forcing prices slightly higher. But Mr. Von Hexxon---- Oh please Mr Snowbeard, call me B.P. We're becoming fast friends. Well, B.P., how come prices didn't jump up when the oil spill started, and how come you need more wells just to produce the same amount, and how come prices didn't come down after you switched over and how come they didn't come down when driving decreased from Summer to Autumn and Winter and how come you think it's only a slight increase when the price is well over $3 per gallon? Huh? How come B.P? Please Mr. Snowbeard, my name is Mr. Von Hexxon. Well, tell me this, Mr. Von Hexxon, what does the B.P. stand for? Bigger Profits, Mr. Snowbeard. Oh, I get it.

Shame On The Senate!

Wouldn't ya just know it. Everyone running for Congress this last Fall exclaimed their disgust with "earmarks", especially Republicans courting the Tea Partiers. Well, now that the elections are over, Congress is ready to pass a Trillion plus dollar  spending bill, with well over $8 billion in, guess what? Earmarks. When questioned about their promises, several Republican Senators who have earmarks in the bill tried to squirm out from under it by promising to vote against the bill. Talk about snakes. But here's something even worse. With all the hullabaloo about legislation, the Senate is unable to pass a bill that would help fund medical costs for First Responders to the 911 sight in Manhattan. It seems the Republicans, who constantly use the 911 card whenever they feel it will help their cause to mention it, are holding up the bill from coming to a vote. So they have time to add earmarks to other legislation and are willing to claim brotherhood with these First Responders to help themselves get elected, but don't have time to pass this bill to help the folks who are suffering all sorts of diseases directly related to their work at ground zero. Ain't ya just proud of these politicians. The House of Representatives already passed the bill. But not the Senate Republicans. And lets not forget the Democrats. They could easily force a vote that would require the Republicans to stand up and face up, but are too timid to force the vote. Ya want my opinion? Well here it is anyway. Not one single Senator in Washington is worthy of anything but our scorn and disgust. Shame on them. SHAME ON THEM.  SHAME ON THEM! I just hope that we all remember those who stand for reelection in two years. In the meantime an email to your Senator is timely and appropriate.

A Bonus For Teachers.

OK. So here's where we are. We owe China a gazillion dollars which we can't pay back, we can only get the rare earth metals we need from china and wouldn't be able to change that for at least 15 years if we wanted to, and we certainly should want to, we're about to get another $900 billion of debt with the tax law which will almost surly pass both houses, we have 15 million people unemployed while industry is sitting on two trillion dollars instead of investing it in upgrading, our educational system has fallen far behind most of the rest of the industrial world while our most prestigious colleges are bringing in foreign nationals from China and other countries who may not be our best buddies instead of accepting our own young people, our infrastructure is rusting and rotting away from under and around us. Our congress is more interested in playing footsie games with each other and corporate America than it is in solving our problems. All in all we're in exactly the kind of shape our leaders want us. That is to say, we're completely beholding to them and we'll let them do just about anything they want to us and for themselves. Does anyone feel like a chump? We're all mad at Bernie Maddof for his ponzi scheme, but don't seem to mind our Congress pulling an ongoing ponzi scheme on us. So what does that make us? Dumb Chumps. Maybe that's what the DC in Washington DC means. So, what's the answer? You wouldn't like the answer if anyone told you. But let me tell you that extending tax cuts for the wealthy and seeing school districts across America lay teachers off is just plain dumb. If we had a hundred billion to spend on education, I'd use it to pay big bonuses to teachers who excel. I'd make the bonuses tax free to boot. And that's just for starters. How would I know which teachers to give the bonuses to? I wouldn't know. I'd ask the students and their parents. They know.

Vote For Me. I'll Take Care Of You.

Well, it's decided. I'm going to run for office. But unlike Pat Paulson, a comedian from the 60s or 70s who ran for president as a comedic gag, I'm running for Congress. Paulson's problem was that he set his sights too low. See, Congress is where the real money is. What with PACs and slush funds and junkets and corporate largess it's a dream come true. Not only that, but if you become a congressman, after one term, two years, you can retire to a life of ease with full benefits. Or you can take the full benefits and become a lobbyist. The nice part about that is that you get complete access to everything from the exclusive restaurant that is off limits to all but current and former lawmakers. So now I have the gear up for 2012. After all, most of my competition is already in full swing. In fact they're in full campaign swing 24/7/52 every year. Well, I've come up with a slogan for my campaign. "A VOTE FOR ME, IS A VOTE FOR ME!" Catchie, isn't it. I believe in Truth In Campaigning. We'll worry about what I say or do after the elections, after the elections. For now, I want to be completely truthful. Well at least as far as anyone will be able to tell. The real difficulty is in determining just what people know and whether or not they'll talk. The rest is a cake walk. I plan on doing all my campaigning in corporate boardrooms. Never mind the cigar smoke, I'll wear a mask if I have to. The next question, which has nothing to do with which corporate boardrooms, is which state and district to run in. I'm looking for someone in the House of Representatives who is ready to retire and has no "up and comer" waiting in the wings. I'd especially be interested in a district with an opponent who is in favor of laws to help and protect the working man and the poor and who is opposed to any legislation to give tax breaks to business and industry. I'm also interested in someone who is against gun ownership rights. That would be like manna from heaven. So if you know of such a place, let me know. There may be a place for you on my staff.

One Person! That's What Congress Needs To Understand.

Have you been watching the rioting in England by students who are upset over the proposed tripling of tuition for college in the country? Ya know, I have to agree with them. Not the violence, there's never justification for that, but for education to go up three times from what it is now is surely a bad idea. After all, it really is education more then anything that will create jobs and prosperity. You have to wonder how much of an increase in the taxes on the wealthy in England has been proposed. Do you think their taxes were tripled? I wonder how long it'll be before people in this country are fed up with the rich getting all the breaks and the rest of us being told to "eat cake". Some wealthy folks in France acted like that a couple hundred years ago and lost their heads for it. I don't advocate any such thing here, but a little rallying and even peaceful rioting just might be in order here. The Tea Party started off on the right foot, but they got hoodwinked into thinking they should be Republicans. They shouldn't be either party and they should be both parties. What they should be, is against the continuing and increasingly rapid transfer of wealth into the hands of fewer and fewer  ultra-wealthy people. What we need is an honest, uncorrupted, clear-thinking Tea Party. And then we need to let our elected officials know in no uncertain terms that the free lunch is over. No more support from the wealthy and Corporations will be acceptable. One person ( a corporation is not a person) one vote. And one person at a time gets the ear of any elected official. One Person.

This Is Great Legislation

Ahha. Once again the Republican have shown that they alone run our government. That's right folks, it has nothing to do with how many of which party are elected or who holds the majority, it only matters who has the courage to stand up against the wishes of the party in power. Well, that and which party has the most wealthy backers, which is almost without exception, the Republicans. So, here's the deal they are offering; in return for their vote on unemployment checks and continuing the Bush tax cuts for the middle class, the Democrats must give those tax cuts to the folks who need them the most. That is to say, the wealthiest people in America. That would be bad enough, but they also require an increase in the inheritance tax credit to $5 million, additional tax credits for business and industry so they won't have to pay taxes at all and a tax cut on Social Security payments. The reason for that seems to be because Social Security is in danger of running out of money. So obviously the cure for that is to lower the amount being paid into Social Security. Does that make sense to you? It does? Then how about explaining it to me because I can't figure out how that works. I do know that it has long been the goal of the Republican party to dismantle Social Security, Reducing the income for SS will certainly help accomplish that goal, but I don't see it doing anything else. Now the "new Republican" President Obama is pleased. So much so, he has shown surprise that the Democrats in Congress are upset. In fact, he has sort of balled them out for not happily voting for the bill. Now, don't get me wrong, the Congressional Democrats had a chance to pass legislation to allow the "Deficit causing Bush Tax Cuts" to expire for the top 2% of Americans, the wealthiest in America, but they blew it. So they are entitled to some sort of spanking. But just remember, It's the Republicans that are in charge. Have been all along.

NO More Tax Breaks For The Wealthy!

I keep hearing people say that this deal President Obama has worked out with the Republicans is the best deal anyone can expect. Really? This is it? The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. That's the best deal we can expect? If it is, we're really in trouble. First off, the assertion that if folks earning over $250,000 per year don't get to keep this tax break, they won't create jobs. Well, they've had this tax break for ten years and haven't created any jobs yet. When is this saving grace going to start? This isn't a good deal for anyone except the wealthy. And anyway, it misses the important part completely. Like how come our educational system is doing so poorly compared to the rest of the world? If you didn't know that little tidbit, you haven't been watching the news at all. So the deal is, the wealthy get their tax break, they get another on the inheritance tax and a few more. If they get any more tax breaks, pretty soon we'll be paying them just to be here. Hey, maybe we already do. I fact, I'd be willing to bet we do. So, what's the answer? Well, unpleasant as it will be, we're all going to have to suck it up some, and the wealthy are going to have to suck it up a whole lot. Then we'll have to start paying a whole lot more attention to our kids and their education. My grandchildren come home from school quite often with no homework. NO HOMEWORK!. They get a study hall in school to do it. We pay taxes so the kids can do homework in school instead of at home. I don't think we're going to catch up with the current approach. And a deal with Republicans on tax breaks for the wealthy won't help.

Heads I Win, Tails You Lose.

Hey, I'd like to talk about a less controversial subject. I'd like to, but I'm not going to. No, I want to talk about the blackmail going on in Washington right now. Here's a little background. In 2001 President Bush pushed through a big and irresponsible tax cut for everyone. The Republicans wanted it only for the rich, but couldn't pull that off, so the made it for everyone. They still couldn't pull it off, so they made it temporary. It ends 12-31-2010. President Obama and the Democrats would like to extend it for 98% of the people, but not for the richest. The Republicans want it for the richest. It can't get done without the Republicans. If it gets done, it will increase our deficit by $700 billion. The Republicans have decided that they will not compromise and they will not allow any other legislation to pass. That means the country could default. But the Republicans believe that President Obama and the Democrats will give in and allow the tax break for the rich. Now, the question is, do you think the Republicans would actually allow the country to default and wind up in bankruptcy and allow the government to shut down? Or do you think they would give in? If you checked with Los Vegas, the would give odds that the Republicans will win. Probably two to one. The thing is, if Obama gives in, he might as well just pack up and move out so the Republicans can move somebody into the White House next week. That's because they'll own him anyway. They'll know he can be scared into doing whatever they want him to do. The other problem is that other countries would then begin to think they can push him around too. Do we really want to be the target for every bully in the world? So, now, what would happen if the President said no to the Republicans? Well, one of two things. Either the country would go out of business soon or a little bit later. See, if these tax cuts get extended for everyone, we won't be able to overcome the increased indebtedness and soon we we wouldn't be able to borrow money even from China. Then we'd have to just print money with no value. Eventually you'd need a wheel-barrow full of money to buy a loaf of bread. If the Republicans backed down, we'd still have a lot of debt, but at least we'd be able to begin paying that down. This is a simple case of a winner and a loser. Either the Republicans win or the Democrats win. (A) you lose, (B) you win. It's not always so clearly divided. Just remember, we need to have at least two parties.

Money Still Talks. It's About All That Does.

So President Obama held a meeting with leaders of congress. They all agreed the meetings were very helpful. There was a feeling of being able to work together, of potential bi-partisan friendship and the need to understand the desires of each other. In other words, nothing is changed. Neither party is w3illing to agree to anything the other wants to do. The Republicans realize they are in complete control of the federal government now and will not agree on any measure the Democrats bring up. For their part, the Democrats will continue to try to force Republicans to accept all Democratic initiatives. Like I said, nothing has changed. Except that this continued childish nonsense is bringing our country to it's knees. These poor souls don't seem to care. Unless they get their own way, neither party will do the right thing. Meanwhile, unemployment continues to climb, those out of work for extended periods of time will apparently be set adrift with no help. Taxes could rise for everyone unless cuts are given to everyone, especially the very rich. In the meantime, teachers are being let go so that our education, which is already falling behind, will continue it's slide to mediocrity. Jobs and industry continues to be shipped overseas by an uncaring management. Actually that's not quite true. Management does care. It cares that it continues to receive obscene bonuses and salaries for shipping those jobs overseas. It's a heck of a world, isn't it? Actually, it's a heck of a country isn't it? Do you still wonder why I think term limits are a great idea? How do you go about getting the attention of these folks that are supposed to be representing us? I guess there's only one way to get their attention. Give them a million $$$ donation for their reelection campaign.

Oh, Tommy, Tommy.

Have you ever heard of Tom Delay? He was a Republican strongman who has just been convicted of money laundering in Texas. Now, I call him a "strongman" not to belittle the Republican Party, but to belittle the Delay style of politics. Goodness knows there are strongmen in and out of both parties. These are the politicians who give politicians a bad name. And it takes some doing to be worse then a politician. See, in politics today, you have to make sounds like you want what the folks back home want all the while giving corporate sponsors exactly what they want. See, corporations don't care about what the folks back home need or want. They want special consideration for their actions. They want to be able to break laws and ignore regulations without being penalized. Now we all know they can't just do those things without getting in trouble with law enforcement, so they give huge amounts of money to politicians through organizations like PACs. If your favorite politician wants to keep his job, he doesn't have to do what you want him to do. He only has to pretend he does. But what he does have to do is exactly what the corporate dogs tell him they want him to do or he won't get the money. That it will go to his opponent so he'll lose his job. That'll get his attention. Anyway, Delay had another motive. He wanted more Republicans to get elected. The problem was that too many Democrats in many districts wanted Democrats to get elected. So he got money from the corporations . Then he gave that money to local Republicans to help them get elected. Once they did, they reconfigured all the districts so that most would have enough Republican votes to send more Republicans to Congress. So there are still as many Republicans and Democrats in Texas, they just vote in different districts now. It was clever enough to get him arrested and found guilty.  A once in a lifetime event.