Republican Chumps

Republican Chumps (09/07/11) It is amazing how the media handles the messages from the candidates for Republican presidential nomination. Unfortunately, only “The View” and the evening news can deliver a message people will understand as most Americans will never tune into a debate. I personally believe Oprah Winfrey had more to do with the election of Senator Barak Obama than the debates and job qualifications. By comparison Hillary Clinton was far more qualified and should have taken the Democrat nomination, but she was trumped by Oprah’s afternoon television show. In Iowa last month the two winning candidates were Bachmann and Paul. However, the media spent the weekend reporting on Perry and whether he would enter the campaign. Maybe looks have more to do with the process than records, or an agenda exists behind the scenes to drive a certain candidate to the top? For instance, when Gingrich announced his campaign the media immediately began unraveling campaign contribution paperwork and essentially destroyed the campaign before it started. Likewise, questions were raised concerning Bachman’s conflict between using Fannie Mae versus her opposition to the organization. In sharp contrast, Perry has been heralded by the media as the savior to the Republican Party; the only electable candidate. Similarly Romney has maintained headlines as a contender and every effort is made to make this a two-horse race. However, under scrutiny these two candidates are far more questionable than Bachman, Paul, Cain, or the rest of the field. Most people don’t realize Perry’s significant personal contributions to the Democrat party. He was formerly the Democrat Representative for Haskell County, Texas, state director of the Al Gore Presidential campaign in 1988, and in 1993 documented his enthusiastic support for Hillary Clinton’s proposed health care program. By far Perry’s worst action was his February 2007 executive order forcing every sixth-grade girl to submit to a three-jab regimen of the Gardasil vaccine. This decision undermines parental authority and one must wonder how such a mandate regarding a newly approved drug with unforeseen side-effects could benefit his state’s citizens. Romney is currently among the media top-ranked candidates although he skips debates and passes on appearances where voters could confront his record. Mitt Romney, as governor of Massachusetts, passed a health-care plan providing socialized medicine for its citizens. Regarding his jobs and economic performance, under Romney’s leadership Massachusetts has a weak comparative economic performance of the state, one of the worst in the country. I titled this column “Republican Chumps” for a reason; to highlight the fallacies of the contenders and question why so many are willing to blindly follow polls and “The View” to determine their Presidential nominee. I argue candidates Perry and Romney fail under scrutiny. The other candidates are only “unelectable” when ABC, NBC, and CBS make the decision on the voter’s behalf. Today the “chumps” are the candidates; tomorrow the “chumps” will be the uninformed voters.

Lawyers

Lawyers (8/31/2011) The problem in America with health care costs, insurance and even consumer costs is lawyers. I fly airplanes and recently was reading a placard in the aircraft, finding it idiotic because it states the obvious: "...failure to properly latch seat and heed all instructions can result in bodily injury or death." That placard is there due to a widow successfully suing Cessna when he adjusted his seat while climbing out on take-off. The incident was certainly not Cessna’s fault but a jury ruled otherwise. Some adventure sports like white water rafting and parachuting require a waiver before participating; again to head off lawsuits. Every amusement park in America has a warning to pregnant women and back pain sufferers at the front of each line to mitigate law suits. Similarly, my wife is pregnant and we were required to sign an 8-page disclaimer releasing the doctor of liability if the baby is harmed during birth due to law suits. Recently I was in Mexico with my kids and took them to an attraction consisting of natural park area, snorkeling, tubing, and other experiences. Walking through the park there were no hand rails to protect against a fall, there were no cameras watching our every move, and there were no warning signs at each ride In fact, it was probably the nicest, cleanest, most cost-effective, freest park experience I have ever head; it existed without the oversight of lawyers fueling idiocracy. Three weeks ago I traveled to Gulf Shores, Alabama and saw shocking “ambulance chaser” billboards. The law firms advertising were seeking clients who cleaned up the oil spill and "might" be exhibiting "any" symptoms of illness. Talk about fishing for monies and setting up for a class action lawsuit. It is nearly impossible to turn on the evening news in Orlando, Florida without the advertising of a particular law firm shopping for clients to call regarding the latest disease, tragedy, or injury. The only justification for the persistent advertising is the successful income stream generated by settlements made just under the radar of large companies. These under $20,000 lawsuits filed frivolously but settled readily by insurance companies cut costs instead of risking larger expenses in court, a steady windfall for law firms. Examples abound but now I must ask, is this the lawyers’ fault or the juries making it easy to win "life's lottery" with a lawsuit. I don't know that caps on lawsuits are the right answer but I would assert less monies to attorneys and more to victims would make lawyers less likely to shop for victims and more likely to pursue justice.

Changeling

Changeling (8/24/2011) My family and I recently watched the moving “Changeling” with Angelina Jolie. The movie itself was entertaining and focused on the efforts of a 1920’s woman to recover her missing son. The issue at hand was the corruption of the Los Angeles Police Department after receiving bad press and their attempts to cover up shoddy police work. As we watched I found myself angered over the blatant misuse of authority. For example, when Jolie’s character challenged the police department they had her committed to an LA psychological hospital; a warrantless incarceration without trial. Once behind the walls of the hospital it was nearly impossible for her to plead her case. Watching the movie caused me to challenge my kids to compare the situation to events of today and instantly they commented on perception of law enforcement corruption and intimidation. Of course, the most obvious example is TSA’s violation of the 4th Amendment at airport security check points and intimidation of people like Aaron Toney who was detained for 90 minutes, without arrest, by TSA on December 31 at Richmond, Virginia’s airport when he removed his shirt and displayed the 4th Amendment on his chest. In Philadelphia gun owner Mark Fiornio was nearly shot, detained and harassed for lawfully openly carrying a gun. A new FBI Advisory circular, “Communities Against Terrorism: Potential Indicators of Terrorist Activities Related to Military Surplus Stores” advises store owners to keep records of customers making lawful purchases but fitting a profile of self-preparedness. In London two weeks ago government officials required Amazon.com to stop selling self-defense weapons while authorities simultaneously allowed riots to “run their course.” Thus, the citizens lost the right to protect themselves in their own homes. Similarly, San Francisco authorities shut down cell-towers within the Bart system to prevent a possible riot from developing, but also leaving law abiding citizens with no mechanism for protection. Regardless of examples I provide I must wonder when intimidation will stop and the rule of law will prevail. The movie “Changeling” highlighted corruption I could not believe existed. Ultimately, the 1930’s Courts found in favor of their “own”, but yet the corruption was known and documented. Like the Gestapo, TSA, police departments, and the National Guard will be asked to turn on citizens instead of protecting those, they are here “To Serve and Protect.”

Things You Don’t Know

Things You Don’t Know (8/17/2011) It’s easy to watch the news and feel the economy is improving. Comically the performance of the Dow Jones is blasted at us each evening as the key indicator of economic success in America. It becomes more ironic when one thinks of Larry Kudlow shouting accolades of “Green Shoots” across the CNBC airwaves, but our neighbors are losing their jobs and homes. The Obama administration’s economic success is measured by the Dow, unemployment, and inflation. The numbers are reported as better than during the recession of the 1980s and especially better than the Great Depression. However, this is far from the truth. Every evening the swings in the Dow are blasted across the airwaves as the measure of success of our country. However, the Dow has changed so dramatically no one should pay any attention to these numbers. The Dow is an index of 30 companies, originally started in 1896. In 1896 there were twelve companies in the Dow and only one remains existence today, General Electric. Since 1896 the “components,” or 30 companies composing the index, have changed 48 times. Thus, a more technology weighted or health services weighted Dow can look nothing like the Dow of bygone years. When one adds inflation, as the Dow is unadjusted, the numbers become completely meaningless. The unemployment numbers are currently 9.1% and considered the holy grail of whether we are better off than the Great Depression. Most people don't realize the methods of calculating the unemployment rate have changed. The most significant change came in 1994 when those out of work for more than a year were eliminated from the numbers, essentially reducing the count by 5 million and in 2003 the statistical models were changed. Using old methods brings the current U-6 rate to 23%, in line with the numbers of the 1930's. The consumer price index (CPI) is the measure of inflation and it too has changed. The market basket of goods is to measure pricing averages as this index impacts policy and more importantly government dole like Social Security and Medicaid. Alan Greenspan argued the historic methods were invalid because, for example, if the price of a steak increased then consumers would substitute with hamburger. A somewhat valid argument until one considers rent, heating oil, and gasoline where there are no substitutions. Changes were made by Carter, Reagan, and Clinton to ensure inflation was not “overstated.” Housing is indexed to “rent equivalents” and energy has been eliminated. In essence, we are not comparing apples and apples to look at today versus yesterday. "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics." – Author Unknown

Collapse is Starting

Collapse is Starting (8/10/2011) President Obama promised “Hope and Change” when he was elected; he has definitely managed to deliver “Change,” and last week he was quoted saying “Hope” doesn’t happen overnight. Change has come at us like a freight train and repeatedly I have our covered loss of civil liberties, now our economic future has been stolen by Washington: - The debt deal promised cuts, but the debt will increase by $8 trillion dollars to $23 trillion by 2021. “Why?” Because the government calls a “cut” less spending than was projected for the following year, not less than is spent now. - The day after the deal passed the government spent $236 billion, or $750 per citizen, in a single day. For my family of six, the debt increased by $4500. I don’t have an extra $4500 lying around, do you? - Standard and Poor’s downgraded the U.S. credit outlook for the first time in history on August 5, 2011. To claim this is a political move would underscore the objectivity of credit reporting. - The official Chinese news agency commented, “China has every right now to demand the United States address its structural debt problems and ensure the safety of China's dollar assets.” - Food stamp usage hit a new historic high last week, 45.5 million, up from 26 million in January 2007, and 32 million in January 2009 when Obama took office. - According to the Census Bureau, homeownership fell to the lowest level since 1998, 65.9%, and if delinquencies are included the numbers match 1965’s level of 59.2%, according to Morgan Stanley. - Housing prices have dipped 32% since they peaked in mid-2006, again for the 50th straight month realtors call a bottom to the decline. - Weekly first time jobless claims continued their record setting levels above 400,000 for the 17th straight week. - The average length of time to find a job has surged to a new record, 40.4 weeks. - The labor force participation rate fell to a new low, 63.9% not seen since the early 1980s. - Including those who quit looking but desire employment, the broader unemployment rate reached 16.1%. - Gold topped historic numbers last week, closing above $1660/ounce. I believe President Obama and Congress sealed their political fate last week and I am hopeful revolution will begin with the election of leaders, not self-serving politicians in 2012. A quick read of history will point to failed governments following the same path as the United States. We will not have societal Armageddon tomorrow, but our standard of living, and more importantly future generations’ standard of living, will continue to decline.

Soldiers v Winehouse

Soldiers v Winehouse (8/3/2011) This past week I was riding with my daughter Haley talking about events of the week when I asked her if she knew who Amy Winehouse was. About two weeks ago Amy Winehouse died of an overdose and I had never heard of her, you probably haven’t either. What intrigued me more was the amount of media coverage her death received. I watch the NBC Nightly News and they gave at least three minutes to this celebrity, focusing on a lifestyle of degradation wrought with drugs and alcohol. My daughter impressed me with her next question, “did you see the Facebook post about this?” I asked her to explain as I had no idea what she was talking about. Haley went on to share a girl had posted about Amy Winehouse versus the soldiers who died in the same week. Essentially, this is the same issue bothering me. Receiving no media coverage were the U.S. soldiers who gave their lives in Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, and Libya. Since 2002 thousands of soldiers have died fighting in our Presidents’ war on terror. These are funded by, but not declared wars by Congress and in my opinion Bush and Obama along with the entire Senate and House can be blamed for these deaths. Prior to Obama’s Presidency the major networks would publish the names of the soldiers who died each day and give coverage to the IEDs and bombings taking the lives of our sons and daughters. Part of Obama’s election platform was the withdrawal of troops and shutting down the wars, but the opposite has happened with as many lives lost on his watch as Bush’s. I puzzle why we have U.S. soldiers dying on foreign soil and speculate the following: Iraq – to install democracy, Afghanistan – to stop Al Queda, Libya – to remove Qhadaffi, and Yemen – to protect human rights. All of these theaters are U.N. sanctioned and fought without a declaration of War by the Congress. Therefore, our soldiers are policeman, not upholding the Constitutional premise of protection against enemies foreign and domestic, especially since Osama Bin Laden was killed and the mission accomplished. The Gulf of Tonkin taught us politicians will lie to create wars. I must now questions the policies of our government, and more personally I wonder if I would allow the government to send my sons to a questionable war. Of most concern is the media stopped questioning the reason for these wars and it now appears a meaningless, drugged up 27-year old British citizen deserves more coverage than our youth fighting a politicians’ war.

Alimony

Alimony is like winning the lottery - a lifetime of income incentivized to take from another. I have no objection to a "rehabilitative alimony" scheme to help a former partner gain traction. But a lifetime of lottery winnings arbitrarily tied to another's success is theft and indenturement. Please read and consider support improving outdated family court laws. Alimony battle heats up in CA and FL

My 100th Column

My 100th Column (07/27/2011) This week I celebrate my 100th column, a huge milestone for me as I could not have imagined writing for “The Observer” for nearly two years without missing a week; I just wish my high school English teacher could see me now. I want to thank the publishers for the opportunity, seeing something they liked and allowing me free reign to pontificate as I desire. It was freelance writing, “Death and Taxes” that won me the opportunity and I find it ironic it is that issue, taxes, currently in front of the American people. As I look back over the last 99 weeks I note my philosophies have emerged where I feel I can clearly define my views: libertarian (with a little “L”), constitutionalist fearful of eroding liberties, and angry at politicians feeling anointed to spend, steal, and create laws but yet hold themselves above the people. My early columns could be republished today: “What is Government’s Role”, “When Should Citizens Fear their Government?”, and “Big Brother is Watching.” Sadly I look back and see a country that has worsened during the last 100 weeks and continues to spin into the abyss while the citizenry look the other way to take in meaningless hype like Casey Anthony, the NFL, and “Dancing with Stars.” Two forces have united to provide the Kool-Aid for apathy, the media and the President. Right now we are two years into the economic recovery: remember “Green Shoots”, Biden and Obama touting all of the jobs they saved, and the National Realtors Association calling the bottom to housing prices? This deception is dutifully reported by the three networks and bull-horned by General Electric owned MSNBC and CNBC. Over the weekend, the networks gave more time to the Amy Winehouse drug-induced death than the critical issues. Did you know last week gold hit a historic high over $1,600/ounce; jobless claims topped 400,000 for the 15th week in a row; and Borders (closed 399 stores), Cisco and Lockheed Martin announced combined layoffs of 23,000? Since January state and local governments have laid off 142,000 workers. Let’s not forget last week’s media celebration of American Airlines ordering jets from Airbus, a consortium of European companies, a staggering loss to domestic aircraft producers. Although our President tells us things are better and improving it is impossible to conclude the same when looking at the numbers. Likewise the 1930s were a long road of government missteps trying to fix problems created by the same banking cartel whose lineage has brought the same destruction upon us today. Looking back, history provides hilarious quotes from our leaders during the Great Depression trumpeting the recovery and “Happy Days are Here Again.” I believe Obama and Biden will be similarly chided for their mistruths when history is chiseled.