Sunday, March 28, 2010

Obama Promised a Civilian Army And.......

During the campaign, Obama called for a civilian army as big as the military, and we were told that it was just retoric, nothing to be concerned about. "Nothing to see here. Move along please...." And lo and behold, buried in the middle of the Obamacare bill... is this little gem. I guess Nancy Pelosi was right....now that we passed it, we'll get to see what's in it.


Update...this MAY be a false alarm, and may be referring to the US Public Health Service. We'll see

Friday, March 26, 2010

Hope and Change

Well, in spite of the objection of 70%+ of the population, we now have a "health-care" bill. And this bill, we are told, will save everyone a scazillion dollars. Maybe someone should tell AT&T that, since they just announced a $1billion write-off caused by the health care bill, and maybe tell Caterpiller as well, since they just took a $100 million hit, or 3M who just announced a write-off of $85 to $90 million. And this is all before anyone gets a nickle out of it, since benefits don't even kick in for 4 more years. And just wait until the 14,000 IRS agents get hired and start to enforce this bill.

Just a simple point....there can be no rejection because of prior conditions. So, I can go along without collision insurance, and then when I have an accident, I can THEN call the insurance company to cover me and they have to give me the coverage? I don't think we have to be financial wizards to see that such a plan will quickly destroy every insurance company. And yet this is what will be required of the health insurance companies. So of course, they will fold, and we will then have to turn to the gummint to "save us" by covering us with their insurance.

But aside from the obvious financial hits that we ALL are going to take, there is something even more basic. Where does the government get the power to force us to buy something? Where?? This is such an onerous and oppressive law that it literally boggles the mind. This law is something we might expect to see in a socialist or communist country, not in a free country. We have never, NEVER had a law like this in our entire history. ( And before someone jumps up and says, "Car insurance", let me point out that you do not have to buy car insurance if you don't drive, and in some states you don't have to but it at all, but everyone will be forced to have this abomination of health insurance). And if the pols in DC can mandate that we buy health insurance, then what else can they mandate? After all, if they can justify 1 mandated purchase, they can mandate any and all others, right? After all, it's for our own good!!!

And just as a question.......if this program is so super wonderful, why did the legislators specifically exclude themselves and their staff from it? Is it possible, just possible, that they know deep in their cold, cold hearts, that this program is really a piece of crap, and that they are just too good to have to lower themselves down to a program that is designed for the rest of us? Just asking!


Update on the above $ figures:
The substance of the disclosures to date: ".. AT&T's announcement that Obamacare will force it to take a $1 billion dollar charge — the most alarming (but entirely predictable) bad news in a parade that, the Wall Street Journal's editors note, "includes Deere & Co., $150 million; Caterpillar, $100 million; AK Steel, $31 million; 3M, $90 million; and Valero Energy, up to $20 million."

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Sometimes A Picture Says It Best (part 2)

With a tip of the hat again to Theo

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Good Guys


From The Sniper.

Pretty much says it all, as far as I am concerned.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

"It's Only a Parliamentary Procedure, Isn't It?"

This gentleman pretty much says it all.
The debate is over, the public has spoken and overwhelmingly does NOT want the Obama health care plan. So......they will simply ignore the public, those whom they are supposed to represent, and they will ignore the rule of law which specifically and clearly states in the Constitution that before a bill can become law, it has to pass in both houses of Congress. They will pass a bill which pretends that the health care bill was passed, and we are supposed to accept that because they say so.

NO FREAKING WAY!!!!

If they don't have the intestinal fortitude, the courage, to actually put their vote ON THE BILL, not a parliamentary substitute for the bill, then piddle on them. It simply confirms what I already knew about our supposed leaders in Washington. They are not our representatives, and they certainly are not leaders in any sense of that term. And if they do this illegal maneuvering to pretend to pass the bill, then I agree with the gentleman above. It was not legally passed; it is not legally binding. And once again, those who want to control us more and more show their true colors; if the laws of the land interfere with their plans, simply ignore it and do what they want to do. And next, the next time that the Constitution interferes with their grand plans, what other right of the public will be trampled into the mud, all in the name of progress. Remember that the Constitution and what it stands for, is the only protection that we have against a government and those who are in the government from becoming tyrants and despots. And do you really want Nancy Pelosi, or Harry Reid, or Mr Hinchey, or Mr Shumer, or any of the other professional politicians or innumerable bureaucrats in Washington, ruling your life? Do you really think that they are something special, somehow better than you at living your life? If you do, God bless you and I hope that you enjoy the life of servitude that will surely follow. If you don't, then recognize that that rule under which the government is supposed to function, the Constitution and Bill of Rights, is being ignored and sidestepped and trashed, and our very liberty is being endangered more and more every day.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

It's Just Salt, For The Love Of Pete

The State is this close to going belly-up; we can't seem to find anyone who isn't up to here in corruption to lead in Albany, and we get this as a proposed law. Hey, if you want salt-free cooking, bless you...just ask for it or cook at home. Personally, I want some taste to my food and though I don't want it oversalted, I do want the cook (or chef) to be able to do his/her work without answering to some NY State Salt Policeman. As an aside, there is very little evidence that salt has any significant effect on health except for a very few salt-sensitive people. Please Mr Assemblyman, we really don't need a nanny to lead us around, and need even less another do-gooder who knows what is good for us better than we know ourselves. And you know what? If a restaurant makes food too salty, I have a very simple, non-governmental response to it. I don't eat there any more!!!!!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

I Wish I Thought They Were Kidding

On the news this evening, our very own Senator Schumer (D)and Lindsey Graham (R)have presented a bill that would mandate a government employment card. Every, EVERY worker in the US must have this card to get a job. This would be a "high tech" card with microchip, stored data such as fingerprints or whatever. Of course, there is absolutely nothing that would prevent this card from being used for other things such as tracking, travel restrictions or whatever other purpose that the gov't might want to use it. And their justification? It would prevent illegal aliens from finding employment. Hey guys, here's a novel alternative instead....enforce the damn laws that we already have, and control the borders like we're supposed to. Try that approach before this hair-brained idea.

Even if yo have a warm and fuzzy feeling about our Washington politicians, consider this...we are talking here about a whole new system, which equates to a whole new bureaucracy to run it. additionally I am sure that this high tech cards would not be cheap. So in a time when we are going broke, we will spend a gazillion dollars on a whole new system.

And of course there is this little bitty problem, so minor as to hardly bear mentioning. This is a blatant invasion, or should I say ANOTHER invasion, of our privacy. In spite of what these two "leaders" in Washington may say, it is not the government's business to control my employment, nor to set up a system that could control my movement, my employment, my purchases, or anything else as long as what I do is lawful. And if you really believe that the use of such a card would not expand, I strongly suggest that you look at the history of the social security system, where that card was supposed to be used ONLY to track your ss info, and in fact it was specifically written that no one could force you to reveal that number for any other purpose. Now try not to use that number and see how far you get with any bank or other financial institution. It WILL expand!!

Another point to notice....this bill is an excellent example that in this day, it makes no difference whatsoever what political party our senators and representatives are connected to. Members and "leaders" of both parties are in the same boat, and both are working for the same goals. Those goals are bigger government, which gives them more power, and their continued occupation of their seats in Washington.

Completely different note here................I just got a letter telling me that I will be getting a letter with the census form. Who, except Washington, sends a letter telling someone that they are about to get a letter??? Maybe I am really stupid, but it seems to me that we just doubled the cost of this stage of the project, didn't we?