During any year that a Republican holds the office of President.... about this time of year the following is all over the broadcast media and the print media. "One year later... and are you better off?" And of course the media scours the country looking for absolutely anyone who is down on their luck and props them up as just another example of how evil republican's are working against the average American.
Well. Media. It's officially one year after Obama took office and I'm still waiting for you to scour the nation and ask that question. OH! Right.... I almost forgot. Obama is a democrat.... not a republican..... so the question won't be ask of his administration.
And indeed... why should it be asked? Everything is just peaches and cream out here. Unemployment, which was a shameful 4.6% when Mr. Bush left office, is now at a vibrant and wonderful 10.2%.... provided you don't count those who have just plain given up looking for work. IF you factor those people in too.... then the actual rate is closer to 18%. Obviously a vast improvement over the inept Bush.
And let's not forget the housing market. Or perhaps we should. How about banking? Nah.... probably ought to not look too hard that way either. OH! I know... how about we tie the two together since there is a relationship? Well, when we do that we discover that the evil bankers have been guilty of attempting to make a profit! Yeah.... unheard of in the business world... but they were indeed trying to make a buck.
Then the Federal Government got involved and "fixed" their Neanderthal thinking. Government dictated that it was *much* more important to loan money to people with no verifiable income and without the ability to repay the loan than to worry about silly things like profit. So... rather than have some moronic Congressman or Congressional "oversight" committee "investigating" the banks for non-compliance with the law..... the banks kowtowed and passed out the bucks to anyone and everyone.... just like they were ordered to do.
Well! That sure got things rolling! Housing starts shot up... all the numbers looked rosy.... Congress was thumping it's chest proclaiming their support for the average home owner. Then those pesky monthly mortgage payments started to come due.... damn the luck. And *who* would have ever thought that someone with no verifiable income might not be able to make a $1500 a month mortgage note? Man... I know *I* would have never seen that one coming. (Yeah... right)
And of course Congress (you remember them..... the ones who ordered the banks to make those "risky" loans) screamed foul and decided to "investigate" the banks for their bad business practices! I mean... just because Congress *ordered* banks to make those loans.... certainly doesn't also mean that same Congress is, in any way, responsible. Oh, no! No matter what government screws up they are *never* responsible. So we have the two fold aftershock of government "help" for the private sector. #1.... the housing industry is near collapse because the money supply has suddenly dried up and there is a glut of pre-owned homes on the market. And #2... the banking industry does collapse under the weight of all those not repaid loans.
The solution? Well.... more Government "help" of course! Is anyone else remembering the prophetic words of the late, great Ronald Reagan about now? "The nine most feared words in the English language are: I'm from the Government and I'm here to help." But... when government is firmly in the grasp of a collection of statists, Marxists and communists.... what the hell do you expect?
So banks get bailed out.... with our tax dollars of course.... and the state owned housing industry of Freddie Mac and Fanny Mae end up taking over the vast majority of the "toxic" loans... and collecting the deeds to the property as well. Nice little land grab there! Oh... and while you *were* watching... the democrats demonized the banking executives and castigated them for taking bonuses. Meanwhile.... as you were paying attention to that.... the same government turned a blind eye and deaf ear to the executives of Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac taking bonuses of up to $22 MILLION dollars! No.... not in total... that was to just ONE man. The total is far higher.
Meanwhile Obama decides *HE* doesn't like the way things are going in the auto industry. Why? Sales are down and some companies have their books just bleeding red ink. And a closer examination shows that Government mandates on the industry combined with unrealistic Union wages and benefits.... and a shaky economy are making things really tough. The solution? The obvious one is a chapter 13 reorganization bankruptcy. But... Obama has a better idea! He'll just take over General Motors and Chrysler instead!
And so Obama "fires" the head of GM... a guy with over 40 years of automobile experience under his belt.... and replaces him with a kid who didn't even finish college and who had absolutely NO business experience whatsoever. BRILLIANT! Only the genius brain of Obama could have come up with that as a solution. And to make things even better... the democrat controlled Congress puts yet another mandate on the auto industry by raising the CAFE fuel average again. Thank you, democrats! Not only do you not get it... but you *really* don't get it!
As a result.... GM and Chrysler are pretty much forced to change their focus and concentrate on making the cars that Obama and Congress want. Thus we have 536 bureaucrats (100 senators, 435 members of the house + 1 president) deciding what the people should be buying and driving. Sounds a bit like Germany under Hitler and the invention of "the peoples car" which was the famous VW Beetle. Sadly nothing so popular or practical came from this bunch. Sales for the Government Motors group are in a nose dive. What to do.... what to do?
BINGO!! Cash for clunkers! A "government program" (I see disaster ahead!) designed to make it attractive for people to trade in their old "clunkers" and get a new, government approved, gas sipper of a car. Like all government programs there was paperwork and requirements out the wazoo. The one I like best was the one where the dealers had to "destroy" the drive train of the "clunker" when they took the car in. (The government even told them specifically how to do this)
What happened? Well... the public, given the choice, went to companies like Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai and KIA for their cars by a large margin. Ford, because they didn't take any bailout money, got the most American car business with GM and Chrysler bringing up the rear.
Then the fun really starts! The government fails to send out the money to the dealers to pay their subsidy for all those "clunkers" they took in and disabled as per government mandate! Which meant that now, rather than having a used car you can sell to recoup your investment you have a pile of scrap metal on wheels. HINT: When doing business with the Government... GET YOUR MONEY FIRST! If you don't your next option is to drop trow.... bend over... grab the ankles... and wait for your reward.
And of course who could forget the "Stimulus" program. Otherwise known more realistically as the "Democrat slush fund for the 2010 and 2012 election cycle" fund. The only thing shovel ready about that boondoggle was the fact that you needed a shovel to keep the BS from getting too deep during the sales pitch. As we get closer to the elections watch those purse strings get loose.... especially in states where a democrat is loosing his or her ass to a republican. What democrats can't honestly win... they will attempt to buy.... or get by any means possible.
Speaking of which.... let's not forget the great Health Care reform act. As Queen Nancy said just last week.... "We are going to get health care passed for the American people!" Thank you SO very much Madam Speaker..... but there is just one tiny little problem with that statement. The "American People" have spoken and said.... "Keep you damn hands OFF our health care!" Only 33% of the people are in favor of health care reform.... and that's according to a CNN poll. (Not exactly a right wing leaning group there)
In town hall meetings and in parades and peaceful gatherings and demonstrations... the people of this nation have made it *very* clear that we DO NOT want government taking over our health care and 1/6th of the nations economy. However... our elected representatives seem to forget who works for whom. They feel that we are far too stupid to understand what is good for us and that they must decide for us.... for our own good. Once again the words of Reagan come echoing out of the past..... "Government is the problem.... NOT the solution!"
In the state of the union address last week.... was I the only one who noticed that the President never informed us what the state of the union was? Perhaps that point alone says more than the rest of his 74 minute disjointed ramblings. And don't even get me started on this insolent out of place and uncalled for insult to the Supreme Court Justices.
Just remember.... I tried to warn you this was coming.
Well. Media. It's officially one year after Obama took office and I'm still waiting for you to scour the nation and ask that question. OH! Right.... I almost forgot. Obama is a democrat.... not a republican..... so the question won't be ask of his administration.
And indeed... why should it be asked? Everything is just peaches and cream out here. Unemployment, which was a shameful 4.6% when Mr. Bush left office, is now at a vibrant and wonderful 10.2%.... provided you don't count those who have just plain given up looking for work. IF you factor those people in too.... then the actual rate is closer to 18%. Obviously a vast improvement over the inept Bush.
And let's not forget the housing market. Or perhaps we should. How about banking? Nah.... probably ought to not look too hard that way either. OH! I know... how about we tie the two together since there is a relationship? Well, when we do that we discover that the evil bankers have been guilty of attempting to make a profit! Yeah.... unheard of in the business world... but they were indeed trying to make a buck.
Then the Federal Government got involved and "fixed" their Neanderthal thinking. Government dictated that it was *much* more important to loan money to people with no verifiable income and without the ability to repay the loan than to worry about silly things like profit. So... rather than have some moronic Congressman or Congressional "oversight" committee "investigating" the banks for non-compliance with the law..... the banks kowtowed and passed out the bucks to anyone and everyone.... just like they were ordered to do.
Well! That sure got things rolling! Housing starts shot up... all the numbers looked rosy.... Congress was thumping it's chest proclaiming their support for the average home owner. Then those pesky monthly mortgage payments started to come due.... damn the luck. And *who* would have ever thought that someone with no verifiable income might not be able to make a $1500 a month mortgage note? Man... I know *I* would have never seen that one coming. (Yeah... right)
And of course Congress (you remember them..... the ones who ordered the banks to make those "risky" loans) screamed foul and decided to "investigate" the banks for their bad business practices! I mean... just because Congress *ordered* banks to make those loans.... certainly doesn't also mean that same Congress is, in any way, responsible. Oh, no! No matter what government screws up they are *never* responsible. So we have the two fold aftershock of government "help" for the private sector. #1.... the housing industry is near collapse because the money supply has suddenly dried up and there is a glut of pre-owned homes on the market. And #2... the banking industry does collapse under the weight of all those not repaid loans.
The solution? Well.... more Government "help" of course! Is anyone else remembering the prophetic words of the late, great Ronald Reagan about now? "The nine most feared words in the English language are: I'm from the Government and I'm here to help." But... when government is firmly in the grasp of a collection of statists, Marxists and communists.... what the hell do you expect?
So banks get bailed out.... with our tax dollars of course.... and the state owned housing industry of Freddie Mac and Fanny Mae end up taking over the vast majority of the "toxic" loans... and collecting the deeds to the property as well. Nice little land grab there! Oh... and while you *were* watching... the democrats demonized the banking executives and castigated them for taking bonuses. Meanwhile.... as you were paying attention to that.... the same government turned a blind eye and deaf ear to the executives of Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac taking bonuses of up to $22 MILLION dollars! No.... not in total... that was to just ONE man. The total is far higher.
Meanwhile Obama decides *HE* doesn't like the way things are going in the auto industry. Why? Sales are down and some companies have their books just bleeding red ink. And a closer examination shows that Government mandates on the industry combined with unrealistic Union wages and benefits.... and a shaky economy are making things really tough. The solution? The obvious one is a chapter 13 reorganization bankruptcy. But... Obama has a better idea! He'll just take over General Motors and Chrysler instead!
And so Obama "fires" the head of GM... a guy with over 40 years of automobile experience under his belt.... and replaces him with a kid who didn't even finish college and who had absolutely NO business experience whatsoever. BRILLIANT! Only the genius brain of Obama could have come up with that as a solution. And to make things even better... the democrat controlled Congress puts yet another mandate on the auto industry by raising the CAFE fuel average again. Thank you, democrats! Not only do you not get it... but you *really* don't get it!
As a result.... GM and Chrysler are pretty much forced to change their focus and concentrate on making the cars that Obama and Congress want. Thus we have 536 bureaucrats (100 senators, 435 members of the house + 1 president) deciding what the people should be buying and driving. Sounds a bit like Germany under Hitler and the invention of "the peoples car" which was the famous VW Beetle. Sadly nothing so popular or practical came from this bunch. Sales for the Government Motors group are in a nose dive. What to do.... what to do?
BINGO!! Cash for clunkers! A "government program" (I see disaster ahead!) designed to make it attractive for people to trade in their old "clunkers" and get a new, government approved, gas sipper of a car. Like all government programs there was paperwork and requirements out the wazoo. The one I like best was the one where the dealers had to "destroy" the drive train of the "clunker" when they took the car in. (The government even told them specifically how to do this)
What happened? Well... the public, given the choice, went to companies like Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai and KIA for their cars by a large margin. Ford, because they didn't take any bailout money, got the most American car business with GM and Chrysler bringing up the rear.
Then the fun really starts! The government fails to send out the money to the dealers to pay their subsidy for all those "clunkers" they took in and disabled as per government mandate! Which meant that now, rather than having a used car you can sell to recoup your investment you have a pile of scrap metal on wheels. HINT: When doing business with the Government... GET YOUR MONEY FIRST! If you don't your next option is to drop trow.... bend over... grab the ankles... and wait for your reward.
And of course who could forget the "Stimulus" program. Otherwise known more realistically as the "Democrat slush fund for the 2010 and 2012 election cycle" fund. The only thing shovel ready about that boondoggle was the fact that you needed a shovel to keep the BS from getting too deep during the sales pitch. As we get closer to the elections watch those purse strings get loose.... especially in states where a democrat is loosing his or her ass to a republican. What democrats can't honestly win... they will attempt to buy.... or get by any means possible.
Speaking of which.... let's not forget the great Health Care reform act. As Queen Nancy said just last week.... "We are going to get health care passed for the American people!" Thank you SO very much Madam Speaker..... but there is just one tiny little problem with that statement. The "American People" have spoken and said.... "Keep you damn hands OFF our health care!" Only 33% of the people are in favor of health care reform.... and that's according to a CNN poll. (Not exactly a right wing leaning group there)
In town hall meetings and in parades and peaceful gatherings and demonstrations... the people of this nation have made it *very* clear that we DO NOT want government taking over our health care and 1/6th of the nations economy. However... our elected representatives seem to forget who works for whom. They feel that we are far too stupid to understand what is good for us and that they must decide for us.... for our own good. Once again the words of Reagan come echoing out of the past..... "Government is the problem.... NOT the solution!"
In the state of the union address last week.... was I the only one who noticed that the President never informed us what the state of the union was? Perhaps that point alone says more than the rest of his 74 minute disjointed ramblings. And don't even get me started on this insolent out of place and uncalled for insult to the Supreme Court Justices.
Just remember.... I tried to warn you this was coming.
