President Obama who promised only to tax the "rich" (as he defines it) is now dictating the largest federal tobacco tax increase ever. Everyone knows that such a tax hits poorer people far more than the middle class or rich people. New York Times, do you care that poor people are taxed much more than rich people? At least his tobacco tax won't go into the hands of trial lawyers. Now get this, Obama's "stimulative" Make Work Pay gives eight bucks a week to workers (and CEOs alike I guess) which will be burned up in a two packs a day smoker's lungs. So Mr. Obama thanks for stimulative cigarette smoking and burning the poor guy, ince slightly more than half of today's smokers (53%) earn less than $36,000 per year.
(Article in The Wall Street Journal, Monday, March 30, 2009, page B5:)
ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON -- Tobacco users are facing a big financial hit as the largest federal tobacco tax increase ever takes effect Wednesday.
Tobacco companies and public-health advocates, longtime foes in the nicotine battles, are each trying to turn the situation to their advantage. Major cigarette makers raised prices in recent weeks, partly to offset any drop in profits once the per-pack tax climbs from 39 cents to $1.01. Medical groups, meanwhile, see a tax increase in the middle of a recession as a great incentive for smokers to quit.
President Barack Obama signed a health initiative soon after taking office to increase the tobacco taxes to finance a major expansion of health insurance for children. Other tobacco products, from cigars to pipes and smokeless tobacco, will also see similarly large tax increases. For example, the tax on chewing tobacco will go from 19.5 cents per pound to 50 cents. The total expected to be raised over the 4½ year health-insurance expansion is nearly $33 billion.
Separately, Congress is considering legislation to empower the Food and Drug Administration to regulate tobacco. That could lead to reformulated cigarettes. President Obama, who has struggled with his own cigarette habit, said he would sign such a bill.
Prospects for reducing the harm from smoking are better than they have been in years, said Dr. Timothy Gardner, president of the American Heart Association. "Every time that the tax on tobacco goes up, the use of cigarettes goes down," he said.
And speaking of taxes. Today is April 15, 2009. Tax Day. Let's see I have, of course, read the 70,320 pages (up 2-1/2 times, or 44,020 pages from 1984) that is almost 4 million words (up from 1.4 million in 2001!) and spent nearly the average 24 hours on the 1040 and related schedules...well, no, as with 60% of Americans I hired it out. The total cost: $90 billion a year. No, that's not just me, it's everyone. Now simplification so the average person knows what he is paying on, how much and where it goes. The flat-rate tax? The consumption tax? No so fast, say the politicians. Now I can reap campaign cash for making or only threatening to change the tax code. Why should I change that gravy train? And they don't. Extortion, you say?
Monday, March 30, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Bumper Stickers For Sale, Proceeds to the U. S. Government
THE FOLLOWING BUMPER STICKERS ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE. $1.00 EACH. MINIMUM QUANTITY 1,000,000,000,000 ALL PROCEEDS WILL BE DONATED TO THE U. S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
You have to fail to succeed, Barack Obama, 2009
______________________________________________
A Pretty Face, Silver Tongue, Empty Head and Black Heart
Barack Obama, America's First Quiche President
________________________________________
Beat a Liberal
Start a Company
_________________________________________
Want a Raise?
Drop the Union!
__________________________________________
Trickle-up Poverty
Cut up the Pie
Trickle-down Wealth
Grow the Pie
________________________________________
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
U. S. Heads to Poverty
Not only did I read this article, I bought the book ("Dead Aid" by Dambisa Moyo)! There are no revelations in it other than putting names and numbers on feelings I have had about much of our foreign aid for years. Like many harmful activities which have become trendy, mindless, yet harmful, foreign aid to Africa is not about to end. But in considering the "insidious aid culture which has left African countries more debt-laden, more inflation-prone, more vulnerable…" one must draw an analogy to us here in the United States. Are we not a country dependent on governmental aid? Aid which doesn't come from faceless third-party countries, but from ourselves. We tax ourselves, hire elected officials (our "employees") who turn around and re-distribute all that money to...ourselves, keeping a sizeable amount for themselves. Hmmm. How is that different? And isn't it an "insidious aid culture" which is leaving us more dependent, not to mention debt-laden, and prone to upcoming almost guaranteed inflation? Aren't we more vulnerable to those holding all that debt? According to the author, Dambisa Moyo, a Zambian female who was educated and has worked only in the West, corruption costs Africa something like $50 billion a year. Is it too much of a stretch to ask: doesn't Congress in its own legal way threaten to pass laws, or not, and change taxation, or not, to demand campaign contributions? Is that corruption? Aid creates dependency; dependency strangles freedom. Dependency is the antithesis of freedom. Can you think of one small area in our country that the government's tentacles aren't wrapped around our freedoms? President Obama and the Democratic Congress intend to turn the octopus into a giant squid. As Ms. Moyo explained, we know what works (and what doesn't work) to reduce poverty and encourage growth. It is not where we are headed in the United States.
The parallel of the discovery of the need for rich countries to "save" the African continent from abject poverty and the emergence of the moral authority of the United States to save Negroes from racism, discrimination and poverty heaped upon them by centuries of slavery. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Lyndon Johnson's Great Society were big screen displays of ridding our country of racism, discrimination and poverty. Not to matter that it didn't work even after 35 years, it was in the trying that mattered: the ability of citizens to feel good about themselves. Of course, the real goal was for Democrats to continue the charade of helping targeted segments of American voters to get votes. As rich, mostly western countries spread aid to Africa, America was spreading aid and changing laws to provide for African Americans. While the goals of the aid to Africa started out for political reasons, to wit to "win" the cold war through real estate, it morphed into a trendy thing for liberals to discuss over cocktail parties and for which to throw benefits. What both have in common is the establishment of gigantic bureaucracies which the members depend for income and to some extent their vary identites. Those bureacracies need to continue the dependency on government. And those dependencies guarantee poverty and a lack of opportunity for Africans and African Americans. Both are still endemic in the continent of Africa and in African American society in the United States.
Democratic policies have destroyed two generations of African Americans.
Cut the apron strings, which really are tentacles, and empower.
Democrats have used the words "poverty" and "Middle class stagnation" with great impact, they have been lying. According to official government figures, the best (lowest) poverty rate was -- get this -- in 1973, but percapita income is 50% higher today than in 1973, median family income (smaller families) 20%. Yet spending on "antipoverty" programs doubled. Consider what Democrats don't want known-- they use misleading numbers to obfuscate people's standards of living -- using consumption figures , what people actually buy and get, are far better now than then. Then 50% of the "poor" didn't have cars and today nearly 75% do, and 14% have two! Poverty? Today the "poor" spend more than than they get in income, assuming welfare like food stamps and earned income credits aren't "income", so why does the left-leaning government bureaucracy measure "income"? In order for Democrats to keep and get the votes of the poor. Democrats need to keep the "poor" (of course as Democrats define "poor") thinking they need aid; then the act of giving it to them keeps them voting Democrat.
And the Obama government plans to change the Bush emphasis on the free market and private companies to purchase for the government and will hire 13,00 new civil servants plus up to 30,000 more within five years to replace private contractors. More Democrats to vote to keep Democrats in power.
And then there's healthcare. But that's another story.
The United States needs real conservatives to right this listing ship of state. It needs a coda of growth not dependency. With Democrats continuing in power the entire United States population ultimately will end up like the African American generations of hopelessness and poverty.
The parallel of the discovery of the need for rich countries to "save" the African continent from abject poverty and the emergence of the moral authority of the United States to save Negroes from racism, discrimination and poverty heaped upon them by centuries of slavery. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Lyndon Johnson's Great Society were big screen displays of ridding our country of racism, discrimination and poverty. Not to matter that it didn't work even after 35 years, it was in the trying that mattered: the ability of citizens to feel good about themselves. Of course, the real goal was for Democrats to continue the charade of helping targeted segments of American voters to get votes. As rich, mostly western countries spread aid to Africa, America was spreading aid and changing laws to provide for African Americans. While the goals of the aid to Africa started out for political reasons, to wit to "win" the cold war through real estate, it morphed into a trendy thing for liberals to discuss over cocktail parties and for which to throw benefits. What both have in common is the establishment of gigantic bureaucracies which the members depend for income and to some extent their vary identites. Those bureacracies need to continue the dependency on government. And those dependencies guarantee poverty and a lack of opportunity for Africans and African Americans. Both are still endemic in the continent of Africa and in African American society in the United States.
Democratic policies have destroyed two generations of African Americans.
Cut the apron strings, which really are tentacles, and empower.
Democrats have used the words "poverty" and "Middle class stagnation" with great impact, they have been lying. According to official government figures, the best (lowest) poverty rate was -- get this -- in 1973, but percapita income is 50% higher today than in 1973, median family income (smaller families) 20%. Yet spending on "antipoverty" programs doubled. Consider what Democrats don't want known-- they use misleading numbers to obfuscate people's standards of living -- using consumption figures , what people actually buy and get, are far better now than then. Then 50% of the "poor" didn't have cars and today nearly 75% do, and 14% have two! Poverty? Today the "poor" spend more than than they get in income, assuming welfare like food stamps and earned income credits aren't "income", so why does the left-leaning government bureaucracy measure "income"? In order for Democrats to keep and get the votes of the poor. Democrats need to keep the "poor" (of course as Democrats define "poor") thinking they need aid; then the act of giving it to them keeps them voting Democrat.
And the Obama government plans to change the Bush emphasis on the free market and private companies to purchase for the government and will hire 13,00 new civil servants plus up to 30,000 more within five years to replace private contractors. More Democrats to vote to keep Democrats in power.
And then there's healthcare. But that's another story.
The United States needs real conservatives to right this listing ship of state. It needs a coda of growth not dependency. With Democrats continuing in power the entire United States population ultimately will end up like the African American generations of hopelessness and poverty.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Government Support vs. Personal Responsibility: Letter to the Editor
A Letter to the Editor from your correspondent
Editorials / Opinion
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March 20, 2009 4:21 PM
Tackling homelessness
Posted by Letters editor
Throwing money not the answer
["Group hopes to cut number of homeless families in state," Local News, March 19 http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008884912_gateshomeless19.html ] argues against these blanket leftist schemes that throw money at perceived problems, thus extending the problems.
Carefully read about Jackilin Abiem. She has gotten pregnant twice and, so, can't find or afford an apartment. Now think if she hadn't gotten pregnant. Would her life and opportunities be better? What about her personal responsibility?
Certainly there are many people "down on their luck" from circumstances beyond their control. They should be assisted. But Ms. Abiem? I have trouble either feeling sorry for her or being supportive of spending tax money on encouraging unwed births.
Another article in Thursday's paper ("More kids born in '07; fewer moms married," News) states that 40 percent of births are to unwed mothers. I don't think that is necessarily good for society as a whole, to which Ms. Abiem's problems attest.
-- Theodore M. Wight, Seattle
The Original Article is:
Originally published Thursday, March 19, 2009 at 12:00 AM
NEW - Introducing a new blog
Gates Foundation joins others in goal to cut homelessness
A partnership of governments, businesses and nonprofits is pledging today to redouble its efforts to help the growing number of homeless families in Washington state. The pledge includes up to $60 million over 10 years by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
By Kristi Heim
Seattle Times staff reporter
COURTNEY BLETHEN / THE SEATTLE TIMES
The Gates Foundation and other partners have committed $60 million toward helping homeless families in Washington state. One family in particular is 25-year-old Jackilin Abiem, of Sudan, right, and her 17 month old son, Nassir Getdet. Abiem is expecting her second son to be born in two weeks to join her family at their home at Katherine's Place, a local nonprofit offering affordable housing and support services.
A partnership of governments, businesses and nonprofits is pledging today to redouble its efforts to help the growing number of homeless families in Washington state. The pledge includes up to $60 million over 10 years by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Partners in the Washington Families Fund vowed to reduce the number of homeless families by 50 percent over the next decade.
"I feel this is an opportunity right now, as much as I'm a realist about the economy," said Alice Shobe, deputy director of Building Changes, which administers the fund. "It is ambitious, but we have a vision about how to do it. We have the creativity and broad partnership to make it happen."
As the recession throws more people into poverty, "we must do more to help families achieve and maintain stability," said Gov. Chris Gregoire, who signed an agreement with King, Snohomish and Pierce counties and the cities of Seattle, Everett and Tacoma to collaborate with the private partners.
Created by the state Legislature in 2004, the Washington Families Fund has received contributions of more than $20 million — $12 million from the state and $8.3 million from 18 other partners, including the Gates Foundation, Boeing, Microsoft, the Campion Foundation, the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, the Ben B. Cheney Foundation and United Way. It has awarded $13 million in grants so far.
The Washington Families Fund has not yet revealed any new financial commitments other than the Gates Foundation's pledge.
Governments and private groups together spend about $200 million a year to address the problem in Washington state, but as economic conditions worsen, the number of homeless families keeps going up. About half of the state's estimated 22,000 homeless households are families with children.
Winter nights
The family of Jackilin Abiem, 25, was one of them. She arrived in 2001 as an orphan from Sudan after fleeing civil war and walking for three months across the country and eventually to a refugee camp. Once in Washington, she lived with two foster families, graduated from Garfield High School and landed her first job at McDonald's.
Abiem then worked for two years as a cook at a retirement home, but she never earned quite enough money to afford her own apartment. She became homeless after the youth housing where she was staying made her leave when she became pregnant.
She then bounced around, staying with four different friends and her foster mom through the birth of her son, Nassir. She remembers "window shopping" outside on winter nights as she waited for friends to get off work.
"When I was pregnant, I didn't have a place to live, so I was just running around between friends," she said. "It was hard for me to go house to house and to old friends. I keep them worried ... that I may give birth [at] their house."
Spending some nights with her foster mom in Mount Vernon and other nights with friends in South King County made it tough to be in West Seattle consistently for her job, and she lost that, too.
Abiem is now at Katharine's Place, in a transitional apartment for homeless families in Rainier Valley, but her two-year term ends in December. She is about to give birth to her second son. Katharine's Place had so many people on its two-year waiting list that it closed the list to new applicants in January.
Prevention
That reflects a rise in the number of homeless families in 2008 over 2007, especially in South King County.
"The trend lines have gone in the wrong direction, period," said David Bley, director of the Pacific Northwest Initiative at the Gates Foundation. "We need to go about tackling the problem differently than we have in the past."
For one thing, there's not enough emphasis on preventing homelessness by keeping people in affordable housing. Only 3 percent of the $200 million is used for prevention, he said.
"It feels totally out of whack from what we know works — it's easier to keep people in a home than put them back once they've lost one," Bley said.
Bley said other needed changes include providing permanent housing as soon as possible, rather than "transitional housing," and standardizing the fragmented systems used to determine what families need, so they get access to the same services no matter where they go for help.
"Some people will need a lot of services and some people will need nothing more than a rent subsidy," he said.
The program also will focus on improving the economic prospects of people with low incomes or no income, connecting them with work-force development and job training. And more money will be invested in getting better data on homeless families to understand the problem.
"It is difficult to assess progress if you don't have good numbers," Bley said, "and it is very difficult to serve individual parents and children well if no one is tracking their needs, the support they get and the progress they are making."
"Gains being lost"
The Gates Foundation has previously given $40 million in grants to help homeless families and learn how to better tackle the problem. Grants to help homeless families are part of the foundation's Pacific Northwest giving, which totaled $33 million in 2009.
While that money is only a fraction of the billions the foundation gives away globally, it does make it the largest private human-service grantmaker in the state, said T.J. Bucholz, Gates Foundation senior program officer.
Washington is studying the practices of other communities that have managed to reduce homelessness by 40 to 50 percent. But even the most effective programs are seeing some erosion of progress.
"That's what was really frightening about the current economic climate," Bley said. "We see a lot of those gains being lost in those communities that were very innovative."
However, he added, "there would be a lot more homeless families if we weren't doing this work."
Kristi Heim: 206-464-2718 or kheim@seattletimes.com
Editorials / Opinion
Our network sites seattletimes.com Advanced
Northwest Voices Letters to the Editor
Welcome to The Seattle Times' online letters to the editor, a sampling of readers' opinions. Join the conversation by commenting on these letters or send your own letter of up to 200 words opinion@seattletimes.com.
E-mail Subscribe Blog Home
March 20, 2009 4:21 PM
Tackling homelessness
Posted by Letters editor
Throwing money not the answer
["Group hopes to cut number of homeless families in state," Local News, March 19 http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008884912_gateshomeless19.html ] argues against these blanket leftist schemes that throw money at perceived problems, thus extending the problems.
Carefully read about Jackilin Abiem. She has gotten pregnant twice and, so, can't find or afford an apartment. Now think if she hadn't gotten pregnant. Would her life and opportunities be better? What about her personal responsibility?
Certainly there are many people "down on their luck" from circumstances beyond their control. They should be assisted. But Ms. Abiem? I have trouble either feeling sorry for her or being supportive of spending tax money on encouraging unwed births.
Another article in Thursday's paper ("More kids born in '07; fewer moms married," News) states that 40 percent of births are to unwed mothers. I don't think that is necessarily good for society as a whole, to which Ms. Abiem's problems attest.
-- Theodore M. Wight, Seattle
The Original Article is:
Originally published Thursday, March 19, 2009 at 12:00 AM
NEW - Introducing a new blog
Gates Foundation joins others in goal to cut homelessness
A partnership of governments, businesses and nonprofits is pledging today to redouble its efforts to help the growing number of homeless families in Washington state. The pledge includes up to $60 million over 10 years by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
By Kristi Heim
Seattle Times staff reporter
COURTNEY BLETHEN / THE SEATTLE TIMES
The Gates Foundation and other partners have committed $60 million toward helping homeless families in Washington state. One family in particular is 25-year-old Jackilin Abiem, of Sudan, right, and her 17 month old son, Nassir Getdet. Abiem is expecting her second son to be born in two weeks to join her family at their home at Katherine's Place, a local nonprofit offering affordable housing and support services.
A partnership of governments, businesses and nonprofits is pledging today to redouble its efforts to help the growing number of homeless families in Washington state. The pledge includes up to $60 million over 10 years by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Partners in the Washington Families Fund vowed to reduce the number of homeless families by 50 percent over the next decade.
"I feel this is an opportunity right now, as much as I'm a realist about the economy," said Alice Shobe, deputy director of Building Changes, which administers the fund. "It is ambitious, but we have a vision about how to do it. We have the creativity and broad partnership to make it happen."
As the recession throws more people into poverty, "we must do more to help families achieve and maintain stability," said Gov. Chris Gregoire, who signed an agreement with King, Snohomish and Pierce counties and the cities of Seattle, Everett and Tacoma to collaborate with the private partners.
Created by the state Legislature in 2004, the Washington Families Fund has received contributions of more than $20 million — $12 million from the state and $8.3 million from 18 other partners, including the Gates Foundation, Boeing, Microsoft, the Campion Foundation, the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, the Ben B. Cheney Foundation and United Way. It has awarded $13 million in grants so far.
The Washington Families Fund has not yet revealed any new financial commitments other than the Gates Foundation's pledge.
Governments and private groups together spend about $200 million a year to address the problem in Washington state, but as economic conditions worsen, the number of homeless families keeps going up. About half of the state's estimated 22,000 homeless households are families with children.
Winter nights
The family of Jackilin Abiem, 25, was one of them. She arrived in 2001 as an orphan from Sudan after fleeing civil war and walking for three months across the country and eventually to a refugee camp. Once in Washington, she lived with two foster families, graduated from Garfield High School and landed her first job at McDonald's.
Abiem then worked for two years as a cook at a retirement home, but she never earned quite enough money to afford her own apartment. She became homeless after the youth housing where she was staying made her leave when she became pregnant.
She then bounced around, staying with four different friends and her foster mom through the birth of her son, Nassir. She remembers "window shopping" outside on winter nights as she waited for friends to get off work.
"When I was pregnant, I didn't have a place to live, so I was just running around between friends," she said. "It was hard for me to go house to house and to old friends. I keep them worried ... that I may give birth [at] their house."
Spending some nights with her foster mom in Mount Vernon and other nights with friends in South King County made it tough to be in West Seattle consistently for her job, and she lost that, too.
Abiem is now at Katharine's Place, in a transitional apartment for homeless families in Rainier Valley, but her two-year term ends in December. She is about to give birth to her second son. Katharine's Place had so many people on its two-year waiting list that it closed the list to new applicants in January.
Prevention
That reflects a rise in the number of homeless families in 2008 over 2007, especially in South King County.
"The trend lines have gone in the wrong direction, period," said David Bley, director of the Pacific Northwest Initiative at the Gates Foundation. "We need to go about tackling the problem differently than we have in the past."
For one thing, there's not enough emphasis on preventing homelessness by keeping people in affordable housing. Only 3 percent of the $200 million is used for prevention, he said.
"It feels totally out of whack from what we know works — it's easier to keep people in a home than put them back once they've lost one," Bley said.
Bley said other needed changes include providing permanent housing as soon as possible, rather than "transitional housing," and standardizing the fragmented systems used to determine what families need, so they get access to the same services no matter where they go for help.
"Some people will need a lot of services and some people will need nothing more than a rent subsidy," he said.
The program also will focus on improving the economic prospects of people with low incomes or no income, connecting them with work-force development and job training. And more money will be invested in getting better data on homeless families to understand the problem.
"It is difficult to assess progress if you don't have good numbers," Bley said, "and it is very difficult to serve individual parents and children well if no one is tracking their needs, the support they get and the progress they are making."
"Gains being lost"
The Gates Foundation has previously given $40 million in grants to help homeless families and learn how to better tackle the problem. Grants to help homeless families are part of the foundation's Pacific Northwest giving, which totaled $33 million in 2009.
While that money is only a fraction of the billions the foundation gives away globally, it does make it the largest private human-service grantmaker in the state, said T.J. Bucholz, Gates Foundation senior program officer.
Washington is studying the practices of other communities that have managed to reduce homelessness by 40 to 50 percent. But even the most effective programs are seeing some erosion of progress.
"That's what was really frightening about the current economic climate," Bley said. "We see a lot of those gains being lost in those communities that were very innovative."
However, he added, "there would be a lot more homeless families if we weren't doing this work."
Kristi Heim: 206-464-2718 or kheim@seattletimes.com
Friday, March 20, 2009
Nero Hero of the Week III
NERO HERO OF THE WEEK III
(Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (15 December 37 – 9 June 68), born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, also called Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus)
While it may not be fact, it is a belief that has lasted over two thousand years: Nero fiddled while Rome burned. Well, that is what is happening in Washington, District of Columbia, right now. Especially in the White House and Halls of Congress. I feel it incumbent upon me to laud one person each week for fiddling while the United States of America burns. Some might argue that the burn is intentional and set by liberals and Democrats beginning with the inauguration Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1933. Others might simply state that the Chief Executive Officer, newly elected, of the United States of America (hereinafter defined as "US&A) is laughably and predictably acting as a neophite. In other words, with no experience in running anything and no experience in hiring exceptional -- or even unexceptional -- executives to report to him, he's floundering and with his fishy behavior the nation is going belly-up. And he seems to be copying a recent whale: former president George Bush, Junior.
While I stated that I would designate one person as Nero Hero of the Week each week, circumstances have caused me to designate a gaggle of geese: Congress and the Obama Administration for railing against legally-contracted bonuses to hard-working employees of the American International Group (AIG). These AIG people, including administration-appointed CEO Edward Liddy who is working for $1 a year, have been demonized by those who have caused this whole fiasco: Congressional Democrats and President Obama and his team of Keystone Kops...or is it the Three Stooges? OK, House of Representatives financial king-pin, Barney Frank, as far as I can see has never held a job other than political (including teaching at Harvard). Beginning in 1968 as Boston mayor Kevin White's Chief Assistant, Frank has suckled at the teat of the taxpayers since then. Frank was a steller, moral arbiter in 1990, when the House Ethics Committee recommended Frank be reprimanded because he "reflected discredit upon the House" by using his congressional office to fix 33 of Steve Gobie's parking tickets. Frank confirmed that he paid Gobie for sex, hired him with personal funds as an aide and wrote letters on congressional stationery on his behalf to Virginia probation officials. September 2003, Frank, then the ranking Democrat on the Financial Services Committee, opposed a Bush administration proposal for transferring oversight of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from Congress and the Department of Housing and Urban Development to a new agency that would be created within the Treasury Department. In addition, Frank's former partner, Herb Moses, was an executive at Fannie from 1991 to 1998, where Moses helped develop many of Fannie’s affordable housing and home improvement lending programs. In 1991, Frank pushed for reduced restrictions on two- and three-family home mortgages. Frank and Moses' relationship ended around the same time Moses left the company. Oh, did I mention, Frank is a homosexual who has used his power to pass laws favoring the homosexual affinity group. He also has been the recipient of substantial Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac campaign contributions. (And I don't know about Frank and Fannies, so to speak.)
Christopher John Dodd graduated in 1972, Dodd earning a Juris Doctor at the University of Louisville, one of the best known law schools in Louisville. (He is from Connecticut.) He dated at different times Bianca Jagger and Carrie Fisher and got suckle from taxpayers starting in 1975. He must have started practicing law in 1972 and certainly still is practicing because he hasn't gotten anything right so far, except being re-elected. Being a member of the so-called "Watergate class of '74, Dodd obviously learned from President Nixon when in June 2008 he stated: "I don't believe I did anything wrong" ["I am not a crook"] in being given a couple of below-market mortgages as a Friend of Angelo, CEO of Countrywide Financial Services, prime suspect in the meltdown of sub-prime mortgages, most of which were purchased by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on the prodding of Barney Fife (oops, I mean Frank) and Dodd. Sen. Dodd received more campaign contributions from AIG than any other candidate in 2008!
I don't know if it's the corruption (both Barney and Chrissie took hundreds of thousands of dollars from the financial industry they were laughably "regulating" -- Dodd is Chairman of the Senate Banking and Extortion Committee) or the complete lack of real-world experience in anything, that is most troubling about these two. Add President Obama, who, except for a brief unsuccessful stint at IBM (affirmative action? I don't know) has also been on the public dole all of his adult life.
Perhaps the rules of Congress that gives committee and sub-committee to those with seniority, not knowledge and experience should be to blame. In companies (a term the above three don't regard seriously) generally board of directors members are those with some experience and knowledge, especially in committees, such as audit. That Congress doesn't do this is disgraceful and I would submit one of the reasons the economic meltdown has occurred. To counter, inexperienced President Obama is mindlessly shovelling out future tax dollars to any squeeky, compaign contributing wheel in our country.
And Congress and the Administration are attempting to deflect blame by demonizing bonuses, those that approved them, except Congress and the Administration who did, and those who received them ("fiddling"or "playing the fiddle") while this economy, this country and the economies around the world burn. Burn to the ground. Yes Dictator Barack Nero and Congresspeople Barney and Chris Nero would be proud.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Break Union Monopolies
The Far-left Congress joins the Far-left president to impose on the American economy the most draconian shackles on its ability to create jobs, grow and provide tax income to the U. S. Government and for companies to be free to create products and services that consumers desire. Union bosses themselves say that this bill (the so-called "Employee Free Choice Act")would add 20 million more union members to their rolls, resulting in up to $12 billion more in forced union dues taken from the pockets of American workers. Where will these bosses spend all tht new money? On higher salaries, perks, vacations, cars for themselves and, most importantly, much will be spent to elect Far-left Democrats to continue the business-killing monopolies of unions.
What do unions really do?
Well first, The National Right to Work Committee recently reported "that union violence is responsible for at least 203 Americans deaths since 1975; 5,869 incidents of personal injury; and more than 6,435 incidents of vandalism and tens of millions of dollars in property damage."
Artificially jack up wages of a tiny minority of workers at the expense of more jobs. Artificially jack up prices, which amount to an additional tax on consumers, the proceeds of which line union leaders pockets and elect Far-left Democrats. Union leaders tell businesses how to manage their employees. The same employees who freely accept jobs created by these businesses. Why hobble business now? Well, union bosses using their members' dues elect Far-left Democrats.
"A study recently released by Dr. Anne Layne-Farrar, an economist with the non-partisan LECG Consulting Group, concluded that the unionization of 1.5 million existing jobs in just the first year after enactment of Card Check (as predicted by union leaders) would lead to an initial loss of 600,000 American jobs."
Recently union leaders in cahoots with Congress have triggered a possibly-devastating trade war with our third-largest trading partner and next-door neighbor, Mexico. Mexico has slapped tariffs on 89 products American companies ship there. From an added 10% to a killing 45% on a variety of products, including table grapes, wine, almonds, Christmas trees (liberals hate these anyway), pears from my Washington State, scrap batteries, some personal hygiene products and precious metal jewelry among other things. Why? To protect a perceived handful of Teamster jobs from Mexicans driving their trucks over the border as the North American Trade Agreement allows. Just to remind: it was trade barriers that helped start and continued The Great Depression. Check out this: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123742090606978583.html
Obviously union leaders are playing the strings of Obama the puppet and, of course, Democrats in Congress. Is Obama simply another Uncle Tom: "yessa, yessa, mastah! Please elect me!" When Obama talks of a strong economy and job saving and job creating, he is lying to America. Lying! And those same leaders to whom our president is so beholden have killed U. S. industries, steel, airlines, auto manufacturing and auto parts manufacturing, not to mention government entities such as Amtrak, the U. S. Postal Service. And unions have destroyed generations of African American kids who can't get decent educations, among other "students".
Cahoots?: From "The Audacity of Hope," "I owe those unions... When their leaders call, I do my best to call them back right away. I don't mind feeling obligated."
Check out this link for a comment by a former U. S. Secretary of Labor: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123742166937078741.html
Another article in The Wall Street Journal (Monday, March 16, 2009, page A18 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123723839801146937.html ) describes what labor bosses have done to Germany, Italy and France; Margaret Thatcher turned them back in England, but those other three countries are competitively on the bottom rung and financially crippled by welfare to those who are not productive.
Now is the time Republicans need to stand up and fight for America: Break the job- and business-killing union monopolies. If business monopolies were broken a century ago, because of misuse of power, now is the time to apply those same considerations to the union monopolies. The first start is stopping the addendum to Obama's Elect Democrats in 2010 "stimulus bill which is the Employee No Choice Act. It must be stopped if there is to be any small chance of an economic comeback in the United States and the world.
What do unions really do?
Well first, The National Right to Work Committee recently reported "that union violence is responsible for at least 203 Americans deaths since 1975; 5,869 incidents of personal injury; and more than 6,435 incidents of vandalism and tens of millions of dollars in property damage."
Artificially jack up wages of a tiny minority of workers at the expense of more jobs. Artificially jack up prices, which amount to an additional tax on consumers, the proceeds of which line union leaders pockets and elect Far-left Democrats. Union leaders tell businesses how to manage their employees. The same employees who freely accept jobs created by these businesses. Why hobble business now? Well, union bosses using their members' dues elect Far-left Democrats.
"A study recently released by Dr. Anne Layne-Farrar, an economist with the non-partisan LECG Consulting Group, concluded that the unionization of 1.5 million existing jobs in just the first year after enactment of Card Check (as predicted by union leaders) would lead to an initial loss of 600,000 American jobs."
Recently union leaders in cahoots with Congress have triggered a possibly-devastating trade war with our third-largest trading partner and next-door neighbor, Mexico. Mexico has slapped tariffs on 89 products American companies ship there. From an added 10% to a killing 45% on a variety of products, including table grapes, wine, almonds, Christmas trees (liberals hate these anyway), pears from my Washington State, scrap batteries, some personal hygiene products and precious metal jewelry among other things. Why? To protect a perceived handful of Teamster jobs from Mexicans driving their trucks over the border as the North American Trade Agreement allows. Just to remind: it was trade barriers that helped start and continued The Great Depression. Check out this: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123742090606978583.html
Obviously union leaders are playing the strings of Obama the puppet and, of course, Democrats in Congress. Is Obama simply another Uncle Tom: "yessa, yessa, mastah! Please elect me!" When Obama talks of a strong economy and job saving and job creating, he is lying to America. Lying! And those same leaders to whom our president is so beholden have killed U. S. industries, steel, airlines, auto manufacturing and auto parts manufacturing, not to mention government entities such as Amtrak, the U. S. Postal Service. And unions have destroyed generations of African American kids who can't get decent educations, among other "students".
Cahoots?: From "The Audacity of Hope," "I owe those unions... When their leaders call, I do my best to call them back right away. I don't mind feeling obligated."
Check out this link for a comment by a former U. S. Secretary of Labor: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123742166937078741.html
Another article in The Wall Street Journal (Monday, March 16, 2009, page A18 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123723839801146937.html ) describes what labor bosses have done to Germany, Italy and France; Margaret Thatcher turned them back in England, but those other three countries are competitively on the bottom rung and financially crippled by welfare to those who are not productive.
Now is the time Republicans need to stand up and fight for America: Break the job- and business-killing union monopolies. If business monopolies were broken a century ago, because of misuse of power, now is the time to apply those same considerations to the union monopolies. The first start is stopping the addendum to Obama's Elect Democrats in 2010 "stimulus bill which is the Employee No Choice Act. It must be stopped if there is to be any small chance of an economic comeback in the United States and the world.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
NERO HERO OF THE WEEK II
NERO HERO OF THE WEEK II
NERO HERO OF THE WEEKNero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (15 December 37 – 9 June 68) born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, also called Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus.
While it may or may not be fact, it is a belief that has lasted over two thousand years: Nero fiddled while Rome burned. Well, that is what is happening in Washington, District of Columbia, right now. Especially in the White House and Halls of Congress. I feel it incumbent upon me to laud one person each week for fiddling while the United States of America burns. Some might argue that the burn is intentional and set by liberals and Democrats beginning with the inauguration of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1933.
The first Weekly Hero was the president of the United States of America (hereinafter described as the US&A), Barack Obama for reasons outlined March 6, 2009.
This week the Nero Hero of the Week is Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro (Patty D? Patsy? No that's us) Pelosi (born March 26, 1940) one of the richest members of the Senate. (Worth around $20 million a couple years ago.) Representing the Union of Socialist San Francisco and like-minded left-wing socialists and apparently a politician for life, she's been elected 11 times as well as being a second generation Congressperson, sister to a politician and sister-in-law to a politician. Can't these Pelosis work for a living? Oh, yes, she's also the first non-male-gendered Speaker of the U. S. House of Representatives.
Nancy Patty is working hard (if you can believe it, three whole days a week) to be reelected, electing and reelecting Democrats in general and liberalizing everything in sight. She's using our hard- really hard-earned pay for taxes to do so, a trillion here, a trillion there. And she wants more, but not all of our money, only as much as she deems "fair". A twenty-times-millionaire deciding how much of my money she gets for electing Democrats. All the while having a Gulfstream III (or several; in fact all of them the U. S. Air Force has) at her disposal. Isn't that queen-like? Life is good here in the US&A (for politicians).
As Vice President of the US&A Joe Biden informed everyone, Aging Queen Nancy Patty's luxury jet(s) will require hard-working American tax payers (that's us), to buy thousands of gallons of expensive jet fuel for her every week. She flies home to California on a whim for only $60,000 each way! As Honest Joe noted, "Unfortunately we have to pay to bring her back" so there goes another $60,000. Weekly flights cost us at least $480,000 per month ($5,760,000 a year). And she complains that a plane isn't waiting for her, that the GIII isn't big enough to fly without stopping on the way at a gas station for more gas and, bye the bye that the war in Iraq is expensive. Oh yeah, she also flies around the world, too, from time to time. And yes, she's happily warming the globe!
As Vice President of the US&A Joe Biden informed everyone, Aging Queen Nancy Patty's luxury jet(s) will require hard-working American tax payers (that's us), to buy thousands of gallons of expensive jet fuel for her every week. She flies home to California on a whim for only $60,000 each way! As Honest Joe noted, "Unfortunately we have to pay to bring her back" so there goes another $60,000. Weekly flights cost us at least $480,000 per month ($5,760,000 a year). And she complains that a plane isn't waiting for her, that the GIII isn't big enough to fly without stopping on the way at a gas station for more gas and, bye the bye that the war in Iraq is expensive. Oh yeah, she also flies around the world, too, from time to time. And yes, she's happily warming the globe!
Showing concern for the financial meltdown and high unemployment of her subjects, Aging Queen Nancy Patty stopped in its tracks an attempt to rein in automatic pay raises for members of Congress. Their latest pay raise of $4,700 took effect in January 2009 and brought congressional salaries to $174,000.
I wonder if the luxury jet is large enough for the lyre she must be playing while the US&A is burning. By the way, a lyre is like a small harp (sometimes played by small harpies), using a plectrum. Well, as Aging Queen Nancy Patty sung recently accompanied by a lyre: "Burn Baby Burn!" and take the free-enterprise system down with you. Who needs the capitalism when you have the government?
I wonder if the luxury jet is large enough for the lyre she must be playing while the US&A is burning. By the way, a lyre is like a small harp (sometimes played by small harpies), using a plectrum. Well, as Aging Queen Nancy Patty sung recently accompanied by a lyre: "Burn Baby Burn!" and take the free-enterprise system down with you. Who needs the capitalism when you have the government?
American Idol - The President Obama and Aging Queen Nancy Patty, are they liars playing lyres or what? Congratulations, Nero would be proud. To Aging Queen Nancy Patty Nero Hero of the Week II, Friday The Thirteenth (March, 2009).
Is Soros Obama's Svengali?
Is Hungarian speculator and convicted inside trader, György Schwartz, aka George Soros, Svengali to President Barack Obama? That is an interesting question. Brilliant, if dishonest (convicted of insider trading, I have read), speculator, Soros financed the failed attempt to unseat then-president George Bush. In spite of making something like $7 billion dollars (Forbes ) in his adopted United States of America's free-enterprise system, Soros seems to have embraced the fall of the very system that has made him rich. Go figure.
To this end, I wonder if -- wonder only -- if the Chicago Mafia is in for a pound. If so, I wouldn't be surprised if Obama kicks buffoon Biden gets kicked to the curb for Rahm Israel Emanuel his White House Chief of Staff. Emanuel becomes president for two terms and voila the Democrats have their one-party oligarchy. ACORN and the 250,000 new Americorps recruits ($5.6 billion a year @ $22,400 pay) could arguably become his Brown Shirts, with educational centers, campuses and uniforms? The U. S. becomes Cuba North. Would the "conservative rich" be equivalent to German Jews?
To this end, I wonder if -- wonder only -- if the Chicago Mafia is in for a pound. If so, I wouldn't be surprised if Obama kicks buffoon Biden gets kicked to the curb for Rahm Israel Emanuel his White House Chief of Staff. Emanuel becomes president for two terms and voila the Democrats have their one-party oligarchy. ACORN and the 250,000 new Americorps recruits ($5.6 billion a year @ $22,400 pay) could arguably become his Brown Shirts, with educational centers, campuses and uniforms? The U. S. becomes Cuba North. Would the "conservative rich" be equivalent to German Jews?
Stock Market Up With Possible Pause in Card Check Law
I believe yesterday's stock market jump -- or was it a dead cat bounce? -- up 379.44 points, 5.8% the most in almost 4 months -- is attributed to the announcement that the holy grail of union leaders -- the so-called "Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA, H.R. 1409, S. 560) " but in actuality the "Easily Add Union Dues to Union Leaders' Funds Act" -- is perhaps being delayed by the doubts of some Democrats, along with most Republicans, free-market advocates, and business people not otherwise cowed by fierce union strength. The act makes forcing unions on companies a walk in the park, while diminishing the rights of those very workers that work in the companies who will be intimidated by union organizers who will know who is resisting signing a simple card to dictate union "bargaining". Further, if the union can't come to an agreement with the companies, liberal bureaucrats can write union contracts, including wages, benefits, work assignments, promotion procedures, and any major changes to business practices and operations and compel them to unionize plus there is no meaningful small businesses exemption so it would cover millions of small and newly-organized businesses. While in McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Commission the Supreme Court wrote of the importance of secret ballots in voting one's conscience "without fear of retribution" recently (in 1995), those self-same politicians elected by secret ballot will deny that right to workers, whose "leaders" -- union officials -- elect those legislating Congresspeople.
Unions kill jobs. FDR proved that in extending the Great Depression almost a decade with the forced unionization of the National Labor Relations Act (the Wagner Act signed July 5, 1935), which benefitted a small percentage of workers (but all union leaders) and cost the jobs of many, many others. It is telling that only government workers' unions -- whose leader contribute union funds mightily to the Democrat Party in exchange -- haven't lost huge ground over the past 20 years, while in the private sector they have dropped to 7.8% down from nearly 21% thirty years ago. Government-employee union membership is 36.8%! A major reason for the decline in the private sector is that union leaders' demands cripple companies and kill many. Airlines, steel companies, auto companies and related parts suppliers all come to mind.
The stock market as well understands the absolute harm to jobs, thus sends it crashing downward with the spectre of the card check act passing. And apparently vice versa, as yesterday's performance proved.
Take note President Obama.
Unions kill jobs. FDR proved that in extending the Great Depression almost a decade with the forced unionization of the National Labor Relations Act (the Wagner Act signed July 5, 1935), which benefitted a small percentage of workers (but all union leaders) and cost the jobs of many, many others. It is telling that only government workers' unions -- whose leader contribute union funds mightily to the Democrat Party in exchange -- haven't lost huge ground over the past 20 years, while in the private sector they have dropped to 7.8% down from nearly 21% thirty years ago. Government-employee union membership is 36.8%! A major reason for the decline in the private sector is that union leaders' demands cripple companies and kill many. Airlines, steel companies, auto companies and related parts suppliers all come to mind.
The stock market as well understands the absolute harm to jobs, thus sends it crashing downward with the spectre of the card check act passing. And apparently vice versa, as yesterday's performance proved.
Take note President Obama.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Miscellaneous Ramblings from Today's The Wall Street Journal
"Retail Sales Show Signs of Life" (Front Page, The Wall Street Journal, Friday, March 6, 2009 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123625531533739283.html ) Wall-Mart Stores Inc. showed same store sales increase of 5.1% (the first since September 2008). This one behemoth chain pulled up national industry same store sales to .7% when they otherwise would have dropped 4.1%. This is the retailer that is targeted for unionization by union leaders in the United States, owners of the Obama Administration and Congress. Look out America, don't let this happen.
"Political lobbying Drove FDA Process" (Same issue, Front Page http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123629954783946701.html ) Well duh! Our entire political activity -- the very future of this country -- is steered by political lobbying, coupled with the concomitant campaign contributions. I was saddened a bit that the amount of political contribution by ReGen Biologics Inc to the politicians, Menendez, Pallone, Rothman and Lautenberg...some leaders of healthcare in Congress...was not detailed. Our system, our Congress, our administration...all are corrupted by lobbying. The politicians want to be reelected and live the cushy life on the taxpayers. We have made being a politician for life more valuable to a citizen than working for a living and contributing to the economy. I think Republicans killed the term limits and perhaps sunsetting of laws. They are all to blame and should be retired in 2010. Retire in 2010. That has a catchy ring to it. In the meantime, The Wall Street Journal doesn't have enough room to write about all the lobbying that drives government.
"Obama, Health-Care Players Agree to Seek Overhaul" (Same issue, Page A4, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123627593496542123.html ) While Obama laughingly states that "exploding costs of health care in America today" could doom the country or something he ignores the 150,000 pages of Medicare regulations brought to you by the same party. Then he rails against "special interests" for killing previous attempts at "reform". Special interests, of course, are those that espouse opinions opposite those of Democrats. And saving costs by spending a trillion or so dollars seems so...Obamaian. True reform -- impossible as it sounds -- can only come from competition. Check out laser eye surgery, cosmetic surgery. Piling regulations on regulations and fixing prices according to lobbyists' contributions bring coverage for every perceived "cure" leaving out, of course, physicians, nurses, CEOs of healthcare organizations and those that know something through experience. Yes, I think I'll go to Henry Waxman for my sore throat. Democrats see fraud in profits, not understanding the basis of free-enterprise, that profits bring innovation, efficiency and cost reduction. They do not understand that legislation cannot stop crooks. Know this: Obama and the Democratic Congress wants government to own the healthcare industry and as the deficit blows up, so will healthcare regulations. 500,000 pages here we come brought to you by the party that brought us California, Amtrak and the U. S. Postal Service.
"Political lobbying Drove FDA Process" (Same issue, Front Page http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123629954783946701.html ) Well duh! Our entire political activity -- the very future of this country -- is steered by political lobbying, coupled with the concomitant campaign contributions. I was saddened a bit that the amount of political contribution by ReGen Biologics Inc to the politicians, Menendez, Pallone, Rothman and Lautenberg...some leaders of healthcare in Congress...was not detailed. Our system, our Congress, our administration...all are corrupted by lobbying. The politicians want to be reelected and live the cushy life on the taxpayers. We have made being a politician for life more valuable to a citizen than working for a living and contributing to the economy. I think Republicans killed the term limits and perhaps sunsetting of laws. They are all to blame and should be retired in 2010. Retire in 2010. That has a catchy ring to it. In the meantime, The Wall Street Journal doesn't have enough room to write about all the lobbying that drives government.
"Obama, Health-Care Players Agree to Seek Overhaul" (Same issue, Page A4, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123627593496542123.html ) While Obama laughingly states that "exploding costs of health care in America today" could doom the country or something he ignores the 150,000 pages of Medicare regulations brought to you by the same party. Then he rails against "special interests" for killing previous attempts at "reform". Special interests, of course, are those that espouse opinions opposite those of Democrats. And saving costs by spending a trillion or so dollars seems so...Obamaian. True reform -- impossible as it sounds -- can only come from competition. Check out laser eye surgery, cosmetic surgery. Piling regulations on regulations and fixing prices according to lobbyists' contributions bring coverage for every perceived "cure" leaving out, of course, physicians, nurses, CEOs of healthcare organizations and those that know something through experience. Yes, I think I'll go to Henry Waxman for my sore throat. Democrats see fraud in profits, not understanding the basis of free-enterprise, that profits bring innovation, efficiency and cost reduction. They do not understand that legislation cannot stop crooks. Know this: Obama and the Democratic Congress wants government to own the healthcare industry and as the deficit blows up, so will healthcare regulations. 500,000 pages here we come brought to you by the party that brought us California, Amtrak and the U. S. Postal Service.
Nero Hero of the Week
NERO HERO OF THE WEEK
(Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (15 December 37 – 9 June 68), born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, also called Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus)
While it may not be fact, it is a belief that has lasted over two thousand years: Nero fiddled while Rome burned. Well, that is what is happening in Washington, District of Columbia, right now. Especially in the White House and Halls of Congress. I feel it incumbent upon me to laud one person each week for fiddling while the United States of America burns. Some might argue that the burn is intentional and set by liberals and Democrats beginning with the inauguration Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1933. Others might simply state that the Chief Executive Officer, newly elected, of the United States of America (hereinafter defined as "US&A) is laughably and predictably acting as a neophite. In other words, with no experience in running anything and no experience in hiring exceptional -- or even unexceptional -- executives to report to him, he's floundering and with his fishy behavior the nation is going belly-up. And he seems to be copying a recent whale: former president George Bush, Junior.
So the first weekly person to be honored with the Nero Hero of the Week Award is President Barack H. Obama.
He announced this week that the stock market, where something like 55 million of his subjects' households own stock through mutual funds -- nearly 48% of all households -- is like a popularity poll. Apparently all he is worried about with the plunge of the Dow Jones Industrial Averages this year is, "Am I popular today?" Well, Mr. President, yes, you are, according to the polls that really count by MSNBCCBSPPBSABC and the New York (and most other cities') Times. So fiddle away. Oh, by the way, Wikipedia, the on-line source of acknowledged fact wrote: "Over the course of his reign, Nero often made rulings that pleased the lower class. Nero was criticised as being obsessed with being popular." Sounds like another absolute-ruler wannabe.
But one last laugh. In order to show the world you understand, you mentioned something like "profits and earnings ratios". Well, Mr. President you might sound presidential, but you are ignorant. There is no such thing as "profits and earnings ratios", profits and earnings are essentially the same. Did you mean "price earnings ratios" perhaps?
Well the last last laugh is on us, we who elected him. He's putting us in several trillion dollars of additional debt, apparently more than every president since George Washington COMBINED!
So laugh and fiddle Mr. President I hope you like the tune, we don't.
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