Politicians and the economy - maybe we need NEW ones

Back in August of 2010, when I was living in Columbia, SC - before my life was laid waste by a young woman with a serious mental illness - when I was the Columbia Conservative Examiner, I wrote an opinion piece.

It was called "Sometimes you just need a new one."

It bears repeating here. And I'll tell you why afterwards.

My five-year old grandson came up to me with a small inflatable basketball. He asked me to blow it up. I suspected that there was a hole in it but I went ahead and wore out my lungs blowing the darn thing up anyway. Sure enough, there was a small leak in it. Slowly, it began to deflate again.

"Sorry, pal," I explained to him. "It won't stay inflated. It has a hole in it." I then squeezed on the ball to show him where the air was coming out. He took the shriveling plastic globe and looked at it for a second. Then he said, "I know how to fix it."

"You can open it up,” he thoughtfully explained to me. “And put money inside. That will fix it."

I explained that putting money in it would not fix the hole. But he insisted it would. I then showed him the tube and said money would not fit in there.

"Yes, it will," he insisted. Then he looked around, spied a dime and said, "It just has to be a little money."

I took the dime and showed him it would not fit in the tiny tube.

"Sorry, pal," I explained. "Money won't fix the problem." Sadly, he took the ball, looked at it for a second then cheerfully turned to his brother and said, "Wanna go play in our room."

And off they went, deflated ball forgotten on the floor. Ah, the resilience of youth.

Then I wistfully wondered why Democrats are not so easily taught. You can show them the tube, explain that not only will the money not fit into the tube, it won't fix the problem. And they will keep trying to shove that dime or penny or quarter into the hole and insisting it will fit and it will fix the problem.

The stimulus money, what little was actually spent trying to stimulate anything, was a total bust. But what do they (those in power - aka the Democrats and the Obama Administration) want to do? They want to keep trying to shove money into that tube. Even if they force the tube wide enough to accept the dime, no amount of money is going to cover up a hole in the ball. It may sit on it for a little while, keeping some air from escaping. But in the long run, the air will still keep whistling out of the hole, the money will shift, and the initial problem will not get fixed.

And then you have the problem of closing the hole you widened to get that dime through in the first place.

The only way to fix a hole in a plastic ball is to use the right patch for the job, wait for it to set, then slowly re-inflate the ball to make sure the patch stays. And sometimes, you have to just accept the fact that the ball is not going to be fixed and you need to just go ahead and get a new one.

But as much as some politicians act like a five-year old, we just have to accept the fact that they're not as smart. And we have to just go ahead and get some new ones. Politicians that is, not five-year olds.

Now, the reason I bring this back up, because the economy is still in the toilet. The whole has still not been patched and the powers that be thing it needs MORE money shoved into it. Not only are they delusional, but they are using the problems in this country to consolidate power into their own hands and OUT of the hands of the people.

Don't get me wrong. Both parties are playing these stupid games of consolidation. Both parties are steering America off a cliff. The Obama Administration with its stupid politics of fiscal ruin and European style revision. It didn't work for them, it sure as HELL is not going to work here.

AND the Grand Old Party is doing with controlling manipulation and sneaky politics.

AND BOTH PARTIES are doing it with the extreme division of this great nation.

Look, it takes the heart of a liberal and the common sense of a conservative to find and administer solutions. Compassion to want to help those in need and a steely eye to make sure those who would take advantage of another's compassion to make sure there is the means to help those in need.

You can agree or disagree. I don't care. But if you want this country to regain its footing as the greatest nation on the earth and begin leading the way again, then you need to stop listening to all those spinners out there and start thinking for yourself. If I get you to at least do that, than I will consider this time well spent. But hey, this is just me, as usual, Thinking Out Loud.

Have a great day.

Charles

MoveOn? Seriously, time to MOVE ON!

Why is MoveOn still in existence? Why do they still have the ear of ANYBODY in the public?

These sleaze-bucket perpetuators and ultimate HATE mongers should be out the door with yesterday's trash. But for some reason, all of you people out there who lay claims to HATERS in America still listen to these blowhards.

To what am I referring to now?

The slimebucket ad about Mrs. Romney's horse in the Olympics. Read about it here because I WILL NOT LINK to the ad itself.

ONE - The candidate's wife has MS (thats multiple sclerosis for all you dimwits)
TWO - She first started riding as a therapy for her MS
THREE - She promotes programs to help others get riding therapy for their debilitating illnesses
FOUR - As much as all the left wing liberals want to KEEP promoting class warfare, it smack of hypocrisy when compared to the First Lady's jet-setting, clothes horse lifestyle
FOUR - Candidate's families, unless they hold office or commit a crime or meddle in politics, are OFF LIMITS . . . so says Michelle Obama, your own queen
FIVE - If you can't win on your actual record or proposed ideas then you have no business running for office. If all you can do is belittle your opponent and their family, you have no business trying to be a representative of the people.
SIX - If you are a sleaze bucket organization who is willing to offer tips to criminals on how to beat the system, make tons of false accusations against people who expose you for the sleaze you are and try to exert influence over large groups of the populace by perpetuating hate speech and stereotypes - you should just MOVE ON and get the hell out of America.

But you know, that is just my opinion. You can agree or not and quite frankly I don't care. I am just trying to get you to stop listening to influence peddlers who don't really care about you and your needs - they have their own agenda. I don't even want you to just blindly agree with me. Check it out. Think for yourself. STOP BEING SHEEP! Anyway, this is just me, Thinking Out Loud.

Have a great day.

Charles

Keystone XL asks "Who is in charge?"

Keystone XL Pipeline would bring over a million barrels of crude a day to the U.S. - nearly tripling the current supply from Canada – and almost 400,000 jobs.

The government under President Obama has said there are “issues” that must be resolved. Excpet his own agencies have given the okay for the pipeline deal, said there was no environmental impact and found the jobs growth acceptable. But the President and his Administration apparently has not read those reports.

So why the delay? Is it because the pipeline is an unknown quantity? Phase I was completed in 2010 and Phase II in 2011. Bringing over 500,000 barrels a day. It is in operation now. The barrels of crude and jobs the XL deal would bring are ADDITIONAL to existing ones. So it is not an unknown quantity.

Are there environmental issues that would bring unknown dangers? The State Department says there would be no significant environmental risks. So that one is off the table.

Or is it? The State Department, on January 18, 2012, sent a letter advising the President to deny the permits to build. Why? They stated issues with the Sand hills portion of the pipeline. This, however, is in contradiction to their analysis (“EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Final Environmental Impact Statement
for the Proposed Keystone XL Project”). On page 13, the Department of State determined that any spill would be minimal, not affect more than a localized area and Keystone agreed to all the clean-up and financial impact to residents if one did occur.

One must wonder who is running the show in Washington these days. If the Department of State can reverse their decision, and advise the President to deny a permit that would help us toward less dependency on Middle Eastern oil AND bring 400,000 jobs to a desperate economy, who is in charge? Surely not the President. He is letting the DoS tell him what to do without question. And certainly not the Department of State, as they are reversing their own decision. So who is telling them to do it?

This is, as many would argue, a very complex issue. And should not be dealt with lightly. And I would absolutely agree.

However, it is an issue that has been kin the works since 2008. that is nearly FOUR years of determinations and analysis and surveys and legislative issues and God only knows what else. (Trade discussions, market research, et al) And it boils down to the Department of State issuing a decision in opposition to their own studies. And a President that doesn't even know what is what and allows a department within his own government to tell him what to do – which he does, without question – on a decision that will impact our country, our economy and our security.

Something is just not kosher with this set up.

Meanwhile, American suffer. Tyrants and madmen dictate our security. And Congress argues about whether it is right or not for them to use insider information to get richer. And politicians argue who has better family values, who has the neatest hair and who is more politically sensitive than who.

For crying out loud!

All these putzes have to go. We need leadership that thinks of America first. And yes, I mean the people in the Supreme Court – Justice Ginsberg, you heard me – too. We also need all you morons out there – who continue to just regurgitate the rhetoric fed to your by people who really could care less about you in order to get themselves more money, more power and power influence – off the voter registration rolls. I know I have been an advocate of everyone deserving the right to vote. But remember, I have also always said it and Uncle Ben told Peter, “with great power [the right to vote] comes great responsibility [the effort to understand what you are voting for].”

Agree or disagree, I don't care. Just think about it before you agree or disagree. Know what it is you are agreeing or disagreeing with me about. STOP BEING SHEEP! AVOIOD THE SPIN! (I swear I am getting bumper stickers made soon.) Think for yourself, for crying out loud. Either way, this is just me, Thinking Out Loud.

Have a great day.

Charles

Why don't you write more often?

Okay, I get this question from time to time. And it is a valid one. Because, heck, you know I have a lot to say.

But here is the thing. I have to make a living. That is part of the bottom line. The other part, which is pretty much related to the first part, is that I don't want this blog to get a rep as just some lame spouting off of gripes.

What I mean by that is, I want to not only let you know what is REALLY happening so you can make an informed decision without relying on all the SPIN that is out there, I want you to have ACCURATE information so you can make those truly informed decisions.

I am not one of those talking head types, that will spout off the latest and greatest SPIN from their side and TELL you what to think. I actually want you to think for yourself. In order to do that, I want to give you the real deal. I want to offer you sources to look stuff up yourself, and then THINK FOR YOURSELF, instead of just regurgitating what all the HIGHLY paid political consultants (i.e. THE SPIN DOCTORS). And that includes me. I don't want you to just take my word for things.

Which means I need to know what the hell I am talking about in the first place.

I did this with the old version of this blog (same name, different web location). And it is what I did when I published the book (Thinking Out Loud - The Book). I added, researched and made available all the resources I based my rants on. So you can look them up. Even four years later. Because I want you to avoid the SPIN this time around.

And all this takes time. Sometimes time I do not have since I am trying to make money to pay the bills. I have my Examiner articles to write. I am trying to write more for ImperfectParent.com so they don't fire me. I am working with clients in the real world doing media blitzes and PR and press releases and blog stuff associated with my business (Reynolds Publishing Company). Plus I am working on some more e-Books (Catharsis is now out in eBook-land - KOBO and soon Barnes & Noble), with fingers crossed people will actually buy them.

Anyway, not to leave this as all about me, me , me . . . but it is, you know. Just kidding. I will leave you with a few thoughts.

The lowering unemployment numbers the President, press and liberal SPIN miesters are all touting do not tell the true story about unemployment in America.

The truth is halfway between what they are saying and what the other side is saying. Jobs are slowly coming back. Mostly because business is getting tired of waiting for Washington to stop farting around with this legislation and that new tax schedule. They are doing what business does, taking a risk and expanding or re-hiring or whatever they need to do to succeed.

But also there is still millions out there without jobs going on three years now. Their unemployment benefits (which truly cannot last forever no matter what the Dems and libs want - and I know of what I speak because I am one who never even received unemployment all this time since Nov '09) are running out but still have no jobs. So they are turning to the next government option. They are applying for social security disability insurance. Like these people in Ohio. 21,200 claims this year. Even the Huffington Post has recognized this trend to use social security disability as the new unemployment benefits.

So all those people who tout the dropping numbers from the unemployment rolls are not telling you that the numbers filing claims (and over taxing a system not meant to handle this many claims) are on the rise.

Well, I was going to rant on about ENDORSEMENTS being nothing but a job application and not something you should take seriously, even if you like the person is making the endorsement. Because they are only doing it to INFLUENCE your vote and thus get themselves a new government job with the new President or whatever. Seriously, what should you care about who THEY are going to vote for? Voting is both a personal thing and BIG responsibility. You know, like Jim DeMint (R-SC) endorsing Newt or Mitt or whoever. None of the GOP candidates would fall into his acceptance (given his past record and public views). But if he endorses someone, then he is SELLING out for a new job. not for your benefit. So, if I were to talk about this ENDORSEMENT thing, I'd say DON'T FALL FOR IT!!!!!!

Anyway, as usual, agree or disagree with me. (But maybe buy my eBooks so I can spend more time here - I like it here.) It (the agreeing or disagreeing thing) doesn't matter to me either way. SO long as I get you to think for yourselves and AVOID THE SPIN, then I have done my job. Stop being sheep and following people who have no interest in YOUR best interest, only theirs. But heck, this is just me, Thinking out Loud.

Have a great day.

Charles