Give me your TV… or I’ll take it!!

I should start every post with “Folks I can’t make this shit up!!”

So here we go… Folks, I can’t make this shit up.

The State of California Energy Commission has recently passed new rules for the amount of energy your TV can use. These new regulations are going to be phased in over time and by 2013 your TV will have to use under 116 watts vs. the current average of 313 watts for a 42″ TV(Sheppard Smith). Energy Commission estimates that this will save the average consumer about $30/year. Let’s do a little math… the average 42″ TV costs about $850 for a decent TV so with the massive savings that a consumer will get from the reduction in energy usage it will only take about 28 years to recoup the investment to be in compliance.

Another link for a bit more info

So how is CA going to enforce this regulation? Certainly they can’t come to each persons home and get their old TV, I suppose the only real way to enforce this is through disallowing the sale and punishing retailers & distributors if they try to sell these TV’s. Someone is going to have to enforce it at some level and with the budget issues that CA is currently having(one of the top three worst States in the Country) this makes so much sense. Let’s create some more government regulation and spend some more taxpayer money to enforce it.(I could fix CA budget problems – have the Government and every regulatory agency take a 2 year leave of absence- the State might actually recover)

This is all because the energy usage contributes to global warming. Burning those damn fossil fuels contributes to Carbon production which for some reason all the State and National Governments believe contribute to global warming. Global Warming caused by Carbon is the greatest scam ever, and yet Governments at every level use Global Warming as the reason to pass more restrictions on individuals.

Anyone with half a brain would try to figure out a way to meet the new energy demand, instead CA and the rest of these jackasses try to figure a way for us to to all go back to the Stone Ages. I would say go back to Horse and Buggy, but the Horse farts and shit contributes so much to Global Warming that we can’t even have that as an option. I swear pretty soon the crack pots on the left will be telling us how many kids you can have because a new kid increases your families carbon footprint. 2 years ago I might have said that was nuts but with the radical crazies running our Government and the rest of the world this isn’t that far fetched.

Case in Point: The US Preventative Services Task Force is now recommending that women should not have a mammogram until age 50.  According to these folks, screening women between ages 40-49 only saves 1 in 1900 from death because of breast cancer. Between 50-59 that increase to 1 in 1300.

Let’s do a little math here: Per the 2000 Census there were 21,675,000 women between age group 40-49. Lets assume all of these women get mammograms – that would save 11,407 lives, between age 50-59 there would be 12,339 lives saved. That assumes that all women in those age groups are screened and that is certainly not true… but what is your number for a life saved?

I am a statistics and math person but my mother life isn’t a statistic, and I don’t think your wife or mother is a statistic either.

The left wing media blasted the idea of “Death Panels” but what do you call this. When the Government decides that your loved one or you isn’t statistically relevant and they are the only choice for Health Care, what are you going to do? The Government is trying to take over health care in a push to single payer government only provided health care. Most Americans won’t be able to afford to spend their own money so they will be stuck with whatever “Cost Saving” measure the Government is attempting. Meanwhile you can lye by the side of your 46 year old dying wife and thank Nancy Pelosi.

So now do you think it is crazy they might just come for your unborn… “Brave New World” used to just be a book? Maybe yall should read it again!!

Rise Up America…

Subscribe to Politics by Mark by Email

Public Education – Obama Style

A friend of mine sent me a little AP News story regarding President Obama and his new “plan” for public education in this Country. Politicians like to campaign, address, and pass legislation regarding Education. It happens to be a hot topic because there are millions of parents who want the “best” for little Johnny so they are concerned about Education. As a politician who is concerned about getting re-elected the votes are what matters so they take some stance regarding education and push some form of  “Change”, and spend some more of the taxpayer money to “fix it”. Somehow ever since I can remember no one ever seems to “fix it”, no matter how much money is spent, it seems to be perpetually broken and in need of more money. Sound familiar – just look at the Economy as a whole – thank god it is broke because Pres. Obama can keep spending more money to fix it, or the health care system… lord knows this is so broke more money will fix it. I digress… this is about Education and I owe it to my dear friend to opine about it.

Obama has allocated 5 Billion of your money as part of the Stimulus Package for some program called “Race to the Top” that he is dangling as the carrot in front of States in order to push his agenda on the States. As most people know States typically run their own Education systems, although we do have a Federal Department of Education. One man appointed by Obama will have control of awarding the 5 billion dollars to States that somehow fit into the criteria Obama has set up to get the money.

The first problem I have is with the the very fact the Obama is taking 5 Billion dollars and dangling it in front of the people in school districts in order to make them do what he wants. As we all know, many Americans hate the fact the Government is spending all this money, unless they are the beneficiary. Money is power and this is bribery because school districts are so desperate to get more money. Secondarily, is the money really going to be allocated based on an unbiased set of parameters or might it be based on a local house Representative or political donor in the recipient State. Could it be tied to some other requirement of the State… in other words what other strings are attached to the money. You dance with the devil… ah heck you know the rest!

Part of the program is that teacher pay will be tied to student test scores. On it’s face this looks like a good idea.. but in practice this is ridiculous. How to do reconcile the difference between the teacher who teaches Freshman Algebra and the teacher who teaches AP Calculus. How do you reconcile the difference between the PE Teacher/Coach who ends up with all the knuckleheads in class. In Texas just about any activity a student is involved with exempts the student from PE, so PE teachers typically end up with every pot head loser piece of crap student there is… judge that performance against the AP Calculus teacher. Weird because I typically don’t agree with any union, and this may not be the argument the teachers unions are using, but they do not like to be judged on standardized test scores.

The only way standardized test scores could be effective is if you give teachers the ability to “manage” out the shithead students. That will never happen, after all, school funding is tied to attendance to the point where most districts have truancy officers who round kids up to get them in school so head counts go up so the school can get the funding they need.

Think about it like this – You get hired as the CEO of a company, you are given a workforce, you can not fire them, you have to “utilize” them in the best fashion possible, and you also have to turn a profit. 90% of people would say you are out of your mind. You see this in sport where a head coach is given a bunch of shit players from a general manager and then is expected to go win a Super Bowl.

Our school systems are broke because they are a model of Socialism. The bottom is forced to go to school and become educated which is taking away from the top, and the teachers are stuck trying to “accommodate” the bottom, instead of focusing on making the top even better. This type of Socialism is reflected throughout our entire society now, and will become ever more pervasive because our Country continually accepts second rate and keeps dragging the bottom along with it. Personal and parental responsibility for many doesn’t exist and our school end up being over paid baby sitting services.

It doesn’t take a village… it takes Parents taking responsibility for their kids and Schools standing up and saying your son is a loser… he is not the problem of the State… Mom/Dad(if you are around)… you fix him.

The Government should set standards for Elementary, Junior High and High School Education in the form of an examination in areas of study, and not liberal art programs but real areas of study that could actually be beneficial to kids some day like Science, Math, Business, Reading, etc. The standards and tests allow for comparison between schools and students, and also to assess the students to see if the are eligible to move to receive the credentials granted from passing the test.

I also think that maybe after a certain grade level of completion it really doesn’t matter if little Johnny takes AP Calculus, because Johnny might be better at other things such as a trade… auto mechanic, plumber, electrician… just take your car to the shop and see what it costs… these jobs are good jobs and going to get better as technology advances. Why are schools worried about every kid needing to go to college… college is so diluted now that a bachelor degree doesn’t really mean much… the things taught in the first two years of undergrad should be completed in high school… why take Texas history again in college… so it takes longer to get a degree and the college can make more money. Yeah that really helped the accountant out to repeat a history class.I digress again… (although the first two years of college are a good time)

If we are going to continue to fund a public education each student should have a dollar amount attached to them and when they enroll in a school the school gets the amount of money. Schools should be privately run and offer whatever programs they want as long as the school meets the standards. Maybe your son/daughter is great at music and their is a school that offers, in addition to the required standards, an excellent program for your child.. you should be able to send them there… maybe their is a school the focuses on engineering and science and your child has an interest in that… you should be able to send them there… maybe your child is not college bound and their is a school that focuses on trades instead of college prep… send them to that school instead.

The point is that each school can do whatever the heck they want as long as the kids meet the basic uniform requirements.(Those requirements should be  met by 14-15 years old)

And then we get to the dip shit students and parents who drag down our current education system… Parent are going to have to start parenting a little better to get their child into a better school or because market forces will be in place… a Wal-Mart style school will open up to meet those needs. It seems we are afraid to admit our differences because it is not fair… but some kids are smarter, some are dumber, some are good at one thing, some have behavior issues… we are not all the same and a market will be there to meet the needs of all learning types because that is how capitalism and the free market system works. (If only the Government would get the hell out of the way)

Subscribe to Politics by Mark by Email

C’Mon Obama!!

So this one really has nothing to do with Politics, err… maybe it will because Obama has already publicly said he would like to see a playoff system in D.1 College Football… maybe Obama will use some of his thug tactics and threaten the BCS if they do not move to a playoff system they will pay a new tax.

The BCS may have a problem, and maybe, just maybe this will help lead to the road of a real National Champion via a playoff system. Right now a scenario is brewing that may just cause the most controversy ever in the BCS history. Every year is, of course, controversial because when people and computers decide who is the “best” team then the system is automatically flawed and should be rightly criticized. This year could be the best yet as the following teams are undefeated:

Florida, Texas, Alabama, Iowa, Cincinnati, TCU, & Boise State.

Florida and Alabama will play in the SEC Title game so they will decide who is better in that game, but maybe they are the #1 and #2 team in the country, but of course we will never know because Conferences so desperately need the Conference Championship games. What is better a Conference Championship game or two teams from the same Conference playing each other in a National Championship game?

Texas, if they win all of the rest of their games, and win their Conference Trap Game, will be playing in the National Championship Game based on the current rankings and the Big 12 Conference prestige.

Then it gets interesting:

Cincinnati – Could easily run the table and win the Big East

Boise State- May have the easiest Schedule left and have already beaten the favorite to win the Pac-10 Championship, Oregon who just stomped USC.

TCU – Has Utah left on schedule which could be a game, but after that does not face a real challenge.

Iowa – Still has to play Ohio State. Ohio State lost to the fraud USC, and to Purdue, so I have reasonable confidence that Iowa should beat Ohio State. No other challengers in the way.

So it could stack up like this:

Florida – Undefeated SEC Champs

Texas – Undefeated Big 12 Champs

Iowa – Undefeated Big Ten Champs

Cinci – Undefeated Big East Champs

Boise State – Undefeated Western Athletic Champs

TCU – Undefeated Mountain West Champs

You could argue the two mid-majors conferences are not as good top to bottom as the four major conferences and that might be true but it doesn’t speak to any one team, case in point – Boise beating Oregon, or Boise smacking OU a few years back.

If you accept the mid-major argument, you could then say the Big East isn’t as good a conference historically in Football as the SEC, Big 12, Big 10, but it also doesn’t address the fact Cinci may be the best individual team.

If you accept knocking out the mid-majors, and the Big East… how do you reconcile the The Big 10 against the SEC and Big 12. The Big 10 historically has been as good or better then the SEC and Big 12 and Ohio State has played in the National Championship a few times recently.

Texas and Florida(Bama) will play for the National Championship and if Iowa runs the table they will be left out. The BCS apologist and honks will dismiss the mid-majors, and even the Big East, but maybe this year when the Big 10 gets left out maybe we will finally start to see real change. The type of change I know the Country has really been waiting for.

Give me a 16 team playoff system and the problem would be solved. Tell ND to get in a real Conference… Win your conference and your in, have a couple at large bids, cut the regular season to 10 games, cancel the “money” games against North Texas – you would not need them anymore because if your school wins their conference they get in the playoffs and then get paid.

Subscribe to Politics by Mark by Email

More Government Motors

I could literally spend the next month without sleep just blogging regarding the ridiculous spending, bribery, back door deals, corruption, that goes on in the Federal Government. Given that amount of posts would probably only cover the tip of the iceberg the actual amount would probably be stunning – but would we care?

Here is the problem… if the payment comes your way… its all good because at the end of the day it really isn’t about the greater good (even though the left tells you they believe that) it is really about YOU and the politicians know that. They buy our votes or complacency every day, and the politicians get bought by some special interest group on all sides. Bribery and Corruption.

So onto the real story…

Old GM Plant in Delaware getting a fresh start again building a new hybrid luxury car. Normally I would say great, a business owner has raised capital from investors because the investors think that this idea is going to work, a market exists to sell the product, and it will be profitable, and it is employing workers in this country, and I would root for their success.

Little problem here… Fisker Automotive is “borrowing” 529 million from the US Government (taxpayers) in order to build this hybrid car that the consumer is demanding. I also find it interesting that the Obama Government took GM into bankruptcy (violated numerous bankruptcy laws along the way) and this plant was left in the old GM, sold to Fisker, who bought it with Government money, in Delaware where Joe Biden is from. So Biden shows up to take credit for stealing my money and giving it to the union workers who are all rejoicing because they got some jobs back and they are the big corruption winner. (Well at least temporarily they are a winner). Dems just bought some more votes… Repub’s better start paying people off – Dems are kicking your ass right now.

That scenario by itself smells pretty bad, until you find out that Fisker is backed by none other then Al Gore? The self proclaimed King of the Anit-Global Warming Crusade. This guy just keeps showing up all over the place to take your money.

FYI – Towed my fifth wheel over 400 miles this weekend and got 12 mpg!!

 

Not Kidding – Green Cooks!

I hope you are sitting down because I am not kidding about this…

The Baltimore School Districts have started “Meatless Monday” in order to “promote healthy and environmental friendly choices”.

The environmental part of this equation is that eating meat and the raising of cattle is causing global warming therefore we should reduce our consumption of meat.

Folks I can’t make this shit up…

http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2009/10/05/meatless-monday-coming-cafeteria-near-you

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/55355

http://www.meatlessmonday.com/baltimore-schools/

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/10/51-percent-greenhouse-gas-emissions-come-from-meat-dairy-industry.php

This used to be background noise, things that most sane people regarding as just a few crazy cooks on the far left fringe, but “The Change we have been waiting for” is here and frankly is scares me. And even better yet is the fact that your tax payer dollars are being used to promote this garbage.

Meat production is now being classified just like the energy production and it will soon be treated as such financially. Cap and Tax for energy is soon going to become Cap and Tax on meat production as well.

Also found it interesting that the Baltimore School district have adopted this program, take a look at the demographics of the district… notice anything interesting?

Slowly the elite left is enslaving this country, but this time with a far more powerful tool – no longer by gun point, but now by indoctrination and dependency. Most people staring down a gun barrel know they are being forced to do something, those who have been taught “right from wrong” don’t know any different.

Anyone ever read “Brave New World”?

Appreciate the folks who voted for Obama, and the fools who believe in Global Warming… once again the far left(left and middle) has bastardized sensible “environmental responsibility”. They just can’t seem to get enough… what is next? We can only have one dog because two dogs fart too much and produce gas that causes global warming… this would be laughable but we now have a Government Sponsored Meatless Monday so who knows… maybe a flatulence tax?

Call, write, email your congressmen and maybe send one to B..B..B..Barney Frank also.

 

They are not Crooked!

Just a reminder to all you folks who somehow believe that the Democratic Party is so far different from the Republican Party.

The Democrat Party hates Corporate America because those evil villains of business, especially the bankers and Wall Street executives with their big bonuses take advantage and make miserable the lives of the working class folks. Or that is what most of you lefties believe. There isn’t much difference between the Dems and Rep, the difference is the Dems lie to us and say how they hate Corporate America, at least the Rep are honest about being crooks.

Follow the money folks and you will see where it ends up. Here is a link to MSNBC that discusses the upcoming fund raiser for the Democratic party. To note about this fundraiser is who may be attending – “Bankers from Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup that received federal money” (Tax Dollars)

That’s funny at $30,000 plus per couple those evil rich wall street executives that your tax money bailed out are now giving it back to the Democrat party.That is a great system the Government has… tax you (or print more money which is just like taxing you), give to banks/wall st., give money back to politicians, tax you, give to business, give to campaign, tax you, give to business, give to campaign… weird little circle?

All you folks who voted for Obama are being had… Obama comes out to tell everyone how they are going to regulate Wall Street and he vilifies them at every chance he gets, blaming them for the housing collapse and bad loans, meanwhile he is in the back room taking their money as they “draft” those new regulation so the stupid American people can restore faith in the markets.

The Obama administration is just as corrupt as any other, if not worse. Their really is no difference between Wall St. and the White House…

And quit blaming Wall St, Bankers, and Corporations. Our Government is the problem because they keep trading money for legislation. For a business this is just like marketing dollars to run a TV ad so you buy their product. The US Gov has the power to destroy(or make rich) any Company it wants, so as a Company you have two choices… you can either cooperate(pay up) with the US Gov or be out of business. The mafia is in the White House and in Congress… they are no longer some clandestine operation running in the underground fighting against the law… they are the law now.

In some Countries this is called extortion, blackmail, bribery? Here we call it the United States Federal Government!

Subscribe to Politics by Mark by Email

Just a little trickery!

As part of the many bills that are floating around regarding health care reform there is a little factoid that many people are overlooking. The start date of 2013… why you might ask?

1. Obama and the Dems can claim victory without the full effects of the policies being seen or felt.

2. Obama comes up for re-election before any of the changes are seen or felt.

3. Time to make administrative changes- although this being the only legitimate reason, 3 years is a bit excessive but then again we are talking about the Government.

I can here the 2013 Presidential Campaign Speeches now:

“In my first year as President I was able to pass sweeping health care reforms that have lowered costs, improved access to care, improved the quality of care, did not increase taxes, and did not grow the deficit.”

Reality is none of the changes will even have taken place… remember the US Government is only concerned with your welfare as it relates to them being re-elected, not to your actual welfare. After BO’s second term who really cares what happens, the minute that term starts he will be a lame duck.

We already have a stimulus plan that Obama and the Dems are claiming to have worked to stop the “Severe Recession” but the reality is they have only spent 14% of it as of September 2009.

If you think this is scary now what BO and the gang is doing, if he wins a second term with no hope of re-election (unless he becomes World Czar) he is really going to try “Change America”.

And don’t think for one minute that this is just a Dem problem… there are many Republicans just as skilled at the game of manipulation.

You can probably count on one hand the amount of honest politicians we have in Congress. (honest politician – isn’t that an oxymoron?)

Subscribe to Politics by Mark by Email

VAT

If you don’t know what a Value Added Tax is, then you should probably be getting yourself familiar with it because if the Dems have their way(and the Rep. who can be bought and paid for with some other special favor) we will be getting one.

Here is Pelosi discussing it on PBS.

You can read about it and decide for yourself if you think it is a good idea or not.

The merits of any tax system can be debated but what is important here is to understand is that the VAT won’t be in replace of anything but in addition to what currently exists. If Congress sits down and debates and “overhaul” of the current tax system the questions asked will be as follows:

1. How do we increase revenues for the Government?

2. How do we convince the middle class and poor (the largest voting block) that this will reduce their tax burden?

3. How do we make it as hidden as possible from the individuals? (They will call this efficient or some other positive terms, but what it really means is they will place the burden on businesses so the consumer doesn’t see it)

Here are the questions they should be asking?

1. How do we reduce Government Expenditures by at least 50%?

2. How do we create a tax system that is distributed equally among all citizens?

3. How do we create a tax system that generates revenue from tourists?

4. How do we create a tax system that is easily understandable by a 9th grader?

5. How do we create a tax system that can not be manipulated?

Or they could just tax and spend some more!!!

When are you going to stand up?

Here comes the Arsonist to put out the FIRE!!

Here is another great article regarding some legislation that our political hacks are discussing in Washington.

Congress is considering a tax credit for businesses who hire employees.

So here is what is wrong with it:

1. This comes straight from a labor run business model – go ask GM and the State of NY how that is working out when the prisoners run the asylum.

2. Any uptick in hiring will only be temporary, in order to sustain growth in business people have to be buying what the business is selling.(Wait I here the argument that hiring key people to a business could increase revenues etc… and yes I understand the value human capital but if a business finds that key person a small tax credit isn’t going to be the difference of hiring or not hiring)

3. If people aren’t buying what you are selling you aren’t going to hire anyway, which means that companies that might actually be hiring are going to wait because if they can get some welfare from the taxpayers why wouldn’t they. What business would not want to reduce their employee cost?

4.If you claim the tax credit is the reason a business will hire then what happens after two years and the tax credit goes away. One of two things – either the program will have to be extended or people will have to be let go, so now we just push the underlying economic problems down the road a bit further. I know of no for profit business model that uses welfare as a source of revenue, it does absolutely nothing to build a foundation for long term profitability. Short term maybe, but over the course of time it will not sustain a business.

WARNING- Careful for those business’s who want this program for the tax credit, because if I know one thing about Pres. Obama and our Government, if they give you something, they will want something in return. Just ask the all the bail out companies who are being told how much they can compensate their employees.

Our Government shares the largest portion of blame for our economy being where it is. Their fiscal and bank policy, lack of smart regulatory policy and enforcement, massive entitlement program spending, massive spending in general, and massive tax burdens, are the largest contributors to the financial crisis that we are currently in. The Dems and Rep. both contributed to the problem.  So now here comes the Government with another entitlement program to try to fix it.

Maybe the single most important thing to understand is how the Tax Code is being used once again to control behavior. The Government has three sources of power – military, law creating and enforcement(the threat of incarceration), and the US Tax Code. The most often used of these is the tax code and arguably it is the most powerful tool the Government has to controlling people and the economy. Obama wants a controlled predictable less volatile economy, otherwise known as Socialism. The Obama kind of socialism is when the State controls the capital and allows the quasi free market to exist as so long as the Government controls the majority of the money.

If the US Government really want to fix the economy they would get the hell out of the way, set a fixed tax rate for everyone; get rid of every single tax credit, deduction, rebate, loophole; monitor, regulate, and enforce laws on business for corruption, stealing and cheating, not for paying the execs too much and picking winners and losers based on some special interest or lobby group who says the earth is burning to a crisp.

Once again I would like to thank all the people who voted for Obama, heck let me also thank all the people who voted for Bush, and every other incumbent politician who has been sucking up to the American people with another funding program for some group of people.

HEADLINE SPEECH FOR DEMS AND REP

“We worked in a bi-partisan fashion to bring about significant job creation by passing legislation that will put back to work millions of people and we did it by not increasing taxes on anybody. It is refreshing when the two parties can cross the isle and find common ground to do what is right for the American people and jobs. These new jobs that are being created, right now as we speak, will save countless families from the pain of losing their homes, losing their health care, losing the ability to send their son or daughter to school. These jobs will help bring our economy back to a level of the likes that we have never scene. The days ahead are now filled with optimism and hope, but let me remind you that our work here is not done yet, the road is still long and hard, it will take more time and effort, but at least we can start to see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. We will get there because we will continue to work tirelessly in our effort to once again return this Nation to the Greatness that we know exist. Thank You and God Bless America”

Jackasses…

Subscribe to Politics by Mark by Email

Taxes Again

Here is a terrific article regarding State taxes.

Mr. Malanga does a particular great job illustrating how the tax burden, unions, and poor poor me groups like ACORN and the 1000’s just like it are killing this country.

Another point I found particularly interesting is that California has spent billions to decrease school class sizes and have seen no better test scores or graduation rates. I swear I was having a conversation with a school expert the other day that looked at me with 3 heads when I suggested that “class” size wasn’t that important. These academia type like to point to some study by some liberal college professor that would prove their point. I think California spending billions of dollars to reduce class sizes and getting no better results is all the proof we need.

Once again, I would like to personally thank each and every fool who voted for Obama.

Subscribe to Politics by Mark by Email