BOHICA!!!

We now face the prospect of the nation's credit rating being lowered by another credit rating agency. The problem is not the president. It is the congress. We are headed down the porcelain receptacle. Again. BOHICA. There is no end in sight. The senators and congressmen are in denial. They think it is impossible to bankrupt the federal guvmint. Inflation is on the way. It is how we will solve the housing crisis and the banking crisis. The money will be worth nothing but the banks will have no option but to take it in the shorts. It is all part of the grand scheme of the Republicrats.

For those of you who voted for W. remember that the war was "Off Budget." That means it did not show up on the balance sheet. The 3/4 of a trillion Tarp Fund was also a joke.

The current occupant of the White House is no different other than he is not trying to hide the spending. The problem is not the occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. It is the congress. We do not live in a dictatorship. Congress appropriates money.

B.O. is currently at 41% in the polls. That sounds terrible until the figure of 13% approval for congress turns up. Then he looks not too bad.

Nobody will conquer this nation from without. But we will bankrupt ourselves. The National Interest no longer exists.

And while we are at it, simplistic slogans do not solve debt. Financial planning does.

In short, we are screwed. It is money and nothing else that runs campaigns.

MONTANA!

 

Brian Schweitzer

has a surplus in the state treasury. He has a branding iron that reads "Vetoed".  He has state workers driving hybrids. You do not get a Suburban if you are a state employee unless it is absolutely necessary. He has cut the fuel bill for state vehicles in half. Any services which are not essential are curtailed. The state has had budget problems and there is no money for foolishness.

If you want a new community center, statue, building of any kind you better find another source of funding because unless folks are bleeding from the eyes without it, you will get no state money. All the departments in the state gave up 3% of their funds.

He has taken a pay cut and has asked other employees to do the same. In short he is treating state money like it was a household budget. He seems to get along with most folks and is not hostile, but it is funny to see him brand bills the state cannot afford. Some members of the legislature are not happy with him but he has a SURPLUS in the state treasury. He is prudent. He is not one of the "do as I say, not as I do" folks. Good guy.

He also collaborates with other states when possible. He is a good example of what states can do when necessary. There may be hope.

The health care plan is 2,700 pages long. No one knows what is in it. Nancy Pelosi's district received a bunch of opt outs. It is more nonsense. When you look at the federal government and compare it to Montana it is disgusting. Charlie Rose had Ray Delio on last night who said that  a 3% spending cut along with a 3% tax increase gets rid of about half of the deficit in the next ten years. He also said that a serious conversation is impossible at the present time. By serious conversation he means "How do we fix this". In short he is looking for a discussion driven by reason, civility, goals and is solution oriented. It requires that we listen to the other point of view without  any purpose than to understand what is being said. It is not performance art. It requires discipline. Serious conversation requires suspending judgment until all information is gathered. It is not entertainment.

When people who disagree with each other have an actual discussion there begins to develop what is called an insight. It is the purpose of debate. 

Neither party wants to have that discussion. They want power without accountability. Don't we all? 


There is something in the American Culture that is uncomfortable when the facts contradict the argument. This may account for the lack math skills so evident is many of our political leaders as well as our automotive industry. Domestic manufacturers of autos refused to react to consumer demand until the Asian autos had eaten into the market in sufficient quantity to change the composition of the market. They refused to build fuel efficient autos until there was no choice. One heard such explanations as "You can't tell people what to like". Then what is the purpose of advertising? 

Edwards Deming developed what is called continuous quality improvement. It is a system for analyzing performance. Detroit refused. Japan embraced it. Now Detroit embraces it.

Much of the current economic crisis is cultural: America is loath to admit mistakes.

The nonsense on Wall Street in the form of demonstrations is not going to solve anything. It is more Tea Party. This is great political theatre but short on substance or solutions. How many of those folks understand accounting or finance? I suspect there are not many economists in the mix.

Most of our political and financial difficulties are really auditions for the role of Nero. Make noise but do not attempt to fix what is wrong. They are more concerned with appearances that facts.

There is no easy answer and current solutions all come down to the same thing: putting the problem off rather than facing it. Americans are willing to accept this and will suffer the consequences.

Actual Ideas

Will any of the candidates talk about the importance of homework? How about shutting off the television? How about what sacrifices he is willing to make?  How about congress takes a pay cut? What sacrifices are elected officials willing to make? Some cynic said that government was the last refuge of the incompetent...no wait. That was addiction counselors. Anyway it would be a good place to start.

Keep your nose to the grindstone your shoulder to the wheel and your ear to the ground. You won't accomplish much but you will get some attention.

Ok Here we Go Again

I want a real debate. No moderators, no faux questions, just a referee and a time keeper. No judges. Three hours. Best two out of three.

No spitting

No punching

No swearing

No lying.

This will never happen. It will not happen because the issues facing the country have been hijacked by the media. The questioners have a vested interest in “Do you still beat your Wife?” questions. It is about ratings.

It is interesting to note that political action committees collect lots of money. Has it occoured to anyone that they also SPEND that money? The amount of money spent on election campaigns is a significant factor in the media world.

None of this has anything to do with ideology. It is about the lower right hand corner on the balance sheet of all the media corporations. If you are in favor of the Conservatives it is like saying you like Nissan better than Toyota or Coke better than Pepsi. Fox news found an under served demographic and filled a need. MSNBC is another brand. Contributors give money to BOTH political parties.

The best example of the nonsense that money makes everything better is what happened with the contributions for the 9/11 victims. A BIG FIGHT.

The problem is not Democrats or Republicans. It is the media and that does not include print media. Most folks do not Read The Paper. That requires effort. Much better to watch cable news. The problem is not the politicians. The problem is the electorate. One understands H. L. Menken and his cynicism. He once referred to the citizenry as “The Boobery”. And he was not referring to hooters, hulungas or hogans. He meant Boob in the sense of a not very bright person.

I do think I have an obligation to vote. I also think I have an obligation to inform my self on all levels. Not to decide who the good guys are or who the bad guys are but on the best way of handling the issues.

We are short on ideas. “Investing in food stamps” is not an idea. “Cutting Taxes” is not an idea.

There is a time for government spending and a time for cutting taxes. But when it is ALWAYS time for a stimulus or ALWAYS time for a tax cut it is a sign that the speaker is not thinking.

It comes down to the following statement.

“I WANT X, Y AND Z AND I WANT SOMEONE ELSE TO PAY FOR IT. I'VE GOT MY RIGHTS, YOU KNOW!

Phone Fiasco

I lost my phone and am in phone hell. I do not want to change numbers. It is a pain in the sphereoids.

And We're Back!

My buddy Scratch says he reads these rantings and so here we go again. I watched Newt Gingerich (with whom I profoundly disagree) give the most amazing speech on his position of running for president I've yet seen. No criticism just ideas. He also said something interesting. He said that when legislation gets started everything changes. The special interest groups line up and that is why the health care bill was 2700 pages. Nobody knew what was in it. The special interest groups did not want anyone to know what was in it. 

He also said the media focused on a congressman's weird tweets while the budget crisis was deepening. (Talking about Anthony Weiner I guess). Amazing! He said that the debates are a sham. We all know that but folks get so caught up in cheering for "our side" that they lose the capacity to think. There are no debates. The news media wants to be an integral part of the broadcast. Newt said he wanted "Lincoln Douglas style debates".
If our house is on fire we do not ask the political affiliation of the fireman operating the ladder truck. We are not interested in his skin color or how he voted or if he believes in God.

So, Root for your team if you must but pick up the trash in front of your house and don't be part of the great unwashed. 

The Rev.

I am having trouble with the format but here goes.

Brace Beemer is Dead!

Who is that you say?

He is the original announcer on the radio show The Lone Ranger.  It was broadcast from radio station WXYZ in Detroit. In 1938 or so he became the Lone Ranger. The movies, syndicated radio show and TV shows all started in Detroit. He rode through the west righting wrongs and not asking for payment or recognition. He was a masked man who saved people.

He will not be stopping by to rescue the country.

The problem is not the executive branch. It is the Congress. We continue to have military actions and no declaration of war. They will not pass a budget.

You, my dear reader, will have no opportunity to do anything about this until November of 2012. If you watch the idiots on cable they will do nothing for you other than elevate your adrenalin levels.


"Eat your food, drink your water, move your bowels. When you are tired, go and lie down. The foolish will laugh at me but the wise will understand."
Lao Tzu

This has been a nonpaid political observation from the OMMMMMM Party
Later.