Spending Problem - Not Revenue Problem

I spend most of my life working for government. Some government agencies need to be paid well to provide services that can be had nowhere else. For example, having seen them in action, if I'm in an automobile accident, I want Fire Paramedics working on me - not the barely trained people who drive the ambulance. If I call 911, I want professional, well trained, motivated police officers to come to my aid. Professionals cost money.

However, when you look at the numbers of people who work in the social services game within county and local government (one example) - and you see what they're paid to hand out welfare money to the parasitic dregs of society, it chills the blood. (apologies to Darlin' who is in school.) Remember 1/3 of all people receiving welfare benefits in the USA live in California. Eliminating all long term welfare benefits and the workers that go with them would balance the state budget.

The prison guards in California have a powerful union. And they make nearly $100,000.00 per year! There is an imbalance here. But nobody in the legislature wants to take on their union or the teacher's union.

Sarah Palin - Courageous

A couple of days ago, I had a conversation with a lady I had never met before, nor am I likely to meet her again. I often strike up conversations with total strangers, which my children think is "strange". To make an even longer story short the lady I spoke to lived in Northern California and the topic of the wrong direction America has taken since the election of barack hussein obama to the presidency came up. The grass roots opposition to that presidency and certain members of Congress (Pelosi (D-CA) and Reid (D-NV) also surfaced in this discussion.

The lady I spoke to said, "You know, members of my class of people would think I'm crazy for saying it, but one of the people I admire most in the Patriotic Resistance is Sarah Palin." (the lady's class of people, as she called it relates to her sexual orientation as a lesbian) 

I replied, "What's not to like about Sarah Palin?"

She said, "Sarah Palin represents the things that are right about America. She's a strong woman with a strong moral center who believes in family, in a Constitutional America, in opposing injustice and in promoting the things that make the country strong."

The mainstream media (so-called state-run media) hates former Governor Palin with a passion and it's reflective in the way they treated her during the presidential election where she ran as John McCain's vice presidential running mate. Contrast the bashing that Palin received and contrast it with the kid gloves that poor old senile Joe (Slow Joe) Biden was handled with as barack hussein obama's vice presidential choice.

The lady I spoke to and I closed our brief conversation this way.  She said, "I think that Sarah Palin is the most COURAGEOUS woman in the spotlight in America today."

I couldn't agree more. I personally think that she needs more experience before running for the US presidency (maybe 2016?). But Sarah Palin doesn't lack for courage or moral fiber and she is a spokesperson for a better America - an America without barack hussein obama or his stooges leading the country.

Typical Terrorist?

Political Violence

After having smashed the Constitution, some Democrats are concerned for their safety.

Washington (CNN) -- Democratic congressional leaders Wednesday demanded Republicans join them in condemning a spate of threats and vandalism that has followed Sunday's vote on a sweeping overhaul of the U.S. health care system.

More than 10 Democrats have reported trouble since the weekend vote, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told reporters. Windows have been smashed at Democratic offices in at least three states, and federal agents were investigating whether a cut gas line at the home of a Virginia congressman's brother was related to the lawmaker's yes vote.

I don't believe in political violence because when that happens, or when a politician is killed, they become martyrs - their carcass becomes a standard for people to rally around. The British had the ability to kill Hitler in the later days of the World War 2 and decided NOT to exercise that option. I agree with that based on my review of history.

However, the Democrats in Congress should read history and if they did, they'd know that in the past, from Lincoln to McKinley to the Kennedys, there hasn't been a threat before they dropped. It's the ones that don't threaten that you need to worry about. And there are Americans with long memories. Shred the Constitution and sleep uneasy...

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By way of review, is it any wonder that the American people are shocked at the blatant lies told them by barack hussein obama?

Are matters Worse in Mexico?

Friends who know I work in Mexico from time to time, regularly ask me whether or not it's safe to travel through or vacation in Mexico. The unbridled violence in Mexico is clearly escalating.  Take this recent example:

A total of five gunmen and one soldier from the Mexican military were killed March 18 in a firefight along Highway 40 from Monterrey, Nuevo Leon to Reynosa, Tamaulipas state. These media reports were also accompanied by other reports that several highways in the region were blocked by seemingly random vehicles. It was later revealed that these roadblocks were coordinated by members of Los Zetas to prevent Mexican military units from responding to these firefights in a timely manner.

The following day saw a total of 31 street intersections and sections of highway in and around the Monterrey metro area blocked by some 42 abandoned vehicles. Cartel members had carjacked these vehicles, which included everything from sedans to tractor-trailers to city buses, drove them into blocking positions and immobilized them by slashing or shooting out the tires or even setting them on fire. The blockades began to appear around 3:00 a.m. and were finally cleared by 7:00 a.m. before the morning rush hour. While there were no media reports of corresponding confrontations between cartel gunmen and Mexican security forces, sensitive cartel operations likely were carried out at this time. (h/t Stratfor)

If you're stuck in cartel-generated traffic jams along the highways, you are completely immobilized, making you and everyone/anyone else easy targets for robberies or carjackings. It's not necessarily the cartel members who will rob you, but other criminal elements acting out crimes of opportunity.

It's not just the typical nightly murders in Juarez or the shooting gallery that Culiacan has become. It bleeds over. And keeping your head on a swivel and your eyes wide open may no longer be enough.

Nearly a Ghost Town

Yesterday I spent some time driving around the industrial area in the town in Southern California where I live. There are about 150,000 people in the city and it abuts other cities on three sides and the national forrest on the fourth.  The area I'm blogging about is past the In-N-Out Burger, past the closed car dealerships (real estate also for sale).

A company I work with from time to time may be in the market to purchase commercial real estate in the near future and am looking for about 10,000 sq. ft. of warehouse space on their behalf. I simply drove through the industrial area and was SHOCKED to find that at least 25-30% of the industrial space is empty and FOR SALE. Not for lease, FOR SALE. This in what once was a thriving Southern California community. I came away with the feeling that if I walked into nearly any business there, open or closed, with a rock bottom price, that they'd sell me the real estate.

While it may be the opportunity of a lifetime for a buyer, it is a stark indicator of how bad things have become here. You almost NEVER see commercial real estate like that for sale. There is always a sign here and there for a leasing opportunity but that's not what I'm blogging about.

My sense is that things will get worse before they get better. For every business that completely folds, there are jobs lost that aren't coming back anytime soon. With the US Congress threatening national healthcare that will be born on the backs of businesses and the California Legislature poised to raise taxes significantly, there really is scant cause for factories to exist HERE. California is not a business friendly state, the taxes are high and because fully 1/3 of the people on welfare in America live here, they have to be high to support the lay-abouts.

US Census and Race

The U. S. Census Bureau had plans of sending large questionnaires out to the public which FAR exceeded the Constitutional mandate to count the public. There was a large public outcry and I am happy to report that the form that they ended up sending out simply "counted" the number of people in each household. I have no problem complying with the law of the land and this ten-year process is now complete as far as I am concerned.

In addition to counting each person, there were detailed questions of race. I'm not sure how a person decides what race he or she is. For example, Barack Hussein Obama, born to a white mother and a black father would never call himself "white".  And there was no box to check that would indicate a racial blending.

Barack "Barry" Hussein Obama with grandparents.

So I don't know how the US Government will resolve such seemingly politically incorrect issues.

Frankly, I don't care - but somebody does, because racial identification constituted three questions on the form for each household member.