An Apology to my Readers

Hi, Friends;

For those of you who aren’t interested in politics, I want to apologize for my recent spate of blog entries regarding Obama’s handling of the budget crisis, universal health care, and the Cap and Trade bill.

I keep writing about them only because these things will do more damage to this country than anything that has ever gone before. Each of these things, in one way or another, will have a massive impact on each of our personal lives. Every one of them will (not ‘might’) cause financial damage to each of us.

The only portion that has already partially hit us is Obama’s stimulus plan to deal with the economy. His plan has met with some success (at stabilizing Wall Street), at an incredible cost. However, it has NOT slowed down job loss. A very telling graph, superimposing Obama’s own prediction with actual numbers, from Innocent Bystanders, makes this very clear:

It looks like a steady rise in unemployment, to me, and it is worse than what Obama predicted even without his stimulus plan. The proof is in the pudding.

I believe from all available evidence that Obama’s Universal Health Care program will eventually put us in the same boat with Canada, where they have to wait 10 weeks to get an MRI, for instance. It doesn’t work well there – it doesn’t work well in California or France; and it is not going to work well here. And yes, it will have to be paid for with new taxes in one way or another.

I believe the Cap and Trade bill will A) have no effect on the environment at all, B) is most certainly NOT based on unbiased science, and C) will constitute an amazing increase in cost of living for every one of us. It will also D) drive many industries and jobs overseas, at a time when we need the jobs.

I am 55 years old, and by everything I can see, the laws being passed by this Democratic congress and Obama are going to radically decrease me and my family’s comfort level for the rest of my life, my kids lives, and my grandkids’ lives. So no, I’m not happy about any of it, and I urge you to contact your congress-critters and tell them how you want them to vote.

THERE IS A WAY to save this economy. What we should be doing is drilling oil and gas everywhere we can find it within the United States. This would instantly open many thousands of jobs, while simultaneously radically reducing the amount we spend buying fuel from overseas. We need to produce our own fuel and burn it while we pursue alternate energy technologies. This would allow us to make the energy transition without going broke doing it. The Democrats won’t do this because of misguided concerns about pollution – but the thing to realize is that we will burn the same amount of oil, whether we get it here or overseas. Using our domestic supply of oil would save us about half a trillion dollars every year, and employ many thousands.

Thanks.

-Popgun

Obama Said:

Obama said: “Under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket.” (January 2008).

He’s right. Call your senators now and tell them to vote against the Cap and Trade bill!

He also, repeatedly and vigorously, said there would be “no new taxes on anybody making less then $250,000 a year.” I guess that depends on what you mean by the word “tax”, right?

While I’m on the subject, you should pay close attention to how Obama and the Democrats plan to fund their universal health care program. One way or the other, it will have to be a new tax. The only question is, which direction will the knife come from?

-Popgun

It’s Raining!

How about that! It’s raining in East Texas. With enough volume of water that it’s not just turning into steam and boiling off the surface.   

Of course, that means in a couple of days I’m going to need to mow again… But we really did need the rain.

-Popgun

We Need a New Law

On Friday, the House of Representatives passed the Cap and Trade bill, without reading it. It was 1090 pages long, before 300 more pages were added Thursday night! No Representatives were given the chance to read the complete bill before voting on it. This bill potentially represents the biggest tax hike in history.

Our elected Representatives do not know what they voted on – and they passed it!

ADDENDUM: Even Carol Browner, Obama’s Energy Czar, didn’t read the bill!

This is exactly what happened when the stimulus bill was passed. It was $850 billion and 1588 pages, and it also was un-read by any human. How in the name of Heaven can these people represent us if they don’t get to read the bills they are voting on? The Democrats are hell-bent on ramming these monumental bills through while they still have control of congress.

Yet, one of Obama’s campaign promises was ‘transparency’ and another was a five day waiting period before bills are passed, during which the bill would be on-line for the public to review. Yet another Obama promise broken. What a joke!

We need to pass a law that requires every lawmaker to sign an affidavit that they have read any bill before they are allowed to vote on it. So we can get the representative government we are supposed to have.

Such a law would probably serve to limit the damage Congress can do, as well – they couldn’t pass any more laws in a year than a person can read in a year.

I don’t see it happening, though. There’s not that much common sense in Washington.

-Popgun

The House Passed the Cap and Trade Bill

Yesterday, the House passed the 1500 plus page Cap and Trade Bill that nobody has had time to read.

I’m more afraid of the U.S. Congress than I am of terrorists. I can shoot back, at terrorists.

If it passes the Senate, this bill will do more to damage our economy than anything that has gone before.

-Popgun

Carbon Cap and Trade

Obama is trying to get his carbon cap and trade bill pushed through, in spite of a wellspring of scientists who point out that there is no certain evidence of man-made global warming, and no certain evidence that carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has anything at all to do with it.

If passed this will constitute the biggest tax hike on the citizens of the United States in history. According to the linked article, it will cost your family an amount ranging from $1,870 per year (in a few years) to $6,800 per year (a little later on). That’s based on a family of four.

Republicans tried to get amendments onto the bill that would stop the program if gas hits $5 a gallon; if electricity rose 10% in cost; or if unemployment rates hit 15%. The Democrats defeated all of these proposed amendments. This rape of our personal finances is going to be solely an Obama / Democrat boondoggle.

I should mention that this is going through congress NOW.

-Popgun

Obama Will Ration Health Care

Obama and the Democrats don’t like for people to talk about rationing health care – yet they are already planning on it. They know they can’t pay for the health care plan they are trying to pass, and Obama himself said that “Maybe you’re better off not having the surgery, but taking the painkiller.” That’s rationing!

My interpretation of what he is really saying is “We’re better off if you live on painkillers the rest of your life instead of having the operation that would cure you. After all, you’re not going to live that long anyway.”

That decision was not made for the benefit of the patient. The entity that is “better off” is the government.

When the government decides whether you can have treatment based on whether it is cost effective; who decides when to write you off?

Is there some specific age after which you won’t be able to get certain types of care? Is euthanasia next?

Obama’s big wonderful health care package is supposed to make things better, right?

When I’m older, how is condemning me to live in pain for the rest of my life better?

There are two things going on here that I don’t like. First, this system is going to make health care worse, not better. Second, it’s going to cost every one of us a lot of money, right out of our pockets – if you work for a living.

Second issue: Obama claims that you can keep your old insurance and doctor if you like them better, instead of going on the government system. It is true that there is no provision in the bill that forces you to lose your old insurance and doctor. He’s counting on market forces to do that without explicitly putting it into law. Government insurance doesn’t have to make a profit – it will be cheaper than insurance provided by a company that does have to make a profit.

For instance, if my employer can save, say, $20,000 a year by dropping his employer provided insurance, and letting everybody go on the government plan, do you think he won’t be tempted to do so?

After a period of time, non-government insurance will be a rarity. Only the wealthy will be on private insurance or health care – like the Obama family, for instance. The hypocrite.

-Popgun

J Has it Right

My son J , up in New York, has it right, some of the time – like right now.

Here in East Texas, it is 97°F with a heat index of 105°F. The high is actually 100°F which we will see about the time I go home from work. Riding home feels like swimming in hot syrup. It’s been this way all week. The forecast is: 100°F for the next three days – then it drops to 99°F. Down here, if your A/C goes out, it’s serious!

Metal objects, like your seat belt, become branding irons. Buckle your seatbelt and scream. The criteria for selecting a parking spot has more to do with the location of shade than it does with how close you are to your destination. CD’s wilt in your car. It sprinkled where Texas Grandma was yesterday for a few minutes, and she said you could hear the sucking sound as the ground pulled it in. Oil actually comes to the surface of the black-top roads. There was a guy in a motorcycle accident the other day, who almost fried before the medics picked him up off the road. NOBODY goes barefooted outdoors on pavement.

I hope it rains someday. Not for me, so much, as for my Grandson, who has never seen it.

On the other hand, in New York City, it is 71°F, heat index 71°F and the high is 77°F for the day. If I could teleport, I’d take a break in Central Park.

On the other other hand, there are times when New Yorkers have to wade through freezing slush to get to the nearest subway. When they’re doing that, I’ll still be riding my motorcycle to work…

Climate is what you want. Weather is what you get.

-Popgun

What Hath Obama Wrought?

This is what it has come to already. Gangster Government. How much further will it go, before enough Americans realize what they are doing, and we stop it?

This video makes clear some of what is going on that may not be obvious unless you see how it is all connected.

This is also an example of a congressperson trying to do what she’s supposed to do – represent her constituents. Kudos to Rep. Michele Bachmann

-Popgun

The Second Amendment

A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

I’m glad that I live in this country, where we, the citizens, have the right to bear arms. They don’t have that right in Iran.

The Second Amendment serves two purposes; one is the right to bear arms to defend yourself. The other is the right to defend ourselves against oppression. That’s the part about “necessary to the security of a free State”.

At least here, we can shoot back if our government ever mutates into an oppressive non-representative regime.

One of the signs of any government mutating into an oppressive regime: the desire or attempt to relieve the populace of their guns…

Because certain mindsets don’t want us to be free, responsible adults who think for ourselves – they want sheep.

-Popgun