Bailout Bonuses – THE HORROR!!!!!

"Outrageous!"
"Despicable!"
"Unacceptable!"
"Preposterous!"
"Unthinkable!"
"Travesty!"
"Commit Hari-Kari!" (love that one :) )

I must admit that I was impressed by the synonyms that members of Congress were able to summon to express their collective "outrage". However, Congress is made up mostly of lawyers, so the gift of gab shouldn’t be impressive, just par for the course.

So what is the fuss all about? Well, it seems that an organization that on the surface looked productive and serving the needs of its stakeholders was really just a shell game, taking risky moves and poor decisions and directed by a few fueled by greed and lust for power! Wait a minute…I’m confused…are we talking about AIG or Congress?

For members of Congress to lambast AIG for poor decisions and frivolous waste to the taxpayer’s money is the typical "pot calling the kettle black." For the life of me I can’t see how members of Congress could make the statements on national TV with a straight face. I kept expecting the staff members standing in the background to breakout in sniggles and laughter. But since no one was laughing, I came to one of two conclusions:

1) Either these members of Congress are so stupid and dense, that they don’t even realize the hypocrisy and truly think that they mean what they say or
2) They are so smart and full of bullshit that these arrogant and pompous bastards truly understand that they can play that popular game now taking America by storm, WEALTH ENVY!

Unfortunately, my guess is on #2. Now, I do not stand with AIG and think that paying out bonuses when you have had by all admission a "shitty year". Shame on AIG management and board of directors! However, they do have a contract and for Washington to arbitrarily void contracts is very, VERY dangerous!

But let’s look at who really should be fired (or commit ‘Hari-Kari’) based on performance:
- $11 Trillion dollars in debt.
- $2 Trillion spent in last 60 days.
- $1.7 million recently authorized to study pig odor.
- 9,000 earmarks worth $8.5 billion in recent Omnibus bill.
- $787 billion spent to "stimulate" the economy…in 2010?, 2011?, 2012?
- Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac debacle.
- Social Security going broke because money was borrowed to fund other projects such as pig odor studies.
- Medicare going broke.
- Medicaid in shambles.
- Tax cheats running finance and tax committees. Tax cheat head of the IRS!
- Corruption, lobbyists, campaign fund irregularities
- Automatic pay raises on $178,000 salary + staff expenses + insurance + pension + dozens of other little "perks".

Now who is taking the American taxpayer for a ride? I say, "Outrageous!"

Watch this YouTube video and be "outraged":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MGT_cSi7Rs

Words...Just Words?

Declaration of Independence – Start of 2nd paragraph (1776)

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.


The Preamble to the US Constitution (1787)

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Are these "words…just words"? Unless you have been under a rock (or watch Entertainment Tonight for your coverage of current events) you know that there has been a constant barrage of economic and political discourse. Terms like "economic crisis", "government bailout", "worst economy since the Great Depression", "foreclosures", "subprime mortgages", etc., can make you feel stress, distain, helpless, and uncertain about the world, the nation, and most importantly, your own family’s future. But, take a deep breath and read the words above slowly and quietly. Re-read them again and again and again.

When you hear someone suggest that you read the Declaration of Independence or the US Constitution, most people look at you as if you just passed gas or asked them to eat liver and brussel sprouts. I admit that unless you like to get into character by lighting a candle and putting a powdered wig, it is pretty boring stuff. However, if you take just the start of the 2nd paragraph of the Declaration of Independence (DOI) and the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution (Pre-USC), you will find the basic ideals on this country’s founding. Beautiful. clear, straightforward, and simple.

Rights are given by our Creator with the most important being Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. People hold the rights and grant them to government, not the other way around.
When government becomes too powerful or incompetent that it puts these rights endowed by the Creator at risk, the people have the responsibility to either alter or abolish the government and re-form it to respect Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

The Federal government’s responsibilities are:

• Establish a justice (federal) system to handle federal law
• Insure domestic tranquility (mainly between states)
• Provide for the common defense (standing military instead of individual "National Guard" units for each state.)
• Promote general welfare (encourage trade, commerce, currency, treaties)
• Secure the blessings of liberty

That’s it! That’s all folks! All other responsibility was left up to the state and local government and most importantly YOU! YOU were granted rights by your Creator. Therefore, since YOU have the rights, YOU also have certain responsibilities. When we either ask Washington DC (or sometimes they just take) to assume responsibility for some aspect of our lives, we also give up our divinely endowed rights.

So, after watching the news or reading the paper, re-read the 2nd paragraph to the DOI and the Pre-USC and just say, "Nope, you’re not fooling me again Washington DC! They’re MINE and YOU can’t have them!"

Obama Naked!

Being my first blog, I figured the title "Obama Naked", using two of the most googled words would get some attention. However, it not just a ploy to attract readers, but a revelation that President Obama has now shed his centrist clothes and is now running around in his liberal "all togetherness".

In the South, the term "naked" is pronounced two different ways, each with different meanings:
Naked – Simply means you don’t have on any clothes as in, "I was born naked."
Nekkid – This means you don’t have on any clothes and you are up to something…in, "That dancer at Joe’s bachelor party was Nekkid!"

Somehow, I think President Obama is "Nekkid". During the campaign, Sen. Obama won hearts and minds with "Hope" and "Change". "A new day and new way of doing things in Washington!" "No pork barrel spending, no lobbyists, an air of transparency." "Accountability and responsibility!" WOW! Could it be that this young, handsome, eloquent candidate be just what we need to FINALLY change Washington? Can we hope for a government not beholding to special interests and lobbyists? A government that is by the people, for the people, of the people (Obama is from Illinois, Lincoln was from Illinois)? A government that works together in a bipartisan way, looking for root cause of problems, and crafting well-thought out solutions?

ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME!!!
We were snookered! Hoodwinked! Spammed!

From key appointments (Tax Cheats, Racial Dividers, etc.), to fiscal policy, and government provided health care, Barack Obama has exposed himself for what he truly is….Socialist idealogue. I see no evidence that he believes in the individual achievement, but "spread the wealth" mentality. He is not about hope and change, but fear and the same old liberal mentality that government is answer. We are in heap, deep do-do if "We The People" don’t rise up and at least let our so-called representatives in Washington know our concerns. The only thing Washington fears is losing its power, so contact your Representative, your Senator, and make your voice heard while you still have a voice.

I am getting tired everyday of looking at the "Nekkid" Obama.