Comments for The Way We'll Be

Comment on Gridlock on Main Street by Kevin

Kevin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:27:01 +0000

@Jaime Regarding the Boeing tanker deal, we do need new refuelers. Most of the current inventory are 40-50 years old. The “win” for the U.S. is that they’ll be U.S. built aircraft. The NG proposal would have used EADS/Airbus aircraft. Essentially one of the bigger issues was the question, “do we want to depend on the “French” for aircraft and spare parts?” There are other issues like keeping U.S. industrial capacity up as much as possible. But the biggest issue is one of political sensitivity. How can we justify spending billions on aircraft that will provide more jobs to Europeans rather than Americans when our economic situation is in the state it’s in.

I don’t know which proposal would have delivered better value or lower life cycle cost.

Comment on Big Bank Backlash by Connie

Connie — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:24:51 +0000

Moving money away from the big banks is a great idea. However, nothing is being said about moving your credit cards away from the big banks, Bank of America, Chase, Citi, etc. Getting a credit card from smaller banks or credit unions would be an even bigger blow to the banks that received government bailouts. Even if you pay off your balance every month, they are getting fees from businesses every time you swipe your cards. Since I don’t know where to get a credit card besides the big banks, I’ve started carrying cash and using the card as little as possible.

Comment on Gridlock on Main Street by Jaime

Jaime — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:28:33 +0000

I might also comment that this month’s survey regarding this issue contained the highest percentage of “wife beater” questions I have seen in awhile, which I resented. It caused me to have to answer don’t know, other, etc. many times, which may play into the hands of those entities contracting Zogby to do this survey, who hope to capitalize on the state of indecision it appears to show.

Comment on Gridlock on Main Street by Jaime

Jaime — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:05:47 +0000

A couple of weekends ago, I attended a Lincoln Day dinner, complete with Republican congressperson. In the opening remarks about what was happening in Washington, one of the main reasons given for voting against the health care measure was because of “massive cuts to Medicare”, which got the biggest applause. That’s what Republicans in that part of the state wanted to hear – no cuts to Medicare. I was stunned. This representative passes himself off as not being inflammatory and yet was obviously using scare tactics AND Republicans were giving a rousing cheer for keeping the bloat intact.

Kevin — tell me how many people under 40 vote Republican in that District.

No, sadly, everyone says something has to go, but no one wants their issue to be the thing cut. Kevin, Congress will occasionally vote for things based on it’s “wisdom”, but most of the votes are indeed made based on what increases their chances at being re-elected. People actually DO want all these programs –but just like credit card debt, they don’t want to hear about the cost.

Then there are issues with gray areas. Everyone sees the Boeing contract as a “win” for the U.S., but it means the loss of several hundred Northrup Grumman jobs in our state, as well as several other states. Now Kevin, you keep up with this military stuff more than I do, so you can speak to the issue of whether we even need these items. However, I can tell you that wrapping one company up in the American flag, as if the other did no manufacturing in the U.S.is baloney. If I had the time, I would love to see which contract would actually have given us the most value – over time – for the money spent.

Maybe it is because I can see the state Capital from my porch and work “inside the beltway”, so I see stuff on the state level, but our elected officials will not jeopardize their re-elections. Their voting records are carefully crafted to include the populous with entitlements so that they can “spend” the rest of their votes on their big corporate donors’ wishes.

Comment on Gridlock on Main Street by Kevin

Kevin — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:05:06 +0000

@Jaime Well, I’m probably being naive, but I honestly think people are starting to get the idea that something(s) has to go.

I’m a G.I., and I can see all kinds of ways to cut defense. We could cut $11B in a hearbeat and virtually no one would even notice. I don’t think cutting unemployment is the right thing to do right now, but we could save about $26B on foreign aid that isn’t buying the influence we thought it would.

Here’s my question about congress. Many of them are trying their damndest to pass some sort of health care bill even though the majority of American don’t want to see things change, because “they” know what’s good for “us.” So what’s stopping them from doing the same in other areas like defense and other entitlements? Are they listening to the voters? Really? The point is that we the public don’t have to agree with what congress does. They’re not our proxies and they’ll continue to do as they please.

Comment on Obama Approve/Disapprove Reach Parity by Jaime

Jaime — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 23:57:59 +0000

The water in my nearest river is not even fit to allow skin contact. I am not in favor of turning the extraction industries who caused it to become that way, nor the financial institutions who turned us into beggars lose to do as they please. Sorry Slim, but you are only thinking about you, and what impact these regulations might have on you maybe not dumping oil over the hill when you change the oil in your car. We have to think about how laws create a country where people of different viewpoints can live, so those laws should prevent harm to others. Most of the towns in my state have no zoning laws, and it is the awfullest mess you’d want to see. They also don’t even want to incorporate their communities, then whine when they don’t have services. What you are advocating, I believe, is the same thing, only on a larger scale.

Comment on Gridlock on Main Street by Jaime

Jaime — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 23:40:06 +0000

Kevin – you honestly think people are going to agree to cut back on Social Security, Medicare, unemployment and national defense????????? At almost 2/3’s of the budget, those are the top 4 big ticket items. Somehow I don’t think you would get much public support for that. Even the Republicans pulled the cord on Bunning when he held up the extension on unemployment because they understood the backlash that would result. And the elderly block won’t let anyone touch Social Security and Medicare, so we only have ourselves, the voters to thank for the biggest part of this.

Comment on Gridlock on Main Street by Kevin

Kevin — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 00:47:06 +0000

“Are people willing to cut the big expenditure items, such as entitlements and defense?” I think the answer is yes, but it’s the congress that can’t say no.

Comment on Obama Approve/Disapprove Reach Parity by Tenn Slim

Tenn Slim — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:10:53 +0000

@Jaime
Opine
1. Pres Obama is finally coming out. OUT in the sense of telling his public, exactly what his goals, vision and idealogue concepts are for the rest of his term. He has indeed, doubled down,AKA: HC, EPA regs, FCC regs, DEA obstructionism, all his Czars are in line, standing tall.
Now. Question is, do we agree, applaud, cheer him on, OR are we willing to understand the ramifications, get educated in his intendend consequences and un- intended consequences. Are we going to while away our limited freedoms, or will we stand up for what liberty we have?
The question is entirely ours to decide, till we no longer have such.
Semper FI
end

Comment on Gridlock on Main Street by Jaime

Jaime — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:41:57 +0000

I might add that the dental/IRA example is very real, since I thought I would fix my teeth as a “gift” to myself before retiring. I had no idea that the expenses would drain away all the money I had otherwise hoped to put away, and now I will have to continue to work for some time to come. All you 20 somethings lined up for my job, too bad.