Showing posts with label 24-ounce sodas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 24-ounce sodas. Show all posts

Thursday, October 8, 2015

October, 2015, Part 6, Political Class Insanity: Fudging the Numbers At The Pentagon, Diminishing Economic Freedom and More

It is the beginning of another month which means it is time again to review the latest political class insanity from the American political class. Each month it takes us multiple posts to cover the wasteful spending, incompetent government organizations and employees, government programs that usually make a problem worse than resolving it, inane and idiotic politician comments, etc.

To review past posts on this insanity and idiocy, just click on the first few posts in each month listed to the right of this page. After reviewing just a handful of these insanity post we think you will agree that we are currently being served by the worst set of American politicians ever to hold office in our entire history

Over the next two days we should wrap up the political class insanity that has rained down on us in just the past month or so, an effort that will likely take us a full seven days to document and review:

1) Despite his grandiose campaign promise that he would operate the “most transparent Presidential administration ever,” we have shown dozens and dozens of times that he has actually operated the most opaque, secretive, and deceptive Presidency of all time. He has stifled and block Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, he has spied on journalists, he has sent the IRS after his political opponents, he has released FOIA information that was severely redacted and useless, his Justice Department has illegally destroyed government documents, his Justice Department has ignored requests from Congress for government documents, his administration has illegally tried to charge Americans for FOIA requests, he has tried to silence whistle blowers, etc. 

And now we find out that we have a very serious breach of integrity and accurate information as it relates to the fight against terrorism and within the Defense Department. Over four dozen professional intelligence experts within the Defense Department have claimed that national security intelligence reports on the major terrorist organizations around the world are being altered to show a more favorable slant for Obama's failing war on terror. These intelligence analysts, working out of the U.S. military’s Central Command (CENTCOM), have made the accusation that the information they are developing is being altered to downplay various terror organizations’ strength.

According to a report from the Daily Beast, senior officials are changing the information: “The cancer was within the senior level of the intelligence command,” one defense official told the reporter. What started with accusations from two senior intelligence analysts has now been strengthened with another four dozen or so analysts supporting the claim.

The Daily Beast, an entity that usually loves anything Obama is involved in, reported the following atrocities of data integrity:

"The accusations suggest that a large number of people tracking the inner workings of the terror groups think that their reports are being manipulated to fit a public narrative. The allegations echoed charges that political appointees and senior officials cherry-picked intelligence about Iraq’s supposed weapons program in 2002 and 2003.


Some of those CENTCOM analysts described the sizeable cadre of protesting analysts as a “revolt” by intelligence professionals who are paid to give their honest assessment, based on facts, and not to be influenced by national-level policy. The analysts have accused senior-level leaders, including the director of intelligence and his deputy in CENTCOM, of changing their analyses to be more in line with the Obama administration’s public contention that the fight against ISIS and al Qaeda is making progress. The analysts take a more pessimistic view about how military efforts to destroy the groups are going…

The complaints allege that in some cases key elements of intelligence reports were removed, resulting in a document that didn’t accurately capture the analysts’ conclusions, sources familiar with the protest said. But the complaint also goes beyond alleged altering of reports and accuses some senior leaders at CENTCOM of creating an unprofessional work environment. One person who knows the contents of the written complaint sent to the inspector general said it used the word “Stalinist” to describe the tone set by officials overseeing CENTCOM’s analysis."

Many described a climate in which analysts felt they could not give a candid assessment of the situation in Iraq and Syria. Some felt it was a product of commanders protecting their own career advancement by putting the best spin on the war.

As always, if this is what Obama thinks is a transparent organization and Presidency, I would hate to see what he considers a secretive and deceptive Presidency.

2) Over the past two days, we spent a lot of time reviewing the putrid economic trends in this country that have occurred under Obama’s administration and in conjunction with the current Congress. Low wage growth, stagnant household earnings, anemic overall economic growth, record number of adults without a full time job, high unemployment among African-Americans, etc. 

These horrible economic results have happened despite the fact that Washington had three major economic tailwinds at its disposal: an $800 billion economic stimulus package, an energy revolution that substantially reduced energy costs, and a Federal Reserve that injected trillions of fake dollars into the economy. And despite these major economic aids, Obama and the rest of Washington still screwed things up. 

Yesterday, we presented four solutions to this anemic economic situation. But R. Williams, writing for Moneynews on September 18, 2015 may have identifiedthe major reason why Washington has led us down this horrible economic path: a recent study now finds that the U.S. has slipped to a depressing 16th place in the world when it comes to economic freedom.

The study uses broad indicators of economic freedoms and is done on an annual basis by Robert A. Lawson of Southern Methodist University, James Gwartney of Florida State University and Joshua Hall of West Virginia University. In 2000, the U.S. was second in the world relative to economic freedom, trailing only Hong Kong. But the latest iteration of the study shows that citizens in countries like Singapore, United Arab Emirates and get this, the former SOVIET republic of Georgia, have greater economic liberties than Americans.

The reasons for this depressing drop from second to 16th is a result of the Federal government enacting more and more regulations and that legal protections for individuals have weakened: “The United States has experienced a significant move away from rule of law and toward a highly regulated, politicized and heavily policed state,” according to Larsen. “During the past decade, non-tariff trade barriers, restrictions on foreign investment and business regulations of various kinds have grown extensively.”

Other countries ranked higher than America in 2015 include the ones listed above plus New Zealand, Switzerland, Jordan, Ireland and Qatar. So now we see that not only is economic freedom better than the U.S. in a previous Soviet Republic but two countries in the oppressive Middle East, Jordan and Qatar, are also ranked higher. 

Thus, we now have a set of numbers and professional analysis that proves what we discussed yesterday: the more government gets involved in the economy, the more unneeded regulations are implemented, the more that economically ignorant politicians involved themselves with the market and economy, the worst the economic outcome is for Americans. The trend over the past fifteen years proves that doing exactly the opposite of what Obama has done in the past six years was the better economic remedy for the country.

But this should not surprise us. In many past political class insanity posts we have proven that usually when politicians get involved with a problem, they almost never resolve it, the often make it worst, and they spend and waste trillions of dollars in the process. That is the insanity of the current set of American politicians.

More insanity tomorrow.


Our book, "Love My Country, Loathe My Government - Fifty First Steps To Restoring Our Freedom And Destroying The American Political Class" is now available at:

www.loathemygovernment.com

It is also available online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Please pass our message of freedom onward. Let your friends and family know about our websites and blogs, ask your library to carry the book, and respect freedom for both yourselves and others everyday.

Please visit the following sites for freedom:

Term Limits Now: http://www.howmuchworsecoulditget.com
http://www.reason.com
http://www.cato.org
http://www.bankruptingamerica.org

http://www.conventionofstates.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08j0sYUOb5w



Monday, January 5, 2015

January, 2015, Part 2, Political Class Insanity: Twelve Wastes Of Taxpayer Wealth and Over Regulation Nation

It is the beginning of both another year and another month which means it is time to review the latest political class insanity from the American political class. For regular readers of this blog, you know that as 2014 progressed, the insanity, stupid quotes, ineffective governing and legislating, and general incompetence of our politicians seemed to accelerate as the year grinded on. 

No major issues got addressed, never mind resolved. Obama Care’s implications across the entire country and entire economy continued to unfold in disaster after disaster. Our foreign policy, or what was passed off as a foreign policy, was in tatters. Terrorism was on the march across the world. Veterans were dying because the Federal government could not fulfill the medical and health care promises those brave veterans were promised. 

The national debt hit a mind boggling $18 TRILLION. And our President continued to play golf and go on political campaign swings like no other President ever did. Congress narrowly missed becoming the least productive Congress of all time. Billions were spent and wasted on the November elections to elect people that did not deserve the time of day never mind billions of dollars. Racial division spread across the country, a division that was fomented and spread by those in office with something to gain. 

And guess what? Over the next week or so, starting with yesterday’s post, you will see nothing has changed except the calendar. The political class is still out of control, the government entities that they rule over are bloated and ineffective, and the quality of life and freedom in this country continues to deteriorate. Hang on, it is going to be a bumpy next seven days or so. 

1) The Heritage Foundation in an article by Romina Boccia recently listed out twelve ways that the Federal government wasted your tax dollars last year. Even though we have already covered a few of them, I include all twelve here today in case you missed the previous mentions: 

 - NASA spent $237,205 to study how rainfall affects the red crab’s annual migration to Christmas Island. Vital information for …no one. - Medicare Part B paid $132.9 million for the same medical supplies for cancer treatment that Medicare Part D paid $22 million to receive, a difference of six fold. Not very efficient sales bargaining. don’t these people working in the same organization ever talk to each other? 

 - The United States Postal Service lost or cannot confirm receiving 37 trailers from a leasing company. The United States Postal Service purchased the titles of the missing trailers and paid $287,000 for the trailers yet they cannot be found anywhere. So not only does the Postal Service lose our mail on a semi-regular basis they also lose vehicles. Who knows, find the missing trailers and we might find the missing mail. 

 - The Defense Department overpaid by $3.3 million for radios for the Afghan army because the Defense Department failed to follow contracting procedures. Same lack of purchasing skills as the Medicare Part B people. 

 - The Federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) paid an informant working for Amtrak, an actual AMTRAK employee, $854,460 over 20 years to get hold of Amtrak passengers’ names. However, the DEA could have received this information for free since the Amtrak Police Department will share this information with other law enforcement agencies. You cannot make this stuff up, it would be too unbelievable for fiction. 

 - The National Institutes of Health spent $484,000 to study whether hypnosis can reduce hot flashes in postmenopausal woman and breast cancer survivors. A self-help book entitled “Relief from Hot Flashes” describes a session as “You go to a place in your mind that’s going to cool you off. It’s almost like your body is cooling itself off.” 

 - Federal agencies paid close to $50 million to the Department of Commerce’s National Technical Information Service for information that is almost always available online for free. 

- Paralegals at the Patient Trial and Appeal Board were paid $5.1 million over four years as they watched Netflix, shopped online and used social media while on the job. Nice work if you can get it. And you can bet the paralegals were not the only Federal employees doing such nonsense, they were just too stupid and got caught, which does not say much for the government’s legal eagles. 

- The Department of Agriculture’s Market Access Program provided $400,000 to the liquor lobby, which used part of those funds to transport foreign journalists to different breweries and distilleries in the southeastern United States. I am sure we can all drink to that. 

- The Department of Agriculture granted $500,000 to provide start-up materials for butterfly farming to Native Americans in Oklahoma, which included butterfly eggs and vehicles to transport them. Butterflies, really? 

- The National Institutes of Health has granted more than $10 million towards the creation of “Escape from Diab,” which is a video game about five children who must get healthy enough to escape from a town full of obese people and their evil king. Yes, those obese people can really be mean and evil. 

- Employees at the Environmental Protection Agency used government credit cards to purchase $79,300 worth of “prohibited, improper and erroneous” goods and services. Included in the purchases were gym memberships for EPA employees and their family members, DVDs and academic memberships. 

Disgraceful abuse of taxpayer wealth. And to add insult to injury, I would be that few if any of these abusing Federal employees were disciplined, fined, or terminated for their inability to perform their jobs or for basically stealing from the American taxpayer. 

Just these twelve programs alone unnecessarily cost the American taxpayer almost $85 million. When you multiply twelve by thousands and thousands of other abusive Federal government spending insults, you really get a good picture of how careless the political class and Federal employees are with your money. 

And even if this money never made it back to the taxpayer, imagine how much better the country would be if that $85 million was used instead to: 
  • Feed the homeless. 
  • Shelter the homeless. 
  • Treat drug addiction victims. 
  • Train the unemployed. Repair infrastructure. 
  • Increase cancer, aging, and other major disease research. 
The payoff for humanity and American citizens would be so much higher rather than subsidizing butterfly farming, video games and other such nonsense. 

2) Just before Thanksgiving, the Obama administration secretly introduced over 3,000 new regulations into the Federal bureaucracy. This averaged out to about nine new regulations every DAY of the year in 2014. 

At that time, we questioned and still believe that such over regulation is a waste of time and only happens as bloated Federal government entities try to justify their continued existence and worth. It is difficult to believe that all previous Presidential administrations were so lax that this administration needs to introduce nine new regulations a day within a single year. 

Over regulation, especially regulations that do usually nothing except support government bureaucracies, burden business owners and workers with excessive and needless paper work and costs, it bogs down the growth in the economy and employment as resources and time is diverted to meaningless government conformance and not growing the market and economy. This is likely a driving reason why the economy has been such a laggard and poor performer under Obama, even years and years after the recession ended. 

But despite the overwhelming regulation wave in late November, according to an article by Onan Coca writing for the www.freedomforce.com website, the regulation tsunami is not over yet: Just before 2014 ended, the Obama administration burdened the country with another 1,200 regulations. 

This brings an average daily total of almost twelve new regulations every DAY. Energy and environment rules are the biggest category, with 139 published by the Federal government in the last 15 days of 2014. Just one of those regulations, the coal ash rule, is expected to burden the economy with a cost of $20.3 million or about $176 for every household in the country. 

According to the article, 2015 will see more and more regulations form this administration, regulations that could add at least tens of billions of dollars in regulatory costs to the economy and American households. Many of these regulations are seen as unneeded and politically motivated and will likely face court challenges. 

I am not an expert on environmental or any other kind of regulations. But again, I find it difficult to believe that things are so bad, that past Presidential administrations were so delinquent in their duties, that this administration has to add so many regulations to the economy with seemingly little direct or indirect benefit to Americans. 

Add in the fact that these regulations are announced during light news coverage periods rather than being upfront with the American people raises suspicions that there is something seriously amiss. This administration and this President for once ought to be a man and be upfront with these types of actions rather than acting like a typical Chicago politicians, always working in the shadows. Very little good and very little trust get transacted in the shadows. 

Only two topics of insanity today but they are big ones, Government entities and government employees abusing taxpayer wealth in so many original and disgraceful ways and the Obama administration sneaking out thousands of regulations that are likely unnecessary but are overly secretive and destructive to the economy and economic well being of American workers. 

More insanity tomorrow, many forms and many shapes and many disgraces.

Our book, "Love My Country, Loathe My Government - Fifty First Steps To Restoring Our Freedom And Destroying The American Political Class" is now available at:

www.loathemygovernment.com

It is also available online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Please pass our message of freedom onward. Let your friends and family know about our websites and blogs, ask your library to carry the book, and respect freedom for both yourselves and others everyday.

Please visit the following sites for freedom:

Term Limits Now: http://www.howmuchworsecoulditget.com
http://www.reason.com
http://www.cato.org
http://www.bankruptingamerica.org

http://www.conventionofstates.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08j0sYUOb5w






Friday, March 29, 2013

A Country Founded By Geniuses But Run By Idiots

The following thoughts came to me from a friend’s email. I do not know if Mr. Junius P. Long actually exists or if the following thoughts are his. Regardless of his status, these words and thoughts sum up quite nicely how the ruling political class has screwed up the country’s finances, priorities, liberties, and common sense.

By Junius P. Long - Food For Thought

If you can get arrested for hunting or fishing without a license, but not for being in the country illegally ...you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

If you have to get your parents’ permission to go on a field trip or take an aspirin in school, but not to get an abortion ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

If you have to show identification to board an airplane, cash a check, buy liquor or check out a library book, but not to vote who runs the government ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

If the government wants to ban stable, law-abiding citizens from owning gun magazines with more than ten rounds, but gives 20 F-16 fighter jets to the crazy new leaders in Egypt ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

If, in the largest city, you can buy two 16-ounce sodas, but not a 24-ounce soda because 24-ounces of a sugary drink might make you fat ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

If an 80-year-old American woman can be stripped searched by the TSA but a woman in a hijab is only subject to having her neck and head searched ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

If your government believes that the best way to eradicate trillions of dollars of debt is to spend trillions more ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

If a seven year old boy can be thrown out of school for saying his teacher’s "cute," but hosting a sexual exploration or diversity class in grade school is perfectly acceptable ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

If children are forcibly removed from parents who discipline them with spankings while children of addicts are left in filth and drug infested “homes”... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

If hard work and success are met with higher taxes and more government intrusion, while not working is rewarded with EBT cards, WIC checks, Medicaid, subsidized housing and free cell phones ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

If the government's plan for getting people back to work is to incentivize NOT working with 99 weeks of unemployment checks and no requirement to prove they applied but can’t find work ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

If being stripped of the ability to defend yourself makes you more "safe" according to the government ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

To Mr. Long’s thoughts I would add the following bits of political insanity:

If your government thinks the best way to stop illegal gun running is to become an illegal gun runner via Fast and Furious…you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

If your government thinks that light security is best for a U.S. embassy located in one of the most unstable and violent areas of the world (Benghazi, Libya)…you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

If your government has a massive and ineffective tax code and inept tax collection agency (IRS) that results in over $380 billion in lost tax revenue every year via tax evasion…you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

If your government operates social safety programs (Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, Food Stamp, Unemployment Insurance) that loses over $200 billion a year to inefficiencies and criminal fraud…you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

If your government operates a Defense Department that is in such financial disarray that trained GAO auditors have found it impossible to audit its financial operations…you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

If your government has 15 different agencies overseeing food safety laws, more than 20 different programs to help the homeless, 80 programs for economic development, 82 Federal programs to improve teacher quality spread across 10 different Federal agencies, 80 programs to help disadvantaged Americans with their transportation needs, 47 programs addressing job training and employment, 56 programs to help Americans understand finances, 20 programs that support business incubators, 19 different programs that support tourism, 18 programs, which spend a combined $62.5 billion a year, to address food and nutrition aid, and 100 different programs across five divisions within the Transportation Department that all fund efforts for highways, rail projects, and safety programs…you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

Never has the case for term limits been stronger since as Einstein once said: “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” Or the same politicians and idiots.

Our book, "Love My Country, Loathe My Government - Fifty First Steps To Restoring Our Freedom And Destroying The American Political Class" is now available at:

www.loathemygovernment.com

It is also available online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Please pass our message of freedom onward. Let your friends and family know about our websites and blogs, ask your library to carry the book, and respect freedom for both yourselves and others everyday.

Please visit the following sites for freedom:

http://www.reason.com/
http://www.cato.org/
http://www.robertringer.com/
http://realpolichick.blogspot.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08j0sYUOb5w