Unbelievable

What a way to open a new chapter of the blog! When we last talked everything seemed to settle down to watching Obama and making fun of his awkwardness as president. Still awkward in his foreign policy leadership and as he winds down his last term (can you believe he had two?), he seemed to occasionally awaken, engage and cobble together another plan or project the Repubs vow to overturn once they gain power! Who would have thought the Repubs would still be talking "when" this late in obama's second term! The demoncrats have just about spent all the money the treasury could print as the old presses burned up from overuse. The Chinese has promised expedited delivery. His own party is deserting him and even with the large gains in the mid-terms and the help of several disillusioned demoncrats, the Repubs have still been unable to bring Obama to "heel".  The guy has shown himself to be a true Chicago style politician. I'll probably visit his library.

Just read a new article as to why Walmart will never regain its place as the top of the merchandising company in the world.This after showing a 6% increase in sales for the quarter. I was hoping for some new insights but found the guy's comments were semi-interesting restatements of most of the negatives that you and I have heard before. A negative in the writer's mind is Walmart's speedy entry and exit from different markets if there's no fit. To me the agility that an organization of Walmart's size can show boggles my mind and their inventory control system, wow! I haven't been in a part of the world where the serious Walmart haters live and picket the stores. My supposition is that most of the present day opposition is from union organizers (unsuccessful, so far). As far as the mom & pop stores-give me a break! Malls and chain stores killed that old-fashioned dream years ago except for a few downtowns kept alive artificially as pets or as tourist attractions. Goodbye to the old days, we barely remember you. Walmart rules!

Warren Buffett, Patriot

We're hearing a lot about Mr. Buffett and his call for increased taxation on himself and other wealthy individuals. After some thought, I've formulated my response to this seemingly unselfish gesture-

If I were 85 years old and had stock in Berkshire Hathaway worth $37 Billion, I would also ask to be taxed more.

Could you check back with me then when I reach those two checkpoints?

To be honest, Buffett's comments don't impress me nearly as much as Mr.R.G. LeTourneau, another extremely rich man down in East Texas who tithes 90% of his income. Now that's playing it forward! What do you think? Bill

Compromise, Thy Name is Washington

Tis' the season to compromise. Who among us thought that the deadline for increasing the dreaded debt limit would pass without action: Ha! The game of "Chicken" is alive and well in Washington. Now, I am about to write a line that may get me sent to Levenworth prison as a traitor to our wonderful Country. Here it is-Considering the way our government spends money, would any of you prudent readers lend money at the "Best" rate to the USA? Why do we think we are worthy of such a rating? I trust Moody's and the other international Bond Rating companies more than I do those boys in D.C. We're no Greece, but are we, or are we not, borrowing to pay interest on earlier loans? If you do that with checking accounts, we used to call that "kiting". Where do we get off spending as if there's no tomorrow. There is a future and it looks bleak if we don't start say, "ENOUGH!"

Arising from the ashes

The phoenix, a mythological bird that rises out of the ashes from the past to a new glorious future. One Southern city is often held out as an example by many, reflecting the imagery of the former and presenting, in the place of the devastation of Sherman's March during the Civil War, a new, sparking city called Atlanta, Georgia. Without attempting to put too fine a point of it, the Tater is coming out of hibernation and with the craziness of what is taking place in our Country, I wanted to see if there's one more place for an opinion.

Just looked at a youTube featuring Senator Rubio, Republican from Florida and featuring a cameo by Senator Kerry of Massachusetts. As a rebuttal to Senator Rubio's rhetorical question as to why then Senator Obama, back in 2008, voted against an Increase in the US debt limit while he is now asking for yet another increase this term. Senator Kerry, fine patriarchal figure that he is, stated that Obama's vote then was a "SYMBOLIC" VOTE!

In my humble opinion, Symbolic votes should be placed in the same category as "Liar Loans" and given no weight. Instead, they should be called, "Keep My Seat in Congress"votes and the author driven out of office by everyone who loves this Country. Get involved and Vote.

We are REAL, just ask the New York Times!

I was all primed to write about the potential adoption of the Value Added Tax as a new, unmined souce of funds for our Congress and President but that's going to have to wait. Something much more important may be happening now that makes the Haiti and China earthquake and the SoCal earthquakes, the tragic deaths of the miners in West Virginia and all the rest pale in significance!

The New York Times, the standard by which all other papers are judged, has declared (drum roll, please!) that Tea Partiers are pretty much human and not the deviates first thought of by the folks in the Blue states.

The Times in cooperation with CBS News found that we Tea Party people are more conservative that most Republicans, that we are probably older than many in the Republican party and that we believe Obama to be very liberal (Ha!) However, instead of being dissatisfied as many Republicans describe themselves, the Tea Party members describes themselves as "angry". Angry with Big Government, angry about the direction of the Country and angry about being ignored by Washington and our representatives there.

This survey is a good thing. Being prepared by the New York Times and CBS News, there can be no higher validation (at least in the Liberals' minds) for our Tea Party phenomenon and the far reaching effect it can have in Washington and throughout the Nation.

As the political sophisticates of Collin County discovered in the recent Republican run-off election for state representative, pitting a well-connected RINO (Republican In Name Only) against a Tea-supported Conservative, party insider affiliation does not assure anything. The Tea Party mantra of True Representation at every political level, Fiscal Conservatism and Less Government Intrusion plays well to the music that "I'm mad and I'm not going to put up with it anymore." As I saw on a sign at a rally recently, "Congressman, you've been warned!"

It's going to be fun.

Where Were These Guys When We Needed Them?

Last week Ben Bernanke, the Federal Reserve Chairman was in Dallas and brought the news that financially, the United States is in trouble if a) we don't raise taxes b) cut entitlements like Social Security, Medicare, etc.) and reduce spending.

Wow, we would have never guessed!

Then the ex-Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Mr. Greenspan testified that the Congressional Budget Office based their projection of the impact of the Health Care program on very narrow margins and everything needed to work together to make those projections come true. Another BIG SURPRISE!

I guess since Mr. Bernanke is still drawing a paycheck as the current Chairman and Mr. Greenspan is working only to improve or keep the memory of his time as active Chairman fragrant and sweet, we had better listen to Mr. Bernanke.

Let's see now; a) Raise taxes? b) Cut Social Security, Medicare and the new Health Care expenses (if and when they go into effect or maybe c) Cut future Spending. What a choice our sages in Washington must be mulling over!

Based on experience, options b) and c) are not going to happen so the option a) seems to be the only answer. Raise taxes but how is the question? Got to be careful, might complicate the present tax code and make it difficult to understand.

Then someone dusted off the idea of a Value Added Tax, a tax favored in Europe and the trial balloons have been released. There seems to be strong interest in that direction as this would be just one more step of Mr. Obama's effort to "Europeonize" the United States. More next time.