Tuesday open thread
“Wake up, Alice dear!” said her sister, “Why, what a long sleep you’ve had!”
“Oh, I’ve had such a curious dream!” said Alice, and she told her sister, as well as she could remember them, all these strange Adventures of hers that you have just been reading about; and when she had finished, her sister kissed her, and said, “It was a curious dream, dear, certainly; but now run in to your tea: it’s getting late.” So Alice got up and ran off, thinking while she ran, as well she might, what a wonderful dream it had been.
What curious dreams do you have today?
April 24, 2012 - 12:01 AM
Well, I see the state granting a monopoly to Carilion, a move they made (according to some) to keep Carilion from getting a monopoly.
http://www.roanoke.com/business/wb/307880
The state has no right intruding in business like this. We, the consumers, are the ultimate losers.
Socialism, aka Obamanomics which is tax and spend and income redistribution, is a loser as Obama will soon find out.
Take France as an example.
The French no growth economy is in recession, unemployment is astronomical, and the country is bankrupt. But the frogs will not give up their cradle to grave socialistic entitlements and adopt an austerity program like that of their thriving neighbor Germany. Instead the frogs are going to move further to the left and elect a socialist president.
That could only make sense to a people that believe in a 30 hour work week, take 2 hours for lunch, and the entire month of August off for vacation.
Well, you say, France is far away and of little consequence. The euro zone recession sure had a negative effect on Wall Street yesterday.
Closer to home, California is a good example of big government and entitlements gone amuck. California has soak the rich high taxes, high deficits, and high unemployment. CA governor Moonbeam Brown is proposing more tax increase to cover unfunded teacher pension plans, pension plans that teachers have contributed very little but allows a teacher to retire at age 60 and receive $54,000 a year for life. Gov. Moonbeam is also pushing for $100 billion high speed bullet train that will be another boondoggle sending the state into further bankruptcy.
Before the ’80s, tens of thousands of people were settling in CA annually. Now CA is losing population to Nevada and Texas. There is a dwindling middle class which now is rapidly becoming primarily composed of government employees. Only a poor class of those on entitlements and a wealthy upper class are not decreasing. The middle class is fleeing to low tax states to protect their life style.
Over the past ten years, states without income taxes have grown much faster than the national average and have seen higher population growth than the national average and their job growth is higher. The high tax states have experienced just the opposite.
Socialism and Obamanomics are both economic killers.
Read more:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304432704577348111047489438.html?KEYWORDS=california+pensions
and:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304444604577340531861056966.html?KEYWORDS=california+exodus
@2 John as if right on cue, this article from the NY Times!
“adopt an austerity program like that of their thriving neighbor Germany.” Indeed!
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/24/world/europe/call-for-growth-puts-pressure-on-german-led-austerity.html?_r=1&ref=world
….A German-inspired austerity regimen agreed to just last month as the long-term solution to Europe’s sovereign debt crisis has come under increasing strain from the growing pressures of slowing economies, gyrating financial markets and a series of electoral setbacks.
Spain officially slipped back into recession for the second time in three years on Monday, after following the German remedy of deep retrenchment in public outlays, joining Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic. In the Netherlands, Prime Minister Mark Rutte handed his resignation to Queen Beatrix on Monday after his government failed to pass new austerity measures over the weekend. ….
@1 89Hoo, I’m torn on this one. One has to wonder what lessons are being learned from the Justice Dept.’s conspiracy charges against book publisher and Apple. As you recall, Amazon is selling e-books below physical book prices which threatens to drive traditional publishers out of business. And once they’re all gone, Amazon will have a market monopoly and will presumably raise prices to a point that hurts consumers.
Is the Lewis Gale/Carilion thing a monopoly with affordable prices to many? Is it an attempt by LG to undercut Carilion to the point where Carilion can no longer justify keeping their NICU open? I don’t know.
But two things come to mind. 1) $3.6 million dollars for 8 cribs seems a bit steep ($450,000/crib)! It seems LG has some plan to recoup this money. 2) In such a situation it might make sense to have the State plan the outcome. After all, in uncertain situations, businesses spend a lot of time planning. I don’t understand why it would be OK for businesses to make plans but not our government. So long as they’re doing their best to make sure services are offered to those in need and is decent quality, maybe we should cut them some slack.
2. John R – spoken like a true Blueblooded Republican. The problem is austerity does not work, is not working in Europe, and was proven not to work under Hoover. Your message is recession, collapse of the middle class, and more citizens in poverty. I stated over a year ago that the austerity movement in Europe would fail and result in recession. Spain dropped back into recession for the second time in three years with more coming. Conservatives never learn.
Richard, So the true Blueblood liberal kneejerk Obamanistas’ answer is to live beyond your means, print money, and borrow, borrow, borrow…
Unfortunately, as PM Thatcher said, the trouble with socialism [and Obamanomics] is that eventually it runs out of other people’s money.
Tax and spend! What a laugh!
Americans realize that just like the average family, the nation cannot borrow its way to prosperity.
It used to be that our national debt was owed just to ourselves and it really didn’t matter if we ever paid ourselves back or not. Now China and others hold our national debt and they demand repayment plus interest.
Europe’s problem is that the people are too dependent on the government and refuse to give up their entitlements.
For a “CPA”, you certainly have a strange sense of accounting.
A sincere question for the chattering class here. John R., said, “That could only make sense to a people that believe in a 30 hour work week, take 2 hours for lunch, and the entire month of August off for vacation.”
This got me to wondering. What is the purpose of work? Does it have a purpose? Should it have a purpose?
My personal opinion is we work to provide the goods and services we need to enjoy our lives (note I didn’t say money). If we have a mechanized industry that allows us to make many goods with a minimum of effort then there is no need to work overly long. Perhaps a 30 hour work week is an indication of an advanced society where you work some but have plenty of time to attend to those things that make life worth living.
Of course, it should be leisure time with plenty instead of leisure time with want.
Thoughts?
Fun happenings at Liberty “University”. Seems the student body is upset they’ve invited Romney to give the commencement address because he isn’t a Christian.
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/20/libertys-choice-of-romney-leads-to-angry-student-response/
Liberty University students and alumni are accusing the Christian school of violating its own teachings by asking Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints whose adherents are called Mormons, to deliver its 2012 commencement address.
By Friday morning, more than 700 comments had been posted on the school’s Facebook page about the Thursday announcement – a majority of them decidedly against the Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr.’s invitation, citing that the school had taught them Mormonism isn’t part of the Christian faith.
“I can’t support Romney and I am happy I decided not to walk (in the commencement) this year,” wrote student Josh Bergmann. “Liberty University should have gotten a Christian to speak not someone who practices a cult. Shame on you Liberty University.”
More…
First, has austerity been tried in Europe?
Second, where’s the coverage of this?
http://news.yahoo.com/justice-trayvon-alabama-man-critical-condition-mob-beating-053222142.html
Since this is not an argument using honesty or facts, I see no need to even try. John R, your flashing display of blanket insults after all your preaching on “civil discourse” is “enlightening” to say the least.
You have not characterized the Obama position on the economy correctly or fairly and you generally squeal when someone does that to your POV.
@9 Chuck, yes austerity has been tried in Europe.
2nd, that story you linked is horrible. If you’re posting this to get a rise and a claim of hypocrisy out of the liberals you’re probably going to be disappointed.
But you ask a legitimate question, where is the coverage of this. Allow me to point out, this event happened on a Saturday. Here it is Tuesday and it’s already getting some press. I was aware of the Treyvon incident about two weeks after it happened which is two weeks before it went national. I was surprised it wasn’t covered earlier too but didn’t bring it up. So this story is going national after four days but it took the Treyvon case 4 weeks. Of course what is making this “national” news is the reference to Treyvon which is already national. If that hadn’t been said, chances are we’d probably never have heard of it.
Also, I followed some of the links. Did you see the kids allegedly being hassled by Mr. Owen? They looked like the were 8. I’m afraid if anyone is giving my 8 yr. old routine lip as alleged, you’re going to have a problem with me no matter who you are.
Thank god Mr. Owen wasn’t killed so he’ll be able to tell his side of the story unlike Treyvon.
Here’s another story I’d like to see make the national news.
Unite Women wants to stop the War Against Women. They want to hold some rallies Saturday April 28.
Sandi, you may want to get in on this.
http://unitewomen.org/unite/
6. John R – As a CPA I study the facts of the situation, understand the dynamics, and do not jump to false conclusions. I not only have a firm sense of accounting, but also government finance, world economics, and monetary supply. You, however, are using the same tired political rubbish as was used on FDR in the 30s. Your Rush Limbaugh pantomime has no basis in fact, is clearly false, and illustrates that you have no concept of economics or finance.
You should spend more time studying what the US government is truly doing and less time spouting off the GOP mantra of the day.
@9 Chuck, here’s another Treyvon Martin beating story that may interest you.
http://newsone.com/2004352/werdesheim-trial-baltimore-teen-beating/
The case of brothers Avi and Eliyahu Werdesheim (pictured left and right, respectively), who were accused of assaulting a Black teen in an orthodox Jewish neighborhood while on Neighborhood Watch, has taken a new turn. Instead of facing a jury in the 2010 beating of the then-15-year-old boy, the attorneys for the Werdesheim brothers were granted a bench trial on Tuesday, citing the public Trayvon Martin case as an impetus for the request, reports NBC affiliate WBAL-TV 11.
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