The only way to fix our economy and start creating jobs at a brisk pace is to get middle class American Taxpayers to start to spend again. It is a proven method and to do so you have to get the cash into these people hands so they feel confident to spend again. Many middle class Americans have not had pay raises in at least 2 years, I being one of those. If you can get this class of people to start spending again, companies will start increasing sales and profits, more workers will be needed to help with the increase and more tax income will be generated. It is a trickle down effect that helps sustain long term growth. It will be a little tougher this go round because companies in order to survive have had to figure out how to do more with less. The cost of doing business has increased over the past 3 years and companies can no longer absorb all the costs. They either have to start passing them along or find a way to cut costs elsewhere. The sales per employee figure with many companies had to increase drastically, profit margins experienced steep drops. So now what they may have done with 30 workers 5 years ago, they have learned to do with 25 workers now. So to start adding employees they have to see substantial growth at a sustained rate. A lot of spending needs to be done folks!
With the government pumping money into large corporations and states, no income is generated to assist the people who spend on a regular basis - middle class Americans. The corporations use the money to pay off debts and clear their books. It gives them no incentive to really change their ways. I have respect for Ford, they did not take any money; they went back, regrouped, came up with a plan and instituted that plan right away. They are now one of the top automakers in the world, way ahead of the rest of the crowd.
Why can't our government figure this out - as long as Americans don't spend, the economy will not grow. There have also been so many home foreclosures, that there are now hundreds of thousands of people who have become ineligible to obtain home loans for the next several years. Many of these people are now living with relatives because they can not even get a lease. This will slow down home buying down the line and we will see a plateau.
It is going to be long term rebuilding process, at least another 5 to 7 years, before we all can dig out of this one - BUT that is only if the government sees how to fix the economy - get the money into the hands of people who will spend it and things will start to improve much quicker. I am not talking about the measly $400 or $800 to everyone - that is a slap in the face and worthless. You know if instead of bailing out all these companies and states with the billions that the government spent, they could have given each American taxpayer $40,000 or more each and spent less than 1/2 of what they did - the economy would have been much further along by now because most of these people would have went out and spent at least 3/4 of that. The only proven way to get out of a recession is for Americans to spend their way out. Maybe the government can look at suspending taxes for people making $125,000 or less for the rest of the year, this would throw more money to the people who need it and the people who will spend it. Bailouts of corporations is not and should not have been the direction the government took.
To get things straight again, there will also need to be a balance of cutting spending and an increase in taxes. You can only cut so much before you start having to eliminate many essential services. With debts in the federal and state governments so high a likely tax hike of some sort will be a necessary evil. I thinks an increase in gasoline taxes is fair, it is a tax that can be applied evenly across all classes. Everyone who drives will be pitching in. There has not been an increase here in years. Maybe look at a .02 or .03 increase per gallon. This will not cause a great hardship to anyone and it is a fair tax. Use 50% for Highway improvements and 50% for paying down the debt. I once saw an article from the oil industry that said increasing the taxes on gasoline would put an undue financial hardship on oil companies and they would have to increase the price of gas. The example was if the government imposed a tax of .04 a gallon, they would have to charge at least .08 or more. What a bunch of hogwash. It is a tax, you collect it and pass it through to the government. IF you get it done early, the government even gives you a little discount. So if the tax was .03 a gallon, you should only see prices increase by .03 a gallon. This would generate at current consumption about $350,000,000 a year.
Showing posts with label Government Failure. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Government Failure. Show all posts
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Oval Office Apology
The government is trying to focus all blame on the oil companies for not having plans in place to prevent/clean-up from an offshore oil spill. If you look back on history, there has never been a plan in place. Our government never required a plan be put in place and the government never had a plan of its own.
What about the government response to the spill? Why did the government fail the American public by not overseeing what the inspectors were doing, or in this case not doing. Why did our government wait so long to accept help from other countries? BP screwed up bad on this but only because the government allowed them to.
When aid was offered from Sweden with their large Oil Skimmers, we did not accept their assistance. The government has also refused help form at least 10 other countries including Canada, Mexico and Great Britain. The oil skimmers from Sweden which are some of the largest and most efficient in the world could have helped to clean up so much more of the oil spill. The ships are capable of collecting 50 tons of oil / hour, around 1000 tons/day. Currently the leak spews out 1000 – 1500 tons/day if current estimates are accurate. Just the other day the State Department issued a statement on behalf of the President: "While there is no need right now that the US cannot meet, the US Coast Guard is assessing these offers of assistance to see if there will be something which we will need in the near future," it added. I am telling the government right now – we need the help damn it!
Democrats and Republicans have both aimed some of their criticism at Obama. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) complained about the "incompetent response to this disaster" and said that President Obama had given too much cleanup authority to BP and behaved like "a spectator in the stands." Our President is expected to be a leader and demand answers and solutions. He should be exploring and using any means available including foreign aid to help with this horrible situation.
So I say to our government – to out President - I expect to hear an apology from you to the American public during your Oval Office speech. Our government failed us just as bad as BP. We have plans in place for various other disasters, why not have one for off shore oil spills. I want to express my deepest gratitude to the rest of the world that has offered to help us – we appreciate the offer and we really can use all the help we can get, but our government does not seem to feel the same urgency. I hope when we do finally ask you for help, your offer still stands. – My explosion of thought!
What about the government response to the spill? Why did the government fail the American public by not overseeing what the inspectors were doing, or in this case not doing. Why did our government wait so long to accept help from other countries? BP screwed up bad on this but only because the government allowed them to.
When aid was offered from Sweden with their large Oil Skimmers, we did not accept their assistance. The government has also refused help form at least 10 other countries including Canada, Mexico and Great Britain. The oil skimmers from Sweden which are some of the largest and most efficient in the world could have helped to clean up so much more of the oil spill. The ships are capable of collecting 50 tons of oil / hour, around 1000 tons/day. Currently the leak spews out 1000 – 1500 tons/day if current estimates are accurate. Just the other day the State Department issued a statement on behalf of the President: "While there is no need right now that the US cannot meet, the US Coast Guard is assessing these offers of assistance to see if there will be something which we will need in the near future," it added. I am telling the government right now – we need the help damn it!
Democrats and Republicans have both aimed some of their criticism at Obama. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) complained about the "incompetent response to this disaster" and said that President Obama had given too much cleanup authority to BP and behaved like "a spectator in the stands." Our President is expected to be a leader and demand answers and solutions. He should be exploring and using any means available including foreign aid to help with this horrible situation.
So I say to our government – to out President - I expect to hear an apology from you to the American public during your Oval Office speech. Our government failed us just as bad as BP. We have plans in place for various other disasters, why not have one for off shore oil spills. I want to express my deepest gratitude to the rest of the world that has offered to help us – we appreciate the offer and we really can use all the help we can get, but our government does not seem to feel the same urgency. I hope when we do finally ask you for help, your offer still stands. – My explosion of thought!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
The BP Spill and Our Government's Failure
The bottom line on this is that the government - all of the government failed us in allowing the behavior of these oil companies to go on. Both republicans and democrats are responsible. The President is responsible on the clean-up end because he was not quick to respond. Louisiana has begged for federal assistance for weeks from the President and he ignored them. The barrier they requested was just approved - after billions of dollars in economic, ecologic and personal disaster has already taken place.
In addition the European Union, the United Nations and 14 individual countries, like Sweden, are offering to help the U.S. clean up the mess in the Gulf of Mexico. The President has been in talks with the United Nations. The President just visited the Gulf area to see first had the disaster that will take years if not a decade to clean up. His slow response is abhorrible.
The little country of Sweden, has been offering to send three ships with the ability to skim 50 tons of oil per hour from the water’s surface with a capacity of 1000 tons. It could take a few weeks for the ships to get here. Swedish officials say the offer has been made and they’re just waiting for a request from Washington. These are very large oil skimming vessels that should have been mobilized a few weeks ago. Once the oil reaches the shoal waters of the panhandle, these large vessels will be useless.
In a country like the USA, that drills, transports and uses more oil than any other country in the world, why doesn’t the U.S. have the largest oil skimmers in the world. The money we pay in taxes is supposed to be used to educate, protect and defend all of us. There are HAZMAT response vehicles in many of our fire departments and emergency response teams. We are equipped to handle oil spills on the road. How come we are not equipped to handle them out at sea? If Sweden can afford to have ships like this on standby, why can’t we? Why haven’t we demanded all along that oil companies, with their enormous profits, keep a fleet of such ships on standby in the Gulf and anywhere there are offshore oil platforms?
When it was time for the Coast Guard to procure new vessels, they didn't think large oil skimmers or multi-purpose vessels were needed or were necessary for their needs. An oil skimmer doesn’t quite have the appeal of a slick, fast cutter armed with multiple weaponry. When the Coast Guard became part of the Department of Homeland Security, its mission focused more on coastal defense, patrol and drug interdiction, the emergency response for rescue and environmental protection suffered.
This is not just the fault of BP but on our government - people who we elected to watch out for these things. They said they depended on what the oil companies said - took their word without asking the simple questions. One question that could have prevented all of this that I would have asked: Let's see Mr. Oil Company - we have never drilled a well like this have we. Weell no Mr. Investigator we have not. - Do you know what issues you may run into Mr. Oil Company.- Not really Mr. Investigator, we never drilled this deep in the ocean before. - Well Mr. Oil company, what if something happens, what will you do, what plans are in place, what equipment do you have that can stop or plug this thing at these depths that has been tested? - Well Mr. Inspector - we don't really have an answer for that. - I SEE Mr. Oil company, Then I can not allow this to go forward until you can present to me facts with answers to my questions and proof that you have the technology to prevent or stop anything that may go wrong.
None of this was done. Shame on our government! We need to get the whole bunch out and vote in people who will look out for the American citizens, not people who line their pockets.
“The rules on what plans must be filed by exploration companies before drilling a well were relaxed in early 2008 by the Bush administration. Thereafter there was reportedly some confusion over whether the BP well qualified to be exempted, but that appears to be precisely what happened. If so, lawmakers in Washington are likely to target the Interior Department for falling down on its responsibilities and becoming too cozy with the oil giants. “I’m of the opinion that boosterism breeds complacency and complacency breeds disaster,” said Congressman Edward Markey. “That, in my opinion, is what happened.”‘ -The Independent
A report in the Washington Post in April of 2009, pointed to the MMS (US Minerals Management Service) giving BP a “categorical exclusion” from filing reports on what exactly it would do in the event of a blowout at the Deepwater Horizon. According to the Post, the MMS, in its infinite wisdom, concluded any blowout that might occur wouldn’t be bad enough to threaten coastal ecosystems. So why worry? Now we have blobs of oil are reportedly washing up on the white sand beaches of Alabama and all along the Louisiana coastline, killing hundreds of birds and other wildlife, ruining the eco system, threatening the mouth of the Mississippi River, putting people out of work and causing billions of dollars in damage.
So what do we have to say about all of this. Sure BP is at fault – they have taken the blame for this mess. But we can’t put this all on them, our government has failed us. In comparison to Katrina which was caused by nature – this is far bigger. We are not even sure if anyone can stop this leak right now. What if it can not be stopped? Will this be the end of us all, all our water contaminated a huge upset of the eco system? All because some simple questions were not asked or maybe even the answers ignored. This is serious people, we should all be worried and we should all be questioning all the people we have in office right now. Who is managing this mess – not the mess in the gulf – but the mess we have in government. This government is supposed to be Of the people and For the people. We as citizens need to get a grip on government. We need to get people who truly care about this country and the people who are citizens into office. The people we have in now both Democrats and Republicans including the office of the President have no clue and are all guilty of this mess. We as American citizens were dependent of the people in office to protect us from situations like this. Voice your opinion and vote for new people to replace all of them.
See the live feed here: BP Oil Leak Live
This is MY EXPLOSION OF THOUGHT!
In addition the European Union, the United Nations and 14 individual countries, like Sweden, are offering to help the U.S. clean up the mess in the Gulf of Mexico. The President has been in talks with the United Nations. The President just visited the Gulf area to see first had the disaster that will take years if not a decade to clean up. His slow response is abhorrible.
The little country of Sweden, has been offering to send three ships with the ability to skim 50 tons of oil per hour from the water’s surface with a capacity of 1000 tons. It could take a few weeks for the ships to get here. Swedish officials say the offer has been made and they’re just waiting for a request from Washington. These are very large oil skimming vessels that should have been mobilized a few weeks ago. Once the oil reaches the shoal waters of the panhandle, these large vessels will be useless.
In a country like the USA, that drills, transports and uses more oil than any other country in the world, why doesn’t the U.S. have the largest oil skimmers in the world. The money we pay in taxes is supposed to be used to educate, protect and defend all of us. There are HAZMAT response vehicles in many of our fire departments and emergency response teams. We are equipped to handle oil spills on the road. How come we are not equipped to handle them out at sea? If Sweden can afford to have ships like this on standby, why can’t we? Why haven’t we demanded all along that oil companies, with their enormous profits, keep a fleet of such ships on standby in the Gulf and anywhere there are offshore oil platforms?
When it was time for the Coast Guard to procure new vessels, they didn't think large oil skimmers or multi-purpose vessels were needed or were necessary for their needs. An oil skimmer doesn’t quite have the appeal of a slick, fast cutter armed with multiple weaponry. When the Coast Guard became part of the Department of Homeland Security, its mission focused more on coastal defense, patrol and drug interdiction, the emergency response for rescue and environmental protection suffered.
This is not just the fault of BP but on our government - people who we elected to watch out for these things. They said they depended on what the oil companies said - took their word without asking the simple questions. One question that could have prevented all of this that I would have asked: Let's see Mr. Oil Company - we have never drilled a well like this have we. Weell no Mr. Investigator we have not. - Do you know what issues you may run into Mr. Oil Company.- Not really Mr. Investigator, we never drilled this deep in the ocean before. - Well Mr. Oil company, what if something happens, what will you do, what plans are in place, what equipment do you have that can stop or plug this thing at these depths that has been tested? - Well Mr. Inspector - we don't really have an answer for that. - I SEE Mr. Oil company, Then I can not allow this to go forward until you can present to me facts with answers to my questions and proof that you have the technology to prevent or stop anything that may go wrong.
None of this was done. Shame on our government! We need to get the whole bunch out and vote in people who will look out for the American citizens, not people who line their pockets.
“The rules on what plans must be filed by exploration companies before drilling a well were relaxed in early 2008 by the Bush administration. Thereafter there was reportedly some confusion over whether the BP well qualified to be exempted, but that appears to be precisely what happened. If so, lawmakers in Washington are likely to target the Interior Department for falling down on its responsibilities and becoming too cozy with the oil giants. “I’m of the opinion that boosterism breeds complacency and complacency breeds disaster,” said Congressman Edward Markey. “That, in my opinion, is what happened.”‘ -The Independent
A report in the Washington Post in April of 2009, pointed to the MMS (US Minerals Management Service) giving BP a “categorical exclusion” from filing reports on what exactly it would do in the event of a blowout at the Deepwater Horizon. According to the Post, the MMS, in its infinite wisdom, concluded any blowout that might occur wouldn’t be bad enough to threaten coastal ecosystems. So why worry? Now we have blobs of oil are reportedly washing up on the white sand beaches of Alabama and all along the Louisiana coastline, killing hundreds of birds and other wildlife, ruining the eco system, threatening the mouth of the Mississippi River, putting people out of work and causing billions of dollars in damage.
So what do we have to say about all of this. Sure BP is at fault – they have taken the blame for this mess. But we can’t put this all on them, our government has failed us. In comparison to Katrina which was caused by nature – this is far bigger. We are not even sure if anyone can stop this leak right now. What if it can not be stopped? Will this be the end of us all, all our water contaminated a huge upset of the eco system? All because some simple questions were not asked or maybe even the answers ignored. This is serious people, we should all be worried and we should all be questioning all the people we have in office right now. Who is managing this mess – not the mess in the gulf – but the mess we have in government. This government is supposed to be Of the people and For the people. We as citizens need to get a grip on government. We need to get people who truly care about this country and the people who are citizens into office. The people we have in now both Democrats and Republicans including the office of the President have no clue and are all guilty of this mess. We as American citizens were dependent of the people in office to protect us from situations like this. Voice your opinion and vote for new people to replace all of them.
See the live feed here: BP Oil Leak Live
This is MY EXPLOSION OF THOUGHT!
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