It was reported that the number of newly laid-off workers seeking unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose last week. I kind of get tired of hearing economist keep saying unexpectedly. Sometimes I think that they really need to look at the real world instead of hiding behind a bunch of statistics and numbers. This recent news is a sure sign that jobs remain scarce even as the economy attempts to recover. The Labor Department issued their report on Thursday morning that first-time claims increased by 18,000 in the week ended April 3, to a seasonally adjusted 460,000. Economists' were estimating of a drop to 435,000. This still represents a vast improvement from where we were a little over a year ago. Jobless claims peaked during the recession at 651,000 in late March 2009.
These reports demonstrate that the job market remains weak even as the economy is trying to grow. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said in a statement Wednesday that high unemployment is “one of the toughest challenges the economy faces.” While layoffs have slowed, hiring is "very weak," he said "We are far from being out of the woods," Bernanke said in a speech in Dallas. "Many Americans are still grappling with unemployment or foreclosure or both."
The report by the Labor department doesn't include millions of people who have used up the regular 26 weeks of benefits typically provided by states, and are receiving extended benefits for up to 73 additional weeks, paid for by the federal government. About 5.8 million people are still receiving extended benefits for the week that ended March 20. This is a drop of about 230,000 from the previous week.
Many recipients of the extended federal aid could see their benefits disrupted this week, because Congress decided that their two-week vacation was more important and failed to approve a continuation of the federal programs before leaving. The result of this action is that it will cut off benefits for more than 200,000 people this week. Congressional Democratic leaders have said they will make up for the lost checks when they extend the program later this month, this does not really help those who are struggling now.
In some good news, several retailers reported better than expected increases in same store sales of about 9%, these retailers include Target and Victoria Secret. Retailers benefited somewhat from improved consumer confidence but also from easy year-ago comparisons when sales were declining. The warmer weather and the early Easter season also helped to boost sales.
I still have to say that these economist need to realize that in the real world, until middle class Americans can see light at the end of the tunnel and until they start getting jobs seeing pay increases and some sort of stimulus, the recession will continue. This has to happen in order for these people to go out and start spending more which will increase a demand for more products which will in turn spark companies to start hiring at an increased pace. We will not realize a true recovery until this happens.
And about Congress wanting to go on vacation before approving aid for the unemployed; that is just uncalled for. So they say they will make it up when they get back. These people are struggling and as an American, they need to exercise their right to vote in the next election and vote these people out. Sure, they are getting paid by American Taxpayers, what do they have to worry about. Need to get some more sensible people voted into office. Again – just my explosion of thought!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Friday, April 2, 2010
State of the Economy
I have yet to publish my outlook for 2010. I have been trying to look for signs that we will see some light at the end of the tunnel. I have been trying to look for signs that our Government and the President get it. I have yet to see those signs. Don’t these people ever study their history; don’t they learn from the past mistakes we have made?
Today the US Labor Department announced that the unemployment rate in March remained unchanged at 9.7 percent. My prediction is that we will be very lucky if this figure dips below 9.5% any time this year. Only 162,000 new jobs were created on non-farm payrolls, this is well below than what was expected. I am not sure how anyone expected much more; all you have to do is look around to see what the economy is like.
To top this off is that 48,000 of those were temporary workers hired for the Census, another 40,000 temporary workers were hired health service workers. In the government’s future figures they plan on counting about another 550,000 additional temporary Census workers. In several months, these workers will be out of work again. Over 6.5 million Americans have been unemployed for six months or longer, that is a record!
The President and his staff do not think that unemployment will fall to 5% or below until about 2017. That is almost 7 years away. They believe this because they do not have the answers and do not want to follow what has proven to work in the past. That is because they want change for changes sake and currently are only doing things that history has shown does not work well. We live in a capitalistic society, in this society there will always be ups and downs. The proven way to get out of a recession is to spend your way out. Until this government figures that out, the economy will not move.
The spending has to come from the American people, not the government. Stimulate the middle class people to spend again and the economy will start to grow. It is a ripple effect. If you would have found a way to get all that money into the hands American taxpayers instead of bailing out all these companies where only the top executives have really benefited, the economy would have already been growing. If people had more money to spend - they would be more confident. Then they would go out and buy things, the more they buy the more products will need to be produced. The more products that are produced, the more workers will be needed to produce them. It really is a simple cycle, it is a proven cycle. But the current government wants to do things different, they want to bring down capitalism and become more socialist by controlling more and more of the corporate world. I have yet to see my benefit of the government owning part of GM. Since we the American people pay for the bailout with our tax money – where is my free car – we all deserve that for what was given to them. Ford did not take any money and they fixed things on their own – the capitalist way.
The high unemployment rate is becoming an Achilles heel for the Democratic Party, who is currently in control of the White House and Congress. The party is facing pressure to create new jobs. Why should government create the jobs, they need to stimulate business to create more jobs. How do you do this? Hmm – we if you stimulate the American taxpayer to go out and spend – guess what happens – Bingo!
There was a little movement that showed a slight increase on economic expansion of about 5.6%. But – much of this resulted from inventory adjustments by many businesses. Businesses greatly decreased inventories for most of last year, but slowed the decrease quite a bit in the fourth quarter of last year. Businesses are estimated to have shed their inventories by about $138 billion in the third quarter and about $160 billion in the second quarter. In the fourth quarter this amount was slowed, as inventories decreased only about $19 billion. This change in the fourth quarter added 3.75% to the fourth-quarter GDP rise. Now some of those inventories need to be replenished, so we may see a little uptick of maybe 3% or so a month for the next few months.
My final prediction this year is again based on the price of razor blades. You know the price is getting up there when you see all the stores start to lock up their supply of razor blades. Inflation will start to tick up slightly, the Fed will need to inch up the interest rate at least a quarter of a point in the next quarter and maybe another quarter point before the end of the year to keep things in check. It should all be a system of checks and balances, which is the only control our government should have. As far as owning businesses, they are out of their league. I believe we will not start seeing any sustainable growth until about the second quarter next year, the only thing that might speed this up is if American taxpayers, especially the middle class are somehow stimulated to spend again. This again is my explosion of thought!
Today the US Labor Department announced that the unemployment rate in March remained unchanged at 9.7 percent. My prediction is that we will be very lucky if this figure dips below 9.5% any time this year. Only 162,000 new jobs were created on non-farm payrolls, this is well below than what was expected. I am not sure how anyone expected much more; all you have to do is look around to see what the economy is like.
To top this off is that 48,000 of those were temporary workers hired for the Census, another 40,000 temporary workers were hired health service workers. In the government’s future figures they plan on counting about another 550,000 additional temporary Census workers. In several months, these workers will be out of work again. Over 6.5 million Americans have been unemployed for six months or longer, that is a record!
The President and his staff do not think that unemployment will fall to 5% or below until about 2017. That is almost 7 years away. They believe this because they do not have the answers and do not want to follow what has proven to work in the past. That is because they want change for changes sake and currently are only doing things that history has shown does not work well. We live in a capitalistic society, in this society there will always be ups and downs. The proven way to get out of a recession is to spend your way out. Until this government figures that out, the economy will not move.
The spending has to come from the American people, not the government. Stimulate the middle class people to spend again and the economy will start to grow. It is a ripple effect. If you would have found a way to get all that money into the hands American taxpayers instead of bailing out all these companies where only the top executives have really benefited, the economy would have already been growing. If people had more money to spend - they would be more confident. Then they would go out and buy things, the more they buy the more products will need to be produced. The more products that are produced, the more workers will be needed to produce them. It really is a simple cycle, it is a proven cycle. But the current government wants to do things different, they want to bring down capitalism and become more socialist by controlling more and more of the corporate world. I have yet to see my benefit of the government owning part of GM. Since we the American people pay for the bailout with our tax money – where is my free car – we all deserve that for what was given to them. Ford did not take any money and they fixed things on their own – the capitalist way.
The high unemployment rate is becoming an Achilles heel for the Democratic Party, who is currently in control of the White House and Congress. The party is facing pressure to create new jobs. Why should government create the jobs, they need to stimulate business to create more jobs. How do you do this? Hmm – we if you stimulate the American taxpayer to go out and spend – guess what happens – Bingo!
There was a little movement that showed a slight increase on economic expansion of about 5.6%. But – much of this resulted from inventory adjustments by many businesses. Businesses greatly decreased inventories for most of last year, but slowed the decrease quite a bit in the fourth quarter of last year. Businesses are estimated to have shed their inventories by about $138 billion in the third quarter and about $160 billion in the second quarter. In the fourth quarter this amount was slowed, as inventories decreased only about $19 billion. This change in the fourth quarter added 3.75% to the fourth-quarter GDP rise. Now some of those inventories need to be replenished, so we may see a little uptick of maybe 3% or so a month for the next few months.
My final prediction this year is again based on the price of razor blades. You know the price is getting up there when you see all the stores start to lock up their supply of razor blades. Inflation will start to tick up slightly, the Fed will need to inch up the interest rate at least a quarter of a point in the next quarter and maybe another quarter point before the end of the year to keep things in check. It should all be a system of checks and balances, which is the only control our government should have. As far as owning businesses, they are out of their league. I believe we will not start seeing any sustainable growth until about the second quarter next year, the only thing that might speed this up is if American taxpayers, especially the middle class are somehow stimulated to spend again. This again is my explosion of thought!
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Energy Solutions For Our Future
Looking at the future energy consumption in the United States, it is clear we need to devise and quickly implement energy solutions we can count on. We must put together a plan that is not dependent on foreign oil and other foreign resources.
One thing to note is that Natural Gas is plentiful in the United States. There are still many untapped supplies for this valuable resource within our borders. Currently many automobiles can be retrofitted to use this resource. Much of the UPS delivery service fleet has already been converted and many bus systems have adopted using natural gas. New automobiles can be designed to use this resource as well without too much modification. Hydrogen cells can actually be produced using natural gas.
A solution to producing electricity that is available is Nuclear energy. There has not been a new Nuclear Reactor built within this country in well over 25 years. The technology currently in use is outdated and inefficient compared to the newer technology currently available. China has over 19 reactors currently being built with this newer technology. But building these behemoth reactors is quite costly, costing into the billions of dollars.
A big advance that has been in development for the past several years is what is termed a ‘mini reactor”. Several small reactor prototypes are pushing for attention as low-emission alternatives to fossil fuels. These small reactors can not address all the issues that stand in the way of more nuclear investment – but they do address one of the largest – the economic barrier.
Designed as modules, these mini reactors can power a small town of 8000 to 20,000 homes. A 10 megawatt reactor can power up to 8000 homes on its own and some of these new mini reactor modules are being design to produce up to 30 megawatts. These units can also be set up to include a system of add on modules which could be attractive to utilities that may be cash strapped. Bill Gates of Microsoft has even thrown his hat into this seeking a joint venture with Toshiba.
None of these new small reactors have been put into use as of now. There are currently 2 or 3 major players in the development of these modules. NuScale Power, Toshiba and Hyperion Power Generation are 3 of the top companies. NuScale is working on a design that is a light water reactor. Toshiba is working on a liquid-sodium cooled nuclear battery and Hyperion Power Generation is utilizing a design by Los Alamos National Laboratory scientist. These systems are relatively small scale, inexpensive and installed underground. A small town in Alaska is currently in discussions with Toshiba to become their first customer.
Hyperion Power Generation recently announced that it has taken its first orders and plans to start mass production within a few years. Hyperion is reported to have more than 100 orders for its modules. Apparently the first order came from a Czech infrastructure company called TES, which specializes in water plants and power plants. TES ordered six modules and optioned another 12, with the first planned to be located in Romania.
Hyperion MPRs (Multi Purpose Reactors) are not light water reactors. They a design that is simple, can be transported as a single unit, and it is a “closed” fuel system where the reactors are factory fueled, shipped out to the site, and then returned to the factory for refueling. MPRs have a small energy output of under 50 megawatts electricity per unit. Hyperion Power’s Mini Power Reactor, is a liquid metal-cooled fast reactor, and offers unique safety features and efficiency. Housed in a permanently sealed container just 1.5 meters wide by 2.5 meters tall, the size of a hot tub, it can be transported by truck, rail or ship. The unit meets all the non-proliferation criteria of the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership.
If regulators in the United states ever get on board, some of these designs can win approval and certification within 5 years. I for one believe this is one technology we can not let slip through our fingers. We are falling behind in this country with many of these technological advances. This technology can not be ignored and the approval and certification process should be sped up. This is an efficient and cost effective short term idea that can be implemented fairly quickly and be a solution to add power to our electrical grid.
I want to urge our government and President Obama to move on this quickly and not bog this down with politics or in some congressional committee. We need to start solving some of our energy concerns now to preserve our future. This my friends is my explosion of thought!
One thing to note is that Natural Gas is plentiful in the United States. There are still many untapped supplies for this valuable resource within our borders. Currently many automobiles can be retrofitted to use this resource. Much of the UPS delivery service fleet has already been converted and many bus systems have adopted using natural gas. New automobiles can be designed to use this resource as well without too much modification. Hydrogen cells can actually be produced using natural gas.
A solution to producing electricity that is available is Nuclear energy. There has not been a new Nuclear Reactor built within this country in well over 25 years. The technology currently in use is outdated and inefficient compared to the newer technology currently available. China has over 19 reactors currently being built with this newer technology. But building these behemoth reactors is quite costly, costing into the billions of dollars.
A big advance that has been in development for the past several years is what is termed a ‘mini reactor”. Several small reactor prototypes are pushing for attention as low-emission alternatives to fossil fuels. These small reactors can not address all the issues that stand in the way of more nuclear investment – but they do address one of the largest – the economic barrier.
Designed as modules, these mini reactors can power a small town of 8000 to 20,000 homes. A 10 megawatt reactor can power up to 8000 homes on its own and some of these new mini reactor modules are being design to produce up to 30 megawatts. These units can also be set up to include a system of add on modules which could be attractive to utilities that may be cash strapped. Bill Gates of Microsoft has even thrown his hat into this seeking a joint venture with Toshiba.
None of these new small reactors have been put into use as of now. There are currently 2 or 3 major players in the development of these modules. NuScale Power, Toshiba and Hyperion Power Generation are 3 of the top companies. NuScale is working on a design that is a light water reactor. Toshiba is working on a liquid-sodium cooled nuclear battery and Hyperion Power Generation is utilizing a design by Los Alamos National Laboratory scientist. These systems are relatively small scale, inexpensive and installed underground. A small town in Alaska is currently in discussions with Toshiba to become their first customer.
Hyperion Power Generation recently announced that it has taken its first orders and plans to start mass production within a few years. Hyperion is reported to have more than 100 orders for its modules. Apparently the first order came from a Czech infrastructure company called TES, which specializes in water plants and power plants. TES ordered six modules and optioned another 12, with the first planned to be located in Romania.
Hyperion MPRs (Multi Purpose Reactors) are not light water reactors. They a design that is simple, can be transported as a single unit, and it is a “closed” fuel system where the reactors are factory fueled, shipped out to the site, and then returned to the factory for refueling. MPRs have a small energy output of under 50 megawatts electricity per unit. Hyperion Power’s Mini Power Reactor, is a liquid metal-cooled fast reactor, and offers unique safety features and efficiency. Housed in a permanently sealed container just 1.5 meters wide by 2.5 meters tall, the size of a hot tub, it can be transported by truck, rail or ship. The unit meets all the non-proliferation criteria of the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership.
If regulators in the United states ever get on board, some of these designs can win approval and certification within 5 years. I for one believe this is one technology we can not let slip through our fingers. We are falling behind in this country with many of these technological advances. This technology can not be ignored and the approval and certification process should be sped up. This is an efficient and cost effective short term idea that can be implemented fairly quickly and be a solution to add power to our electrical grid.
I want to urge our government and President Obama to move on this quickly and not bog this down with politics or in some congressional committee. We need to start solving some of our energy concerns now to preserve our future. This my friends is my explosion of thought!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
I once had a boss who preached that business is a game and you play it to win, no matter what the cost. To him all of life was a game and you had to learn to play the game in order to make it in this world. To them it was throw ethics to the wind. To an extent, this practice worked for him but it never seemed quite right for me, my conscience could not get used to that type of business. Maybe that is why I still struggle to make a living daily, at least I feel good about what i do. Business is a game, but a game played with ethics.
Along comes a company like Google. A company started by two men, Larry Page, Sergey Brin in 1998. They had a vision and an idea and they went with it. No one thought at the time that a search engine such as this would become such a big corporation and money maker. These two had an idea and they let it grow and grow - it grew quickly. By June of 2000 they were the worlds largest search engine. The searches were much more accurate than previous search engines. They have fought many battles along the way and one thing I always noticed is they operated with a set of ethics, standards they held the company to. They have stood their ground and have become more successful than even they had imagined.
Now, they take a big stand and pull the plug on China. A country with well over a billion people, a virtual money pit for a company like Google. They shocked many in the business and technology field with this move. They did it in the sake of ethics - showing the world they understand and know right from wrong. There is no room for censorship of the web and a country controlling what can or can not be seen on the web.
So now I wonder, will other companies follow suit? Will they put ethics over profits? Or - will companies like Microsoft's 'Bing" try and capitalize on this move by Google. Will other companies remove themselves from an oppressive society? I applaud the actions of Google. I applaud them many times over. They have proved my point - Ethics are a core part of any business - doing what is right and forsaking profits. So will others follow suit?
Along comes a company like Google. A company started by two men, Larry Page, Sergey Brin in 1998. They had a vision and an idea and they went with it. No one thought at the time that a search engine such as this would become such a big corporation and money maker. These two had an idea and they let it grow and grow - it grew quickly. By June of 2000 they were the worlds largest search engine. The searches were much more accurate than previous search engines. They have fought many battles along the way and one thing I always noticed is they operated with a set of ethics, standards they held the company to. They have stood their ground and have become more successful than even they had imagined.
Now, they take a big stand and pull the plug on China. A country with well over a billion people, a virtual money pit for a company like Google. They shocked many in the business and technology field with this move. They did it in the sake of ethics - showing the world they understand and know right from wrong. There is no room for censorship of the web and a country controlling what can or can not be seen on the web.
So now I wonder, will other companies follow suit? Will they put ethics over profits? Or - will companies like Microsoft's 'Bing" try and capitalize on this move by Google. Will other companies remove themselves from an oppressive society? I applaud the actions of Google. I applaud them many times over. They have proved my point - Ethics are a core part of any business - doing what is right and forsaking profits. So will others follow suit?
Monday, March 29, 2010
Senator Reid and Nevada
In the state of Nevada - Sen. Harry Reid's overall approval rating has fallen from 35 percent in January to 29 percent. Among Democrats in Nevada, it has slipped from 57 percent to 45 percent. Reid is facing a stiff challenge in his reelection bid, approval in his home region has dipped to 23 percent. His state has seen staggering unemployment rates, steep declines in home prices, one of the highest percentages of foreclosure rates in the country and near zero jobs creation. This is not a slide that has happened overnight, it has been going on for a few years now. As a Senator wielding as much influence as he has in Congress, he has done little to help bolster the economy of his state. He has done little for education in his state. The overall graduation rate in Nevada is one of the lowest in the in the nation with approximately 55% of students graduating. He has been tied up with pushing a very unpopular Health Care Reform bill through the Senate and has virtually abandoned his home state.
It is widely thought that he has planted a candidate as the “The Tea Party candidate” in order to help siphon off some of the Republican vote this November. The Tea Party candidate, Las Vegas businessman Jon Scott Ashjian, a former Republican, came out of the blue to announce his candidacy. A Democratic lawyer is handling the paperwork for the candidate. This was somewhat of a surprise to the national movement of The Tea Party, they never heard of this person and have not even endorsed him as their candidate. The Republican GOP was taken aback also, it has been wooing The Tea Party group, a conservative, anti-tax, anti-big government group.
Currently the Polls show that Reid is slightly ahead in the running. But Sen. Reid is winning against nameless, faceless people," said Brad Coker, managing director of Mason-Dixon. "It's easier to win against nameless, faceless people than real people."
Sen. Reid has been in hot water for more than his States’ economy lately. He moved quickly to show remorse after a book, "Game Change" by journalists John Heilemann and Mark Halperin revealed that he made comments in 2008 suggesting that Barack Obama could be elected president because he is “light skinned” and lacks “Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.” Somewhat of a racist remark if I ever heard one. Nevada has not been known for it’s welcoming of African Americans over the years, Sammy Davis Junior was not even allowed to enter through the front doors of a Casino, although in the last 10 years the relationship has improved. Still Nevada’s population of African Americans is only at 7% compared to 19% for Hispanics and 72% White. Now what is disparaging is the fact that about 30% of Nevada’s prisoners are African American. African Americans in Nevada are incarcerated almost 4 times more than whites in that state. Most drug offenders are white, yet African Americans as well as other minorities are much more likely to serve time for their offenses.
For Nevada, I would say that now is a time for change. Now is a time to find a new candidate with fresh ideas, one who cares about the state. I am not saying who you should vote for, that is something to decide for yourself, but examine the record and listen to all that are running, make your choice and go out and vote. Remember the person you vote for should represent you, your ideas and your state. This is only my Explosion of Thought!
It is widely thought that he has planted a candidate as the “The Tea Party candidate” in order to help siphon off some of the Republican vote this November. The Tea Party candidate, Las Vegas businessman Jon Scott Ashjian, a former Republican, came out of the blue to announce his candidacy. A Democratic lawyer is handling the paperwork for the candidate. This was somewhat of a surprise to the national movement of The Tea Party, they never heard of this person and have not even endorsed him as their candidate. The Republican GOP was taken aback also, it has been wooing The Tea Party group, a conservative, anti-tax, anti-big government group.
Currently the Polls show that Reid is slightly ahead in the running. But Sen. Reid is winning against nameless, faceless people," said Brad Coker, managing director of Mason-Dixon. "It's easier to win against nameless, faceless people than real people."
Sen. Reid has been in hot water for more than his States’ economy lately. He moved quickly to show remorse after a book, "Game Change" by journalists John Heilemann and Mark Halperin revealed that he made comments in 2008 suggesting that Barack Obama could be elected president because he is “light skinned” and lacks “Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.” Somewhat of a racist remark if I ever heard one. Nevada has not been known for it’s welcoming of African Americans over the years, Sammy Davis Junior was not even allowed to enter through the front doors of a Casino, although in the last 10 years the relationship has improved. Still Nevada’s population of African Americans is only at 7% compared to 19% for Hispanics and 72% White. Now what is disparaging is the fact that about 30% of Nevada’s prisoners are African American. African Americans in Nevada are incarcerated almost 4 times more than whites in that state. Most drug offenders are white, yet African Americans as well as other minorities are much more likely to serve time for their offenses.
For Nevada, I would say that now is a time for change. Now is a time to find a new candidate with fresh ideas, one who cares about the state. I am not saying who you should vote for, that is something to decide for yourself, but examine the record and listen to all that are running, make your choice and go out and vote. Remember the person you vote for should represent you, your ideas and your state. This is only my Explosion of Thought!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Chile Earthquake relief
An 8.8 earthquake hit just off the coast of Chile early on Saturday morning 2/27/2010, killing at least 802 people and injuring many more. Many thousands of people have been left homeless due to the widespread destruction of buildings. While this may not be a humanitarian crisis similar to what was seen in Haiti, a great amount of money and charity will still be needed to rebuild damaged builds, roads, and return Chile back to normalcy. Please do what you can to help in this relief effort.
Here is how you can help:
•Save The Children -- https://secure.savethechildren.org/01/2007_match?source=hp_tab_donate&WT.mc_id=1109_hp_tab_donate Save The Children is sending an emergency assessment team to Chile, and they are asking for contributions to their Children's Emergency Fund to aid these efforts.
•Habitat for Humanity -- https://www.habitat.org/cd/giving/donate.aspx?link=1&r=r Habitat for Humanity has a continual presence in Chile, where they've helped construct over 1,300 homes. They will be essential element in reconstruction efforts, especially in hard-hit rural areas. Donate to Habitat For Humanity or text CHILE to 25383 to donate $10.
•AmeriCares -- https://secure.americares.org/site/Donation2?df_id=5820&5820.donation=form1 Vice President of Emergency Response, Christoph Gorder, says AmeriCares is sending medical supplies and humanitarian aid to Chile. Make a direct contribution to AmeriCares' Chilean earthquake fund.
•Direct Relief International -- https://secure2.convio.net/dri/site/Donation2?idb=1593451692&1170.donation=form1&df_id=1170 Direct Relief International has offered to provide assistance in the form of medical aid to Chilean authorities and to emergency relief organizations in the area. Give to Direct Relief International and type "Chile" in the "Designation" field if you wish to specify your donation.
•International Medical Corps -- https://www.imcworldwide.org/SSLPage.aspx?pid=878 IMC has a presence in dozens of countries around the globe, providing immediate medical care to those affected by natural disasters. They are currently deploying resources to Chile. Contribute to their emergency response fund. SMS text “CHILE” to 85944 to donate $10 to International Medical Corps
•Unicef -- http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/chile_52926.html
SMS text “YOUTH” to 20222 to donate $10 to UNICEF
•Un Techo para Chile - http://www.untechoparachile.cl/?page_id=999 With a cadre of more than 15,000 volunteers, Un Techo para Chile works with families living in slum communities as they struggle to improve their lives. In the aftermath of the earthquake, their struggle now includes rebuilding — and your donation can help make this happen.
Here is how you can help:
•Save The Children -- https://secure.savethechildren.org/01/2007_match?source=hp_tab_donate&WT.mc_id=1109_hp_tab_donate Save The Children is sending an emergency assessment team to Chile, and they are asking for contributions to their Children's Emergency Fund to aid these efforts.
•Habitat for Humanity -- https://www.habitat.org/cd/giving/donate.aspx?link=1&r=r Habitat for Humanity has a continual presence in Chile, where they've helped construct over 1,300 homes. They will be essential element in reconstruction efforts, especially in hard-hit rural areas. Donate to Habitat For Humanity or text CHILE to 25383 to donate $10.
•AmeriCares -- https://secure.americares.org/site/Donation2?df_id=5820&5820.donation=form1 Vice President of Emergency Response, Christoph Gorder, says AmeriCares is sending medical supplies and humanitarian aid to Chile. Make a direct contribution to AmeriCares' Chilean earthquake fund.
•Direct Relief International -- https://secure2.convio.net/dri/site/Donation2?idb=1593451692&1170.donation=form1&df_id=1170 Direct Relief International has offered to provide assistance in the form of medical aid to Chilean authorities and to emergency relief organizations in the area. Give to Direct Relief International and type "Chile" in the "Designation" field if you wish to specify your donation.
•International Medical Corps -- https://www.imcworldwide.org/SSLPage.aspx?pid=878 IMC has a presence in dozens of countries around the globe, providing immediate medical care to those affected by natural disasters. They are currently deploying resources to Chile. Contribute to their emergency response fund. SMS text “CHILE” to 85944 to donate $10 to International Medical Corps
•Unicef -- http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/chile_52926.html
SMS text “YOUTH” to 20222 to donate $10 to UNICEF
•Un Techo para Chile - http://www.untechoparachile.cl/?page_id=999 With a cadre of more than 15,000 volunteers, Un Techo para Chile works with families living in slum communities as they struggle to improve their lives. In the aftermath of the earthquake, their struggle now includes rebuilding — and your donation can help make this happen.
Health Care reform forced down American's throats
President Obama’s enjoyed a victory on health care reform Sunday night — but the win was a split decision for Democrats, not a knockout. House Democrats, who have endured months of draining debate and attacks from tea party activists, including a deriding jeers from a group of protesters outside the chamber Sunday, were more relieved than overjoyed — and many may have been casting votes, for their own political extinction. Out of regard to the very possible consequences for House Democrats, the White House publicly refrained from expressions of jubilation or even relief.
President Obama commented: It's a victory for the American people, and it's a victory for common sense." How is it a victory for the American people when many independent polls showed that most American’s were against it. A “victory for common sense” what a phrase, who’s common sense does this refer to? They say this will not incur any cost to the Federal Government – that is very true. Guess who is paying for it – the American Middle Class – the same group of people who always get beat down. Now when I say middle class, I am not speaking about those families who make over $200,000/year. In my mind, that is not the true middle class. The true middle class getting hurt here are those with a family of 4 or 5 that make between $45,000 - $90,000 per year. That is the group that continually gets beat down and struggles to move up the ladder. Number one is that in my book, if you have a family of 4 and make under $55,000 per year, you should be in the poverty class.
Now the Senate must now pass a set of complicated reconciliation packages to defuse political fallout from the "Cornhusker Kickback” ($100 million in Medicaid funds for Nebraska which was removed from the bill after so much bad publicity) and other controversial deals made to get the bill passed there — and postpone an excise tax on high-end “Cadillac” health plans (this tax hits many middle class American who currently have good insurance through their employer). Still alive is special spending for Connecticut and Montana that was included in the health care bill that the Senate approved in December. The projects from Montana and Connecticut were items President Barack Obama wanted removed. There was push back from two influential committee chairmen, Democratic Sens. Max Baucus of Montana and Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, and to guarantee their votes, their projects have survived. Many democrats in the House went along with the vote in hopes that the Senate will follow through and reconcile some of the provisions. If they do not accomplish this in the Senate, the law still takes effect with all the current provisions intact.
Attorneys general in 11 states have warned that lawsuits will be filed to stop the federal government overstepping its constitutional powers and usurping states' sovereignty. States are concerned that the burden of providing health care will fall on them without enough support from the federal government. Ten of the attorneys general have plans to band together in a collective lawsuit on behalf of Alabama, Florida, Nebraska, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Washington.
In Virginia, Attorney General Kenneth Cuccinelli, is formulating plans to file a lawsuit in federal court in Richmond, Virginia. He stated that Congress lacks authority under its constitutional power to regulate interstate commerce to force people to buy insurance. The bill also conflicts with a state law that says Virginians cannot be required to buy insurance, he added. "If a person decides not to buy health insurance, that person by definition is not engaging in commerce," Cuccinelli said in recorded comments. "If you are not engaging in commerce, how can the federal government regulate you?"
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, many pending lawsuits, bills and resolutions have been introduced in at least 36 state legislatures that seek to limit or oppose various aspects of the reform plan through laws or state constitutional amendments.
I do not understand all of the provisions of this Bill, but I do sense that some of them will be quite costly to the American Middle Class. What will the effects of this Bill passage be in 2 years, 5 years and 10 years down the road? It does not look good for the stability of our children and of our children’s children. Out grandchildren will most likely take the brunt of the fallout. Change for changes sake is not a good way to proceed.
President Obama commented: It's a victory for the American people, and it's a victory for common sense." How is it a victory for the American people when many independent polls showed that most American’s were against it. A “victory for common sense” what a phrase, who’s common sense does this refer to? They say this will not incur any cost to the Federal Government – that is very true. Guess who is paying for it – the American Middle Class – the same group of people who always get beat down. Now when I say middle class, I am not speaking about those families who make over $200,000/year. In my mind, that is not the true middle class. The true middle class getting hurt here are those with a family of 4 or 5 that make between $45,000 - $90,000 per year. That is the group that continually gets beat down and struggles to move up the ladder. Number one is that in my book, if you have a family of 4 and make under $55,000 per year, you should be in the poverty class.
Now the Senate must now pass a set of complicated reconciliation packages to defuse political fallout from the "Cornhusker Kickback” ($100 million in Medicaid funds for Nebraska which was removed from the bill after so much bad publicity) and other controversial deals made to get the bill passed there — and postpone an excise tax on high-end “Cadillac” health plans (this tax hits many middle class American who currently have good insurance through their employer). Still alive is special spending for Connecticut and Montana that was included in the health care bill that the Senate approved in December. The projects from Montana and Connecticut were items President Barack Obama wanted removed. There was push back from two influential committee chairmen, Democratic Sens. Max Baucus of Montana and Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, and to guarantee their votes, their projects have survived. Many democrats in the House went along with the vote in hopes that the Senate will follow through and reconcile some of the provisions. If they do not accomplish this in the Senate, the law still takes effect with all the current provisions intact.
Attorneys general in 11 states have warned that lawsuits will be filed to stop the federal government overstepping its constitutional powers and usurping states' sovereignty. States are concerned that the burden of providing health care will fall on them without enough support from the federal government. Ten of the attorneys general have plans to band together in a collective lawsuit on behalf of Alabama, Florida, Nebraska, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Washington.
In Virginia, Attorney General Kenneth Cuccinelli, is formulating plans to file a lawsuit in federal court in Richmond, Virginia. He stated that Congress lacks authority under its constitutional power to regulate interstate commerce to force people to buy insurance. The bill also conflicts with a state law that says Virginians cannot be required to buy insurance, he added. "If a person decides not to buy health insurance, that person by definition is not engaging in commerce," Cuccinelli said in recorded comments. "If you are not engaging in commerce, how can the federal government regulate you?"
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, many pending lawsuits, bills and resolutions have been introduced in at least 36 state legislatures that seek to limit or oppose various aspects of the reform plan through laws or state constitutional amendments.
I do not understand all of the provisions of this Bill, but I do sense that some of them will be quite costly to the American Middle Class. What will the effects of this Bill passage be in 2 years, 5 years and 10 years down the road? It does not look good for the stability of our children and of our children’s children. Out grandchildren will most likely take the brunt of the fallout. Change for changes sake is not a good way to proceed.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Brown wins in Massachusetts
Republican Scott Brown executed one of the largest U.S. political upsets in modern history when he defeated Democrat Martha Coakley to fill out the Senate term of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy. He was a viable candidate who actually listened tot he voice of the people and heard it. He wants to do what is right not only for the people of Massachusetts, but for all the people of this country. The health care bill they wanted to shove down the throats of the American People was not the best thought out and not the best plan for the people. Brown's win in Massachusetts will help prevent this bill form going through. A good thing for all Americans.
President Obama had promised that he would not raise taxes on the American Middle Class(Remember Bush #1 making a similar promise he could not keep, cost him a re-election), yet he caved in to placing a tax on those Americans who were paying for their own health care, taxing their health care plan. A slap in the face to all middle class Americans. Then all the jobs that were supposed to be created with all this stimulus money - what jobs. All that resulted is that some corporations and banking institutions were allowed to be dug out of their own mess and profit from it. Some are still taking even more money. Seems like Ford did just fine without a bailout, they figured it out themselves and are on the right track now. How come the others could not do this?
Now back to Brown. What made me sick was that after now Senator Brown won the election, the media immediately started bashing him and the people of Massachusetts. I listed to several news programs that were basically asking how the people of Massachusetts could be so naive to elect this man. What a slap in the face to the people of Massachusetts. They actually went out of their way to put down the people for voting for a "Republican". some of the media is just sick, this man won fair and square and the people put him in office. Now congratulate the man and move on. What ever happened to good sportmanship, I guess the media does not play by those rules.
I congratulate Mr. Brown for his win. I do not congratulate the Republicans or the Democrats, I congratulate a man who knows how to listen to the people he is representing and pays heed.
President Obama had promised that he would not raise taxes on the American Middle Class(Remember Bush #1 making a similar promise he could not keep, cost him a re-election), yet he caved in to placing a tax on those Americans who were paying for their own health care, taxing their health care plan. A slap in the face to all middle class Americans. Then all the jobs that were supposed to be created with all this stimulus money - what jobs. All that resulted is that some corporations and banking institutions were allowed to be dug out of their own mess and profit from it. Some are still taking even more money. Seems like Ford did just fine without a bailout, they figured it out themselves and are on the right track now. How come the others could not do this?
Now back to Brown. What made me sick was that after now Senator Brown won the election, the media immediately started bashing him and the people of Massachusetts. I listed to several news programs that were basically asking how the people of Massachusetts could be so naive to elect this man. What a slap in the face to the people of Massachusetts. They actually went out of their way to put down the people for voting for a "Republican". some of the media is just sick, this man won fair and square and the people put him in office. Now congratulate the man and move on. What ever happened to good sportmanship, I guess the media does not play by those rules.
I congratulate Mr. Brown for his win. I do not congratulate the Republicans or the Democrats, I congratulate a man who knows how to listen to the people he is representing and pays heed.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Haiti Emergency Relief
The terrible tragedy in Haiti has left an already impoverished country in horrible shape. The earthquake the occurred here has devastated them. Aid of every type is needed from people around the world. This is a time for all countries to put aside their differences and work together to help people in desperate need. They need food, water, medical supplies and assistance, clothing, housing and so much more. Here is a short list of charities that are active in the country who can supply quick emergency aid, your donations to them can greatly help these people in need. Please keep these people in your prayers and God Bless all of those who can help. If you can not donate, please keep them in your prayers! Even a donation of $10 can go a long way.
If you are interested in donating to Charities that are active in Haiti here is a short list:
http://www.habitat.org
http://www.beyondborders.net/index.php
http://www.care.org
http://www.uusc.org
http://www.internationalchildcare.org
http://www.fmsc.org/Page.aspx?pid=398
http://www.savethechildren.org
http://community.ob.org/site/PageServer
If you are interested in donating to Charities that are active in Haiti here is a short list:
http://www.habitat.org
http://www.beyondborders.net/index.php
http://www.care.org
http://www.uusc.org
http://www.internationalchildcare.org
http://www.fmsc.org/Page.aspx?pid=398
http://www.savethechildren.org
http://community.ob.org/site/PageServer
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Happy New Year
Wishing all of my followers and readers a Very Happy and Prosperous New Year. I will soon be posting my predictions for the New Year. I will have to say, many of my predictions for the past year were right on the mark. The past year had many somber times especially with the economy. I had predicted an unemployment rate of over 10% before the end of the year even though most of the economist and government officials did not believe we would reach that level. Sty tuned for my outlook for the upcoming year. In the meantime - Enjoy your families and again Happy New Year!
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