Spring Cleaning

Wow. It's been a long time, hasn't it? Well, you know how it is: life is what happens when you make other plans. I've been surely preoccupied with "life". As it is, most of my "legion" of fans here also manage to keep up with me offline so they haven't missed much. As for the rest of you, now that the political dust has mostly cleared, it will be easier to share my thoughts.

In some ways, I am not surprised that Mitt Romney has emerged as the unofficial but presumptive nominee...but in other ways I am. On the one hand, he was the rare choice that would attract the center-right and independents that those chasing the Tea Party or other hard line conservatives would eschew during primary season. Considering he's gone from establishing universal health care as Governor of Massachusetts to proposing to dramatically downscale if not shutter HUD and the Department of Education as President, he has shown to me that he is adaptable to any situation. Whether that is good or bad, I'll leave that up to you. On the other hand, I have to give credit to the Republican Party, with its considerable base of Southern Baptists and Evangelicals for narrowing the field down to not only a Mormon but two Catholics (oh, and Ron Paul, I guess.) Or perhaps I should just credit the fiscal conservatives on that one.

At this point, I should issue an apology of sorts. There was a discussion I once posted - although darn if I can find it - about the prospect of voting a Mormon into Presidential office. My thought then was that because what I saw as overwhelmingly conservative principles were contrary to my generally center-left views, I would not be able to find enough common ground to support a Mormon President. But then I was reminded of Harry Reid, a Mormon Democrat....and he's far from the only one . Not only that, I've read more about Mormons who are on a sliding scale of accepting some articles of faith while questioning others. So basically, people are still people and there are more nuances than I was aware of.

That said, I'm still not voting for Mitt. I might have been able to grit my teeth through four years of seemingly centrist and fellow Mormon John Huntsman.

As for President Barack Obama, I'm still somewhat underwhelmed with his record but, as clearly stated above, the alternative doesn't inspire me. Depending on who one talks to, either the President refused to create or honor various compromise opportunities with the GOP-controlled House and the barely Democratic Senate...or vice versa. In essence, it appears that my prediction of the return of gridlock reminiscent of Bush's last two years has unfortunately come true. Signs seem to point towards more of the same in the near future.

The judiciary branch may not necessarily be of help, either. At the risk of sounding like a parody of the President, let me be clear: Corporations are not people...or at least not all of its people. If you're talking about a small business of perhaps one hundred or less, then I could see how  each manager and subordinate could have a vested interest in their mutual success. But when you are talking about the typical larger corporation, where downsizing and outsourcing have become key components in "strategy" and the lines between permanent and temporary employees become ever blurrier, perhaps the only people that a corporation represents are its top executives and those that aspire to join or replace them. I don't think George Soros or George Clooney should have any more control over politicians than the Koch Brothers or the Walton Family. The (Corporate) Citizens United decision needs to be overturned. I'm hopeful that swing-voter Justice Anthony Kennedy will agree.

It's Like He Read My Mind...

I would share my thoughts on the leaders in the GOP Presidential nomination race...but this article sums it up better than I could.

Summer Breeze...Makes Me Feel (Not So) Fine...

After seeing some of the changes on the blog of a dear friend whose occasional political musings I respect (even if they're "wrong" *snicker*), I realized that I need to once again play catch-up myself. Fortunately, I think it should be relatively easy to sum up my thoughts on the summer political season.

Both former New York Congressman Anthony Weiner and media mogul Rupert Murdoch "screwed" the public with their self-serving actions. Whether one is progressive or conservative, a public or private citizen, greed and egoism apparently does not discriminate.

Usually when a deal is struck in Washington and no one is happy about it, I feel then it must be a good compromise. However, I don't think I would apply that to the debt ceiling agreement. Although I do concede that Federal spending needs to be cut, I also believe there was a missed opportunity regarding higher income/net worth households and corporations. Granted, progressive aspirations to reverse the extension of the Bush-era tax cuts may have had unintended consequences on some of the middle class. However, increasing tax revenues on households earning above, say, one million dollars would have had made a huge difference in closing the Federal deficit.

Perhaps the one saving grace is that if the newly-appointed bi-partisan "Gang of Twelve" does not come to a more specific agreement on spending cuts and tax revenues by December, an automatic trigger goes into effect that cuts defense spending, a sacred cow for conservatives and strict constitutionalists. Personally, I don't know why the spending cut portion of the $1.5 trillion couldn't be spread out percentage-wise through all of the Federal budget, even the holy grails of entitlement Medicare and Social Security. I suppose that would have been too "easy"...

On a final note related to one of the other proverbial hats I wear...apparently the US is loosening its restrictions on visiting Cuba under the premise of cultural tours. This would add to the educational(?) travel packages as well as family visits by Cuban-Americans that are already permitted. While some say this action should not have been taken, I have also read commentary that the US Government is hypocritical since we allow travel into - let alone do business with - fellow Communist China, paper democracies such as Russia and Venezuela, and less-than-benevolent kingdoms such as Saudi Arabia. I believe there is substance to each point of view.

On the one hand, the major difference between Cuba and the other countries I referenced is that the latter countries allow their citizens to leave the country. (Whether there are positive/negative incentives for Chinese citizens to eventually return home is another subject.) On the other hand, I would personally not want to visit any of these places unless/until human rights issues, particularly the ability to travel outside one's borders, are resolved. I hope that I can avoid being put in a position that does not intersect with my business.

A Little Spring Cleaning

As I’ve been busy with other online and offline ventures, I apologize to the millions upon millions of you who have undoubtedly checked in daily with this blog daily hoping for an update on my musings. Your “patience” has finally been rewarded! LOL Needless to say, while my own world has been busier these last few months, so has the geopolitical world been even more hectic. I’m going to try to distill my thoughts down so I don’t end up creating a novel.


We Got Him. And of course by “him”, I mean Osama bin Laden. While I don’t celebrate his death, I do recognize the initially symbolic victory – and eventually, a very significant coup of information – our country achieved in finding him. Certainly this is not the end of terrorism; but beyond demoralizing al-Qaeda, the US has gained a treasure trove of information that could benefit our efforts tremendously. Back inside the Beltway, those who accused of Obama of being “soft” on terrorism were proven otherwise.

You’re Fired! I used to have a fair amount of respect for Donald Trump, despite his outlandish bravado and shameless self-promotion. I have enjoyed watching “The Apprentice” series – the original not the “celebrity” version - and as a fan of both Atlantic City and Las Vegas, I hoped his ventures in each of those towns there would be successful. I also looked on with curiosity to see how he would present himself as a potential Presidential candidate. While I expected him to be a fiscal conservative, I thought he might surprise people with a moderate social message. Never would I have imagined that the surprise would be that Trump would take the “birther” issue and make it a centerpiece of his quasi-campaign. As a result of that action, I have lost all respect for him. I seriously doubt that I will ever again watch any of his programming - including Miss America - or patronize any of his properties.

Paul Ryan. I will give Congressman Ryan credit for coming up with a relatively comprehensive, if still somewhat vague plan on how to address the budget. I don’t agree with the premise of turning Medicare into a voucher program as I doubt that health insurance companies will hold their inevitable rate hikes to a level equal to that of an increase in voucher funds (assuming the latter would even be supported by Ryan and Company). I also don’t trust that state government would use the Medicaid block grants for the use that they were intended. Just look at the results of the 1998 tobacco settlement. This is another case where I don’t believe charity would be able to make up the difference. And asking the disabled and elderly to pull on their proverbial bootstraps is unrealistic, to say the least.

I do give Rep. Ryan more credit for suggesting the closure of corporate tax loopholes. If his concurrent suggestion to also lower the corporate tax rate would result in the country receiving at least the same amount of revenue we are receiving now, I might be convinced to support it. However, I sense an effective permanent tax cut. Ultimately, I believe the country needs to both reign in spending and increase the share of taxes that higher net-worth individuals and higher-profit companies contribute. How to minimize the impact on middle-class households and smaller businesses is the trillion-dollar question.

Gingrich “Newtered”.While the thrice-married, former House Speaker shot himself in (or tasted) his foot on "Meet the Press" by suggesting that Congressman Ryan’s budget was “conservative social engineering” not unlike what he felt Obama and the Democrats were proposing, I give him credit for speaking the truth as he saw it. It’s unfortunate that he didn’t have an alternative to share or else he may not have found himself backpedaling almost as soon as he left the stage. Gingrich won’t win, but at least, unlike Trump who has also tested the Presidential waters frequently, Newt finally had the guts to dive in the pool…even if he apparently hit his head on the diving board.

Romneycare. Not unlike fellow Massachusetts resident Senator John Kerry’s infamous flip-flop with  his vote to fund the second Iraq war, former Governor Mitt Romney supported a version of universal health care in his state before expected Presidential candidate Mitt Romney expressed regret of his decision. I do think Romney is a smart businessperson with more humility (and better hair) than Donald Trump. I think he would be excellent in a Cabinet position. However, I don’t think enough religious conservatives will be able to look beyond their anti-Mormon prejudice to vote him in as President. It’s  really a shame since, as the GOP playing field currently stands, I believe that Romney has the best shot of attracting moderates.

President Obama. He’s not perfect. I still wish the economic stimulus package supported a New Deal-type plan that would have focused on revitalizing struggling inner cities and rural communities. He’s had to create or maintain uneasy alliances with countries whose human rights records are far from exemplary. Many of his ambitions are now being held in check by the majority Republican Congress. However, notwithstanding my comments about Romney, I don’t think there is a strong enough challenger to beat him in the upcoming elections. As many conservatives said circa 2004, “you don’t change presidents in a time of war”. And we are indeed still at war; in fact, we are now in (at least) three wars including our secondary albeit significant role in the Libyan civil war. Following his leadership in the demise of bin Laden, it will be difficult for any of the present and presumed Presidential candidates in the GOP to convince enough Americans that it is time to change course. A better strategy would be to figure out how to win back the Senate. That's not to say that I hope for that to happen any more than I wish Obama to lose the election…but there’s my free advice to Karl Rove and Friends.

Karma Chameleon

I've come to  the conclusion that that those conservatives and libertarians who support the Tea Party's message of fiscal restraint will remain bonded as long as conservatives do not start emphasizing their social agenda. Libertarians, who hold diametrically opposing social views, would subsequently break off from the movement. The following article seems to agree with my views, albeit from a more "karmic" approach.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703673604575550243700895762.html

A Progressive Tea Party?

Not too long ago, in a galaxy not so far away...

"Imagine a parallel universe where the Great Crash of 2008 was followed by a Tea Party of a very different kind. Enraged citizens gather in every city, week after week—to demand the government finally regulate the behavior of corporations and the superrich, and force them to start paying taxes. The protesters shut down the shops and offices of the companies that have most aggressively ripped off the country. The swelling movement is made up of everyone from teenagers to pensioners. They surround branches of the banks that caused this crash and force them to close, with banners saying, You Caused This Crisis. Now YOU Pay....This may sound like a fantasy—but it has all happened. The name of this parallel universe is Britain."

http://www.thenation.com/article/158282/how-build-progressive-tea-party?page=0,1

Brilliant!

Being Human

So the other night, the lady and I are watching Piers Morgan's new show as he interviews former GWB National Security Adviser and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice. While my lady and I each share an admiration for Ms. Rice's groundbreaking accomplishments as a black woman, I am not as enamored with her political views.

When Piers asked "Condi" about her thoughts about President Obama, she expressed her own admiration for his accomplishments as a black man while respectfully disagreeing with his politics. She went on to describe her conservative beliefs, at one point using the phrase "individual freedom" to which I responded "except, of course, if you're gay."

My lady shot me a look and said, "People have the right to feel how they feel!" I said that was fine but I couldn't help but notice a glaring inconsistency when Ms. Rice and other conservatives apply "freedom" to (mostly) fiscal matters but not to social issues. I later thought to myself again about the "God and guns" dichotomy. While I don't begrudge anyone for exercising their legal rights to feel secure, I somehow don't think that "what Jesus would do" would involve open or concealed carry.

I did concede that progressives can be just as guilty. I noted that there are indeed so-called "limousine liberals" who believe in socioeconomic diversity in theory yet choose not to live that reality in practice. It may even work in the other direction as those at the other end of the spectrum - shall we call them "public transit progressives"? - who give lip service to working together with their more comfortable brethren but may not be so crazy about socializing after hours let alone welcoming them as in-laws.

Madison, Wisconsin and Colorado Springs, Colorado are two of America's quintessential small cities. They are also bastions of progressivism and conservatism, respectfully.

As the state capital, Madison's vibe is no doubt influenced by the presence its government employees as well as the University of Wisconsin. I have read anecdotes about Madison that say city residents people are generally eager to embrace "green living" and gay pride but are naive if not skittish about embracing the relatively low number of poorer minorities.

Colorado Springs is the home of the Air Force Academy as well as the Focus on the Family religious organization. While the support for family values is obvious, I would hazard a guess that the definition of such  would not necessarily extend to households that included same-sex parents, parents adorned with tattoos and piercings or families who had a generally progressive view of religion. Budding Air Force officers - if not also any Academy staff - who happen to be gay or lesbian probably are likely not encouraged to live openly, the pending repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" notwithstanding.

Both Madison and Colorado Springs seem to live under a "group think" where those who don't toe the party line (no pun intended) will have a hard time getting along in town, despite claims of open-mindedness or benign values.

People do indeed have the right to their personal and political beliefs. When those beliefs seem inconsistent or contradictory, I suppose that is what makes us human.

One and Done

Here's an interesting article about Republican National Chairman Michael Steele, who has just dropped out of the race for re-election, and how he has (not?) affected the number of African Americans in the GOP.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/dailybeast/11826_rncvoteblackrepublicansgrademichaelsteele

And So It Begins....

While this picture is representative of a typical day in Northern Virginia at rush hour, it's also meant to signify the virtual "gridlock" that I predict that will unfortunately grip the Congress and the White House once again over the next two years.

President Obama may be at least giving lip service to bipartisanship - as did Bush in 2007 - but not only does House Speaker John Boehner already plan as an initial action for to hold a vote to repeal the health care reform law, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has also openly stated his main goal is to make sure President Obama is not re-elected. With that sort of opposition, the likelihood of bipartisanship (in public anyway) seems infinitesimal.

Speaker Boehner obviously knows that his repeal bill may sail through Congress only to hit the wall in the Senate. This is just grandstanding for the conservative GOP base and other who are opposed to the health care reform law as it exists. I would imagine that Boehner will later attempt to repeal individual pieces of the law which he feels may have the best shot at removal. Instead of trying to remove parts of the law, I would rather see him work to add something such as tort reform; that is an idea - at least in terms of subjective "pain and suffering" judgements - that I would support. The trial lawyer lobby was certainly instrumental in  preventing the then-Democratic Congress and Senate from including that in the bill.

The new GOP majority in the House - particularly the freshmen Tea Party affiliates - have pledged to cut the federal budget by $100 billion. I would like to support this idea but I continue to have the feeling that the programs Republicans will focus on trimming will generally affect those that need it the most, i.e. social assistance. However, if Congress is willing to look at every government program and department equally, I think there are places where they can find a significant amount of savings.

Let's start with the Department of Defense. In fact, Defense Secretary Robert Gates already has. If his plans come to fruition, that would account for 20% of the Congress' savings by itself! Of course, those who believe that the government's main job should be to "provide for the common defense" may be concerned that the defense cuts may go beyond mere improved efficiency and instead affect the level of human and equipment resources. But considering Secretary Gates is someone who served under the previous administration - thereby fulfilling at least one goal of not changing leaders during wartime - one would like to think that his priorities haven't significantly changed.

How about corporate welfare? I have to wonder if those who were opposed to the bailouts of the banking and automotive industries are also against the money that corporations receive on behalf of research and development. How about we cut back or eliminate the research subsidies that we give out to these private companies?

This may be blasphemous for me to say as I have occasionally benefitted from related opportunities, but let's also take a look at the numerous private government contractors, of which a critical mass exists here in Northern Virginia.  And while a fair amount of contractor employees eventually cross over to the government, how about we expedite the process? Bringing these workers into the Federal fold would eliminate the formerly built-in contractor profit margin and slightly reduce salaries in favor of more favorable benefits. In the long run, I would predict this would save an significant amount of funds, much of which would again come from defense-related work.

UPDATE (January 6): Defense Secretary Robert Gates has really come through in the clutch, identifying up to $78 billion in potential savings! With "only" $22 billion left to cut, perhaps the House of Representatives will be more likely to focus on programs that will affect those individuals and companies who can afford to absorb the loss. One can only dream...

President Obama: Radical Centrist?

Here's an interesting take on President Obama that I stumbled across:

http://www.theroot.com/views/how-barack-obama-became-republican?wpisrc=obinsite

Fair...But Balanced?

As I've been out of town on business with limited computer access , I haven't been able to comment on recent events in a timely manner. But I'm here now... (smile)

Despite all the posturing and protesting on by various Senators and Congress members, it appears that President Obama's recommended compromise of extending the Bush-era tax cuts to all incomes for two additional years in "exchange" for an additional year of unemployment benefits will eventually pass. The fact that few politicians - and citizens in general, perhaps - are happy about all aspects of the recommendation means that it is a good start.

Nonetheless, I'm still not convinced about the benefit of extending the tax cuts to those in the upper-income brackets. However, just as some question the material effectiveness of the Bush/Obama stimulus package over the last two years, I can also respect the argument that conditions could have been much worse over the last eight years without the presumed reinvestment of Bush tax cuts by the upper class. I don't understand, though, why Obama did not push for two more years of unemployment benefits to balance out the benefit to those who are working or otherwise living comfortably.

It will be interesting to see what happens in December 2012 when this issue is brought to the table again. Conservatives will surely see the current tax cuts as a new baseline from which future spending cuts - and, of course, even deeper tax cuts - should be made. Progressives will see the tax cuts as the temporary measure they were meant to be and will bristle at what they see as the continued loss of an estimated $70 billion in annual tax revenue.

Unfortunately, the cuts that will be made - at least if Republican politicians have anything to say about it - will likely happen to programs involving those who most need the help (e.g. Social Security, Medicaid/Medicare, welfare). I've previously shared my skepticism about an increase in charity by upper-income households. U am also concerned that the objects that some desperate "entrepreneurs" may pull out of their proverbial bootstraps may turn out to be morally and legally unacceptable.

Now if Social Security and welfare are going to indeed take a hit, let's look at other supposed "sacred cows" that conservatives may favor such as defense (as recommended by the bi-partisan Bowles-Simpson commission) as well as capping the tax benefit of mortgage deductions and dividend interest.

Playing The Percentages

I read an article recently which, in defense of extending the Bush-era tax cuts to the wealthy, claimed that those in the upper-incomes pay seventy-something percent of all taxes. For the sake of argument, let's say that they pay 75%.

I'm reminded of my college sociology class where the professor said that despite stereotypes, people would be "shocked" to hear that white people actually make up the majority of prisoners in the penal system.  My first thought was, "That's because there's more white people in the country. Duh!"

By the same token, it would make sense to me that the wealthy pay 75% of the country's taxes as they bring in (at least) 75% of the country's revenue. "Duh!" We're not even accounting for international tax shelters and other options to which the lower and middle classes don't have access.

At best, fiscal conservatives may say that the lack of upper-income tax cuts on financial and employment recovery was due to concern about fighting two wars during the first six years and insecurity about presumably "anti-business" Democratic goals during the last four years.

At worst, I believe that the wealthy, just like most everyone else in these economic times, simply held onto their money to preserve their standard of living.

In the end, it would appear that Democratic Congress members from moderate-to-conservative states who, fearing a later Tea Party-fueled backlash, will not cap an extension of the Bush-era tax cuts during the upcoming lame duck session. Given that the Bush/Obama stimulus packages have had all of two years to work, it will be interesting to see how rapidly the extended tax cuts "trickle down" for the greater good over the next two years.

November 3, 2010 - The Aftermath

OK...

So I was not too surprised at last night's election results. I had become convinced that the House of Representatives would be switching to the GOP although I had hoped (correctly) that the Democrats would be able to hold onto the Senate. I only hope that the Administration and Congress can find some common ground to move the country forward instead of just pre-gaming for 2012. The Clinton/Gingrich years, where compromises like welfare reform were accomplished, would be a better model than the Bush/Pelosi years which were largely filled with gridlock.

Despite the wishes of Boehner and Co., I don't think cutting both taxes and spending will be any more effective in general than raising both of them. One will have to go in the opposite direction of the other. As I often say here, each end of the economic spectrum can do more to contribute to the common good even in these tough times. However, while the lowest-income households can only contribute increased effort, the highest-income households already possess enough access to informational and financial resources to withstand a temporary sacrifice. I don't believe a combination of voluntary charity and compulsory bootstrap-pulling will be enough to make up the difference.

I predicted two years ago that if Obama  and the Democratic Congress emulated the no-compromise style of  the Bush Administration and Republican Congress, then they too would lose their government monopoly. Unfortunately, this scenario has come to pass; I just didn't think that it would happen in only two years. Then again, for fiscal conservatives that gritted their teeth through eight years of "Big Government" Republican policies under Bush only to be confronted with "Even Bigger" Government under Obama, the Tea Party was a reaction whose voice was heard. (Edit after first two replies: Granted, Tea Partiers and mainstream Republicans alike have railed against the possibility of the "biggest tax increase in history"...which of course follows the biggest tax decrease in history from which upper-income households benefitted the most. However, the intended "trickle-down" effect from said households appears to have been, at best, no more materially effective over the last nine years at saving or creating jobs than has Obama's two-year-old stimulus package.) At least Boehner admits that this opportunity is not a mandate so much as an audition. Let's just hope that beyond the soundbite rhetoric, substantive work can actually get done over the next two years.

The Pledge To America

On another social network, a friend of mine posted the Republican-drafted Pledge for America:
http://www.foxnews.com/projects/pdf/pledgetoamerica.pdf.

While I agreed with few of the concepts, I was glad to finally see more specifics about what the GOP aspires to do.

Here is my response to my friend's post with a bit more thorough spell checking:

Much of the first few pages look like they could have been written by Pelosi and Reid four years ago.

I'm cool with medical malpractice tort reform; i.e. a max limit on subjective "pain and suffering" not the actual lifetime medical costs. I'm sure the Democrats had to placate the trial lawyers lobby by not including it.

Letting people buy insurance across state lines sounds good in theory. I have heard that some states currently have very few choices. My concern is that this plan would ironically result in an oligopoly of companies who adopt the "Wal-Mart approach" of undercutting smaller insurance companies and later, after buying or bankrupting said companies, raising their rates.

Interesting graph on page 13. I wonder how much weight they truly gave Bush's bailout spending. At least they made Clinton look relatively good. Imagine that!

I don't agree that the individual mandate to purchase health insurance is a "tax". Every time an uninsured person uses the ER as their primary care facility, we insured people pay a "tax" in higher rates.

Judging from the emphasis on defense spending on pages 19 and 20, it sounds like all we have to do is convince all able-bodied poor to put themselves up on the front lines and that would balance the starvation of social programs to fund the increase in military investment.

Summer 2010 - A Recap

I'm back!

Yes, it's been a long, long time. As many (okay, just about all) of you that know me offline are aware, it's been a rather busy summer. My biggest project has been a new business as well as an accompanying blog. But more about that in a bit.

It's also been a busy summer on the national and global level, too. It would be impossible to catch up with you on "everything", I do have a few thoughts to share.

It would appear that Obama's veneer has worn off. Of course, he never was the knight in shining armor for fiscal conservatives who thought a McCain Administration would give them what they had been craving for eight years. But even some moderates seem to have become impatient and disillusioned about the pace and type of recovery the country has been undergoing. As for me, I see some success but also some disappointment.

As appealing as I would have found a single-payer health system, I feel that the health care bill that was passed was a reasonable compromise. While Obama, Pelosi and Reid would have done well to include some reasonable Republican ideas such as tort reform on medical malpractice suits, I don't see convincing insurance companies  to cover everyone to be a "government takeover". Unfortunately, unyielding/base-pleasing GOP politicians won't give the Democrats credit for that.

On the other hand, I'll admit that when I supported the economic stimulus bill, I had envisioned something akin to FDR's New Deal where unemployed/underemployed people would be put to work helping to restore the blighted areas of their own towns and cities as well as other plans designed to improve the overall infrastructure of the country. While I have heard of a lot of road improvement projects, it seems like more could be done. Perhaps it's because the stimulus funds are being released at a relative trickle.

Speaking of trickling, I do agree with Obama's intention to end the second experiment of Reagan-inspired "trickle-down" regressive tax breaks favoring the top 2% of the nation's wealth. If individuals are indeed reinvesting their excess into their businesses and communities - a scenario of which I am admittedly skeptical - then the effect has far from succeeded in lifting up the other 98% of the country. Then again, Obama's tax breaks for businesses that invest in equipment and even a GOP idea for a payroll tax "holiday" are ideas that I think are worth exploring.

I do think that illegal immigration is a problem, both for the United States and the (primarily Central American) countries whose citizens have left. But I don't think Arizona's SB1070 law - let alone a similar law enacted here in Prince William County - is the right answer. Not unlike how capturing drug lords would be more effective than putting drug users in jail for hard time, so should businesses who knowingly break employment laws face civil and criminal prosecution instead of a focus on deporting undocumented workers. I believe the immigrants are simply following the money. Meanwhile, the offending businesses are shortchanging these workers by paying them uncompetitive and often illegal wages. If/when this situation is resolved, I sure hope there is a gold rush to the seasonal agriculture jobs and low-skilled factory positions by those citizens who feel those opportunities have been "taken away" from them.

And now on a more personal note...

I left my government contracting position by the end of May. Whether I resigned or was let go depends on one's perspective.

Despite my best efforts, I realized by early May that the position just wasn't compatible with my skills. I shared my thoughts with my recruiting manager who said it was essentially up to the client unless I chose to resign as a salaried consultant. I was encouraged to stay until the contract ended in August while receiving a promise to talk to the client about coming to a more expedient resolution. So with the choice essentially out of my hands, I attempted to tough it out and I felt my production was improving if not necessarily at an ideal pace.

When I arrived home on the Friday afternoon of Memorial Day weekend, I received a call from my recruiting manager with the news that I had been dropped by the client due to performance and other trumped-up concerns that I will not share here. The end result was that I was being let go from the salaried consultant program. So basically, the only difference between then and early May was four weeks' worth of pay and a heaping dose of anxiety.

Having mixed feelings about my new found freedom, I took advantage of the opportunity to work on the business that I had opened in March but had done little to promote due to work and school. At this stage, I'm still deep into the "marketing stages" of the business (i.e. not much $$$) but I am optimistic about the future. They say that some of the most successful businesses are started during the recession. I intend to be one of them.

 I decided to hire a personal trainer to set up exercise programs for me to follow on a weekly basis. I also returned to my volunteer gig at the nearby library.

Contrary to last year's cross-country experience, this year was spent mostly at home. In lieu of the week-long Vegas BBW Bash, I went to Atlantic City for a couple nights in June with my buddy Frank and attended  the rebirth of the Philly BBW Bash with Cathy. Before and after the Philly Bash, we had some visitors.

Cathy invited her two oldest grand kids Ben and Ella to stay with us for a week. It was a special treat for them as they had the opportunity to fly "by themselves" to DC (BWI) courtesy of Grandma. Now, as someone who grew up as an only child and would go on to raise four-legged children, having two youngsters in our home was a bit of an adjustment. But I appreciated the chance to get to know each of them better. I also had an excuse now to see some of the local sights I had wanted to visit for quite sometime: the International Spy Museum, Lincoln Memorial as well as the newish WWII Memorial. Cathy drove the grand kids back to Texas while I played cat-sitter and deprogrammed from an overdose of Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel.

Last but not least, Cathy and I cherished the opportunity to another summer vacation together. It was nice to be able to sleep late and stare into each others' pasty faces without having to rush to get out of bed.

But alas, school has started again and I've been staying focused on the business, getting some household chores out the way, preparing for upcoming travel classes and thinking about when I might put my rusty fingers back on my piano keyboard.

Life could be better...but it ain't so bad at the moment.

Obama and Bush: Peering Into The Reflecting Glass

It’s been quite a while since I shared. My obligations to work and school took up most of my time and my brain. That’s all changed but I’ll get into that in another post.

I continue to feel that when the Democrats and Republicans in Washington look at each other these days, they should see a reflection of themselves in the previous administration. In many ways, it’s as if they ignored recent history and are therefore doomed to repeat it. There are probably numerous examples but here are some of the most obvious ones.

GW Bush took office shortly before the tragedy of September 11th, an emotional and financial disaster that will take decades to recover from.

Obama took office and shortly afterward expanded upon Bush’s bailouts of the mortgage, banking and auto sectors, an emotional and financial disaster that will take decades to recover from.

The questions surrounding the 2000 Florida vote recount was an ongoing controversy during the Bush Administration. To this day, there are some that say he should not have been elected while others say he simply played by the rules.

The questions surrounding the legitimacy of a Hawaii birth certificate is an ongoing controversy in the Obama Administration. To this day, there are some that say he should not have been elected while others say he (or rather, his family) simply played by the rules.

Bush’s signature goal was to privatize a portion of Social Security, an effort that was met with stiff opposition from Democrats, other progressives, many independents and even a few Republicans.

Obama’s signature goal is to socialize a portion of health care, an effort that, while passed, was met with stiff opposition from Republicans, other conservatives, many independents and even a few Democrats.

Those who opposed Bush’s war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan were painted as “unpatriotic” by his most strident supporters.

Those who opposed Obama’s universal health care plan were painted as “uncaring” by his most strident supporters.

Bush attempted to fill a Supreme Court vacancy by nominating Harriet Miers, a woman who had no judiciary experience.

Obama is attempting to fill a Supreme Court vacancy by nominating Elena Kagan, a woman who has no judiciary experience.

In response to an expletive that Bush declared about a reporter, Vice-President Dick Cheney agreed “big time”.

In response to the signing of the healthcare bill, Vice-President Joe Biden blurted out that it was a “big f****n’ deal”.

The reality of a Republican-controlled Administration and Congress (not to mention Court) spurred the mobilization of such political organizations as Move On as well as news sources such as the Huffington Post.

The reality of a Democratic-controlled Administration and Congress (and aging Court Justices) spurred the mobilization of such political organizations as the Tea Party movement and Freedom Works and news sources such as World Net Daily.

Despite losing the Presidential nomination, the loyal support that Howard Dean received was recognized as he was rewarded by being named the Chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

Despite losing the Vice-Presidential election, the loyal support that Sarah Palin received was recognized as she has been rewarded by becoming the de facto “face” of the Tea Party movement.

Of course, we’ve previously covered the audacious declarations of both Kanye West and Glenn Beck, respectively.

And finally:

Bush was criticized, particularly by Democrats, for his slow response to Hurricane Katrina’s devastation in the Gulf Coast. His response was that he trusted the states to do the right thing.

Obama was criticized, particularly by Republicans, for his slow response to the oil rig devastation in the Gulf Coast. His response was that he was trusting British Petroleum to do the right thing.

Now if we can just keep any potentially dangerous objects out of Joe Biden’s hands, it might tip the scales in Obama’s favor!

Imagine...

Now the vast audience that reads this blog knows that I love people of all shades and creeds. They also know that I respect if not always agree with those who hold primarily conservative views including those in the Tea Party Movement. And not only do I know that there is a small but significant number of black conservatives out there but I also believe many black Democrats are DINOs (Democrats In Name Only) because of their perception of Republican policies. With that long disclaimer, I'd like to present the following blog that I stumbled upon courtesy of Facebook. Going beyond the "mirror image" experience I predicted when Democrats and Republicans switched positions of power, this piece explains why there is more than a little concern about potential backlash from fringe conservatives about Obama's ascendancy to the White House.

http://ephphatha-poetry.blogspot.com/2010/04/imagine-if-tea-party-was-black-tim-wise.html

(Note at the end of the post that the author is a white gentleman.)

Step Your Game Up

Fair enough. I mean, "we" did get the Presidency... LOL

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2010/03/06/lemon.step.controversy.cnn?hpt=T2

If The Onion Says It, Then It *Must* Be True!

LOL Too Funny...!

http://www.theonion.com/content/opinion/my_constituents_care_way_more

And in related news...

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/senator_dikembe_mutombo_blocks

Winter... And The Meaning of Life

My most loyal readers know how much I dislike winter and the colder weather it brings. Of course, I am writing this in the midst of the “storm of the century” where two feet is a realistic scenario. This is on top of the pre-Christmas blizzard where were received the early “gift” of a foot and a half of snow. So to say my Seasonal Affect Disorder has been exacerbated this season would be an understatement. Not to mention my recurring sinusitis and what appears to be the onset of mild arthritis in my knee. But what Mother Nature has brought us is only the literally icing on the cake of what has become a bittersweet time of year.

On the one hand, there are a few causes for celebration: the birthdays of my lady Cathy, my Mom (even though our relationship has deteriorated), and Martin Luther King. Ironically Rev. King and my mother share the same day. But immediately after those dates come some difficult reminders of loss, some of them very fresh. Cathy’s birthday is followed just two days later by that of her deceased son Tommy. By the time I finish writing this, it will be the first anniversary of the passing of Cathy’s aunt Beth whose birthday is a day later. It was a difficult time managing both our jobs with the canine legacies we temporarily inherited just as we had adopted two feline sisters. And those cats arrived in part because of the passing of my own feline buddy Homes two years ago this month.

Thinking about all this loss got me to thinking about death in general. People die every day, of course, in ways that are sudden and agonizingly slow, painful and peaceful. Besides the streak of celebrities that left in 2009, I’m also starting to experience the loss of people that were close to me. I’m starting to acknowledge the reality that both of my parents may not be here in the next ten years. And finally I came to the startling reality that I too am going to die...and that by some measures I may already be halfway there. And that makes me sad... and scared.

As you all know, I’m not particularly religious. So I have no idea what’s going to happen to me after I pass away. Truthfully, no one else really does either, although people’s faith tells them what they might expect. I guess that’s what faith really means: to believe that by following one’s spiritual beliefs that the next existence you’ve been promised will happen. Without that anchor, I’m left to ponder the meaning of life. How did I become fortunate (?) enough to born human? Was I a drop of water before? Will I be a frog next?

I now understand why some people start to have a “mid-life crisis”. But don’t worry; I don’t see myself hopping into a convertible with a Barbie riding shotgun. However, I have been in a slow if economy-hampered process of reinventing my career. Based on my intellectual potential, I’m probably “supposed” to be in middle-management now if not Vice-President of whatever company. Then again, I’ve been surprised by the paths taken by many of the high school alumni I’ve rediscovered on Facebook. So I don’t necessarily feel that “underachieving” is a bad thing. In fact, I’m probably happier now than if followed the so-called traditional path.

Still…I HATE winter.