Hi,
Just like Newt Gingrich twelve years ago with his "Contract with America", Speaker Pelosi is trying to start off with a bang during her / the Democrats first 100 hours of having the majority. With eight hour days that's twelve and one-half days or two and a half weeks.
Some, including Sean Hannity, criticized Pelosi and the Democrats on holding off on their start because of the NCAAF / BCS national championship game. Actually I don't feel bad about them doing it or about them not counting the "lunch hours" in that first hundred hours. Mostly, it stretches the two and a half weeks into nearly three weeks.
Second, it was requested by the Republican House leader - Sean is really being a fool for criticizing the Democrats for listening to the Republicans requests. He probably expects Democrats to act like Republicans. No, we're not Republicans. We actually listen to the minority.
Jay
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
potential presidential candidates
Nearly a dozen potential candidates have declared that they are either running or looking to run in the 2008 presidential campaign / election - and its only January 2007 right now.
I support Democrat John Edwards, because of his pro-labor stance, and Republican John McCain - both, because I think they are moderate. Taken for granted, I don't expect them both to make in to the final election in November. But, in all honesty, I didn't expect the presidential campaign to start as early as in has.
Its disturbing that they have both taken to espousing their party's lines on the Iraq War. Edwards is using the Liberal "withdraw from Iraq now" while McCain is spouting the Bushian "build up the troops". In reality, I think that they are both just moderates. Edwards would want to withdraw troops - but not too quickly. On the other hand I think that McCain would want to build up a "surge" and then withdraw.
I support Democrat John Edwards, because of his pro-labor stance, and Republican John McCain - both, because I think they are moderate. Taken for granted, I don't expect them both to make in to the final election in November. But, in all honesty, I didn't expect the presidential campaign to start as early as in has.
Its disturbing that they have both taken to espousing their party's lines on the Iraq War. Edwards is using the Liberal "withdraw from Iraq now" while McCain is spouting the Bushian "build up the troops". In reality, I think that they are both just moderates. Edwards would want to withdraw troops - but not too quickly. On the other hand I think that McCain would want to build up a "surge" and then withdraw.
Friday, January 12, 2007
Gerald Ford
Former President Gerald Ford died during the last part of 2006. Coincidentally Ford giving Nixon the pardon was my first political memory. Not that I remember what he said, I was just a kid and he was using legal / political speak.
New Congress - Minimum Wage
Well, the old (Republican) Congress has gone and the new (Democrat) Congress has been sworn in. Yesterday or the day before - in Pelosi's first hundred hours, the House passed a bill increasing the minimum wage.
Personnally, I'm opposed to the idea and concept of a minimum wage. Right now it costs an employer twenty-five or thirty dollars to employ five people for an hour. The House plan raises the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour in just over two years. So for the same employer to employ the same five people for an hour its going to cost him thirty-five or fourty dollars an hour.
The employer than has three choices. He can employ his five workers for fewer hours - and make a substandard product. He can lay one of his workers off - and potentially make the fifth worker homeless. Or he can raise the price of his product - which goes directly into inflation
Which is why I'm opposed to the raising of the minimum wage. I'm opposed to homelessness. I'm opposed to substandard products and production. And I'm opposed to inflation.
I sincerely hope the Senate does not pass this bill or, if they do pass it, its at a lower rate.
Ever since Gingrich (1994) there has not been an increase in the minimum wage. Ever since Gingrich inflation has been at a steady three or four percent. That means that in five years inflation is going to be fifteen or twenty percent. With this minimum wage hike, inflation for the five years is going to be thirty or fourty percent.
Raising minimum wage is a bad thing.
Personnally, I'm opposed to the idea and concept of a minimum wage. Right now it costs an employer twenty-five or thirty dollars to employ five people for an hour. The House plan raises the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour in just over two years. So for the same employer to employ the same five people for an hour its going to cost him thirty-five or fourty dollars an hour.
The employer than has three choices. He can employ his five workers for fewer hours - and make a substandard product. He can lay one of his workers off - and potentially make the fifth worker homeless. Or he can raise the price of his product - which goes directly into inflation
Which is why I'm opposed to the raising of the minimum wage. I'm opposed to homelessness. I'm opposed to substandard products and production. And I'm opposed to inflation.
I sincerely hope the Senate does not pass this bill or, if they do pass it, its at a lower rate.
Ever since Gingrich (1994) there has not been an increase in the minimum wage. Ever since Gingrich inflation has been at a steady three or four percent. That means that in five years inflation is going to be fifteen or twenty percent. With this minimum wage hike, inflation for the five years is going to be thirty or fourty percent.
Raising minimum wage is a bad thing.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Iraq War and Clinton / Gore
I was asked some time ago "what would have happened, regarding the Iraq War, if either Bill Clinton won a third term or if Al Gore had won in 2000. My answer came out very spontaneously.
While neither Bill Clinton nor Al Gore nor anyone else could have prevented 9/11/01, and the U.S. was justified in going into Afghanistan. The U.S. would not have invaded Iraq - because the U.S. was not justified in its invasion of Iraq.
Bombing / invading Afghanistan - that was because Al Quaida had just attacked America and Al Quaida was sponsored by the Taliban, who was the government of Afghanistan.
And its well known, well thought of, and well believed that the U.N. is just a puppet of the U.S. So in response the U.S. orders the U.N. inspectors back into Iraq. And then, two months later, orders them back out of Iraq because the U.S. is invading. Now I may not have a college degree, but common sense tells me it would takes a year or two to "inspect" Iraq, not two short months.
While neither Bill Clinton nor Al Gore nor anyone else could have prevented 9/11/01, and the U.S. was justified in going into Afghanistan. The U.S. would not have invaded Iraq - because the U.S. was not justified in its invasion of Iraq.
Bombing / invading Afghanistan - that was because Al Quaida had just attacked America and Al Quaida was sponsored by the Taliban, who was the government of Afghanistan.
And its well known, well thought of, and well believed that the U.N. is just a puppet of the U.S. So in response the U.S. orders the U.N. inspectors back into Iraq. And then, two months later, orders them back out of Iraq because the U.S. is invading. Now I may not have a college degree, but common sense tells me it would takes a year or two to "inspect" Iraq, not two short months.
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein was recent sentenced to hang by an Iraqi court. I opposed to his hanging - right now or reasonably soon. The following trials will continue with him in abstentia. I really think that he would be better off learning and knowing the reasons for his death other than just the one reason.
While I'm not in opposed to the death penalty, I can't find a reason why it would be better to kill a person versus letting them sit, in prison or solitary confinement and sit and brew over what he had done and knowing that there would be nothing else than they could do - either for or against other people.
The only flaw in this penalty is that it depends on a person actually having a conscience, it depends on a person actually being capable of being sorry for what they had done.
take care,
Jay
While I'm not in opposed to the death penalty, I can't find a reason why it would be better to kill a person versus letting them sit, in prison or solitary confinement and sit and brew over what he had done and knowing that there would be nothing else than they could do - either for or against other people.
The only flaw in this penalty is that it depends on a person actually having a conscience, it depends on a person actually being capable of being sorry for what they had done.
take care,
Jay
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Happy Christmas
Hi,
Well, Happy Christmas everyone. I never thought that saying "Merry Christmas" would be a political statement. It is! It is of the arch-conservatives who think that they are being politically corrected by the progressive liberals who think that anyone and everyone who says "Merry Christmas" is trying to evangelize. No - its simply a polite greeting or a freindly greeting of the second half of December.
And its a day when we get together as a family to have dinner and to exchange gifts. We have dinner and we exchange gifts because we are a family who actually get along with each other. I'm sorry if you don't like the other members of your family - perhaps you should try it, you might like it.
Well, former President Ford died last night. President Ford was actually my first political memory - when he pardoned Nixon. I was between six and seven years of age.
I've been reading Sierra Magazine today. I'm pleased with how much they emphasize the Global Warming issue as well as the need of Conservation. Delaware is a state where the have little recycling "igloos" where if you bring your recyclables to them (and put them in the correct igloo) then they recycle them. Unfortunately they've removed a lot of the igloos and, unfortunately, they were used too often as dumpsters or trashcans.
Recycling is one of those things that, with the correct work and motivation, can work well. Recently Philadelphia passed some law requiring that citizens sort their trash for recycling. I just don't think that the negative re-enforcement of "breaking the law", regardless of how many penalties are associated with that, I just don't think that the negative re-enforcement is the right way to enforce and encourage recycling. Anyway, not much happened over Christmas, as it should be, and I'll get onto writing something new tomorrow.
take care,
Jay
Well, Happy Christmas everyone. I never thought that saying "Merry Christmas" would be a political statement. It is! It is of the arch-conservatives who think that they are being politically corrected by the progressive liberals who think that anyone and everyone who says "Merry Christmas" is trying to evangelize. No - its simply a polite greeting or a freindly greeting of the second half of December.
And its a day when we get together as a family to have dinner and to exchange gifts. We have dinner and we exchange gifts because we are a family who actually get along with each other. I'm sorry if you don't like the other members of your family - perhaps you should try it, you might like it.
Well, former President Ford died last night. President Ford was actually my first political memory - when he pardoned Nixon. I was between six and seven years of age.
I've been reading Sierra Magazine today. I'm pleased with how much they emphasize the Global Warming issue as well as the need of Conservation. Delaware is a state where the have little recycling "igloos" where if you bring your recyclables to them (and put them in the correct igloo) then they recycle them. Unfortunately they've removed a lot of the igloos and, unfortunately, they were used too often as dumpsters or trashcans.
Recycling is one of those things that, with the correct work and motivation, can work well. Recently Philadelphia passed some law requiring that citizens sort their trash for recycling. I just don't think that the negative re-enforcement of "breaking the law", regardless of how many penalties are associated with that, I just don't think that the negative re-enforcement is the right way to enforce and encourage recycling. Anyway, not much happened over Christmas, as it should be, and I'll get onto writing something new tomorrow.
take care,
Jay
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