Life in "Progress" City - Detroit edition

Detroit was the nation’s fourth largest city in the 1950s—The Motor City: rich, prosperous, and growing.

Now, after five decades of failed liberal policies, can the once great shining city upon a hill rise from the ashes anew?

At the 2009 Conservative Political Action Conference, Newt Gingrich began his speech by responding to Eric Holder’s recent statement that “America is a nation of cowards”:

“Let me say to Atty. Gen. Holder, I welcome an opportunity to have a dialogue with you about ‘cowardice’ anywhere anytime. Why don’t we have the dialogue in Detroit and see if Atty. Gen. Holder has the courage to talk about the failure of the Detroit school system, the failure of the Detroit teachers’ union, the betrayal of the future of thousands of young people. Let’s discuss the total failure of the Detroit political system which has taken a city of 1,800,000 with the highest per capita income in the United States and has driven it into the ground so there are now fewer than 900,000 people there with a per-capita income that is 62nd in the United States. And it’s the function of bad government, bad politicians, bad bureaucracy, and bad ideas.”

The city of Detroit provided the ideal illustration for Gingrich: five decades of failed leftist policies manifested in one troubled city. Gingrich saw the ascendency of Obamunism and subtly asserted that Detroit was a microcosm of Barack Obama’s America: big labor, a strong teacher’s union, high taxes, public utilities, strong gun control, big welfare roles, etc. Many of these policies were implemented by former Mayor Colemon Young, who reigned over the city for 20 years. One has to wonder, could the city that allowed Colemon Young to stand at the helm for two decades actually embrace Newt Gingrich and his ideas?

Turning once great cities into ghost towns?

Now that's "Progressive"!

More.....

Life on "Progress" Continent - South American edition

All the countries in South America seem to be pulling out of the world wide economic slowdown.

Well, except for the socialist South American standard bearer, Venezuela.............

Official statistics show that major South American economies, except for Venezuela, are growing again and left the impact of the world crisis behind.

Brazil, the regional giant, grew 9 percent this year in the first quarter over the same term in 2009, thanks to investment and consumption.

Expenditure in capital goods, that is, machines and equipment able to increase future production, rose by 7.4 percent. In the meantime, the agricultural sector expanded 2.7 percent, based on the data supplied by the Brazilian Geography and Statistics Institute (IBGE).

The rest of the map also shows favorable results. In the first quarter, Argentina grew 6.8 percent; Colombia 4.4 percent; Peru 6 percent; Paraguay 10.9 percent; Uruguay 8.9 percent; Bolivia 3.26 percent; Ecuador 0.6 percent, and Chile, despite the earthquake, advanced 1 percent.

While oil prices average USD 70 thus far this year, the Venezuelan economy has failed to overcome recession and suffered a 5.8-percent setback in the first quarter.

Venezuelans not only undergo the plight of recession with layoffs, but also prices soar at a fast rate and undermine the purchasing power.

From January to May, inflation was higher than 5.2 percent in no Latin American country. On the contrary, in Venezuela, the inflation rate accounts for 14.2 percent.

In all seriousness, liberals love to think of themselves as smarter than your average conservative. They also like to boast that they have science backing them up on all things where as conservatives rely on some kind of neanderthal type tribal thinking to base their political beliefs. But how can anyone look at the evidence I've put forward in these "Life in "Progress" City pieces" and defend that liberalism and "progressive" policies work for any society.

They have a 100% failure rate.

But you won't see a lib defend one here because they know they can't.

Killing economic opportunities for your citizens?

Now that's "Progressive"!

More.....

Life in "Progress" State - Illinois edition

From the Prairie State.........

Even by the standards of this deficit-ridden state, Illinois’s comptroller, Daniel W. Hynes, faces an ugly balance sheet. Precisely how ugly becomes clear when he beckons you into his office to examine his daily briefing memo.

He picks the papers off his desk and points to a figure in red: $5.01 billion.

“This is what the state owes right now to schools, rehabilitation centers, child care, the state university — and it’s getting worse every single day,” he says in his downtown office.

Mr. Hynes shakes his head. “This is not some esoteric budget issue; we are not paying bills for absolutely essential services,” he says. “That is obscene.”

For the last few years, California stood more or less unchallenged as a symbol of the fiscal collapse of states during the recession. Now Illinois has shouldered to the fore, as its dysfunctional political class refuses to pay the state’s bills and refuses to take the painful steps — cuts and tax increases — to close a deficit of at least $12 billion, equal to nearly half the state’s budget.

Then there is the spectacularly mismanaged pension system, which is at least 50 percent underfunded and, analysts warn, could push Illinois into insolvency if the economy fails to pick up.

Creating entities who don't pay their bills?

Now that's "Progressive"!

More.....

It's 3 am: Obama isn't Responding to the Oil Spill

First Amendment Has been Suspended

Bill Clinton Justifies Byrd's KKK Membership: He Was Trying To Get Elected

What the world needs more of

For an industry who would tell you it's all about creativity, how is it that the crap coming out of Hollywood looks all so familiar.

Just the other day, I was telling the Lovely Mrs. Gekko "You know what we need for entertainment? More vampire movies, books, TV series, cooking shows, etc.? Really, there just are not enough vampires in our culture today.

This next season, I expect the Home and Garden Channel to do one of those shows were they show a recently married vampire couple several homes with varying price ranges and amenities.

Or the Golf Channel will have a show hosted by Anthony Anderson where vampires play night golf on the world's most beautiful golf courses.

Or Fox News will manage to find the only hot, busty, tanned, blonde vampire news anchor who will do the third shift news updates. MSNBC will respond with the vegan, pasty ones.

MTV will do a vampire reality show where the losers have to suck the blood out of Snooki and risk an HIV infection or else leave the house.

The Home Shopping network will do a show where you can buy all the cosmetics you need to give you the pasty, flushed look you'll need when you go out clubbing.

How is it that an ordinary accountant with no creative ability can come up with these ideas where our creative network types cannot.

Oh........ you mean they have? And they're all scheduled up for the fall?

Nevermind..........

When I win the lottery

If there were ever a day when I win the Powerball for $250 million (I'd have to play first), here's a list of things I won't be buying despite having plenty of money to do so......

1) A Rolex (my cell phone keeps fine time)
2) A Yacht (see Latrell Sprewell)
3) A Bentley (See any pro athlete)
4) Nine homes (see Al "Funny Hands" and Tipper Gore)
5) A 54,000 square foot house (see Evander Holyfield)
6) $400,000 on clothes............

A $5,000 Oxxford suit, $1,400 spent on Geneva Custom Shirts, $63 in Hanro underwear and $214 in ties — and it was all bought in a matter of days.

The Blagojevich household spent more on fine clothing than on their mortgage, child care, travel or private schools in the years that Rod Blagojevich served as governor, testimony at his trial today showed.

Jurors in the ex-governor’s trial were shown credit card bill after credit card bill where Rod Blagojevich dropped hundreds of dollars at a time on ties at Saks Fifth Avenue and thousands of dollars on high-end, custom Oxxford suits, not to mention pricey Allen Edmonds footwear.

The grand total from 2002-2008: more than $400,000 on clothes.

Several thousand dollars was spent in November of 2003 on Maximilian Furs.

Sorry Mrs. Gekko, You choices in furs will be limited to coon skinned caps.

More......

Does anyone have insurance anymore?

As hundreds of business owners shuffle through the claims process to recover losses caused by the oil disaster, BP's promise that it will "deny no legitimate claim" is taking on a bitter meaning.

"They have not denied our claim. They have just not paid it all," said Tommy Holmes, owner of Outcast Marine, a fishing-tackle supply company in Pensacola.

Holmes lost $73,000 in May and expects losses in June to exceed $100,000. BP has paid him $26,000 for May and refuses to pay the rest, he says. Holmes plans to sue them.

"They're nickel and diming us — and they're getting away with it," he said.

Question. Doesn't anyone carry business interruption insurance anymore? Seriously, if the neighbor next to my business were to have a fire and, because of collateral damage, my business could not open, I have insurance to cover my loss.

When hurricane Ike caused week long power outages in the midwest, I had several clients submit claims for the loss of business during that week or two.

I guess now I'm the stupid one....... Paying that money out when all I should do is sit on my roof and wait for someone to bail me out.

More.....

Obama on Unemployment: "At Least It's Not at 12, 13 or 15 Percent"

Life in "Progress" State - California edition

From the Golden State......

California welfare recipients have been able to get taxpayer cash -- meant to feed and clothe needy families -- from ATM machines at strip clubs across the state, including some well-known gentlemen’s cabarets in Los Angeles.

More than $12,000 from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program was dispensed from the start of 2007 to the end of 2009 at clubs including Sam’s Hofbrau, Seventh Veil and Star Strip, according to officials at the Department of Social Services.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has ordered the department to remove the clubs from the official list of businesses where welfare recipients can withdraw benefits using state-issued ATM cards.

Think about this for a moment. Arnold is barring people from using their ATM's in strip clubs but not barring these people from welfare benefits.

So now if you are getting welfare bennies from Uncle Arnold, you're going to have to go to the trouble of going to the grocery store across the street from the strip club before you actually go into the strip club.

Did it ever occur to Uncle Arnold that maybe some of the strippers (single mom recipients of welfare benefits because they're "allegedly" not working) were getting money out of the ATM's because it's easier than driving to the ATM on the way home?

Making it somewhat inconvenient for welfare recipients to go to strip clubs?

Now that's "Progressive"!

More.....

11 Reasons to Vote for Democrats in November

Life in "Progress" State - Hawai'i edition

From the great state of Hawai'i........

Pastor Joe Hunkin picked his way around rusted car axles, propane tanks and two-by-fours studded with bent nails to find a homeless encampment where people have been cooking and sleeping directly behind Waipahu High School, in an area that received unwanted national attention this month.

Hunkin walked past a pit bull puppy and peered over a makeshift shelter of tents and tarp hidden by koa haole and elephant grass, then pointed toward the high school's athletic complex barely a football field away.

"The school is right over there," Hunkin said last week. "This isn't right."

The strip of land is bounded by Waipahu High School on one side and the calming waters of Pearl Harbor's Middle Loch on the other, where the Navy's mothball fleet sits idle. It's the most visible portion of an enormous homeless encampment that stretches five miles over approximately 50 acres of city, Navy and state land that serpentines around Waipio Point Access Road, the Ted Makalena Golf Course and the city's Waipio Soccer Complex and back down to Pearl City in the opposite direction, said Beth Chapman, who uncharacteristically lost a suspect in the swampy brush last year after five straight days of searching the area with her husband, Duane "Dog" Chapman, and their bounty hunting family.

Breeding homelessness and refugee camps like the Sudan?

Now that's "Progressive"!

More.......

Life in "Progress" State - Toll Booth edition

The Gekko's just got back from a long weekend getaway that took us to Chicago to Summerfest in Milwaukee.

One of the things you get when you cruise through these "progressive" areas are tolls........ lot's of tolls.

From Cincinnati to Milwaukee you'll need about 8 bucks for the privilege of driving on a freeway your tax dollars already paid for.

But hey, without the tolls, those roads would be horrible, Right?

Let's just say that the $3.50 toll to ride the Chicago Skyway subsidizes what might be the worst stretch of road in the history of the interstate system. What has all that money done for that 15 mile gravel road?

What's even more interesting is the 80 cent right to drive through Gary Indiana. In all fairness, I'd probably pay $20.00 not to have to stop in Gary.

By the way, it appears the casino in Gary has worked wonders for their economy. Now, people can actually afford to board up their abandoned houses.

Per Mrs. Gekko. "Wow! This area is really spooky looking. It's like a ghost town."

As soon as I bill a few dollars to pay for the tolls I just shelled out for, I'll be back to blogging.

Nutball Rep. Hank Johnson Delusional

"Guam Tipping" Johnson: We need to pass the DISCLOSE Act to stop Republi...

Who is this guy?

Mark Steyn with another head on piece................

Only the other day, Florida Sen. George Lemieux attempted to rouse the president to jump-start America's overpaid, overmanned and oversleeping federal bureaucracy and get it to do something on the oil debacle. There are 2,000 oil skimmers in the United States: Weeks after the spill, only 20 of them are off the coast of Florida. Seventeen friendly nations with great expertise in the field have offered their own skimmers; the Dutch volunteered their "super-skimmers": Obama turned them all down. Raising the problem, Sen. Lemieux found the president unengaged, and uninformed. "He doesn't seem to know the situation about foreign skimmers and domestic skimmers," reported the senator.

He doesn't seem to know, and he doesn't seem to care that he doesn't know, and he doesn't seem to care that he doesn't care. "It can seem that at the heart of Barack Obama's foreign policy is no heart at all," wrote Richard Cohen in The Washington Post last week. "For instance, it's not clear that Obama is appalled by China's appalling human-rights record. He seems hardly stirred about continued repression in Russia.

The president seems to stand foursquare for nothing much.

"This, of course, is the Obama enigma: Who is this guy? What are his core beliefs?"

Gee, if only your newspaper had thought to ask those fascinating questions oh, say, a month before the Iowa caucuses.

More.......

Brewer to Obama: Warning Signs Are Not Enough

The real sin is the carbon footprint

WHY did AL & TIPPER GORE buy $8.8 mill California mansion just prior to publicly announcing their divorce. And WHAT is the real-estate sleight-of-hand they pulled in their home state of Tennessee that experts find "puzzling"?!

A month after scoring their new palatial Montecito estate, Al and Tipper transferred nine properties the wealthy Gores own in Carthage, Tennessee from their own names into a limited liability company (LLP) - a corporate partnership which, legally, is a separate entity.

According to legal docs filed in Tennessee, the transfer of ownership occurred after the accuser in the AL GORE SEX SCANDAL filed a 2009 police complaint accusing the ex-VICE of sexual misconduct.

A real estate insider told The ENQUIRER that such a transfer of ownership protects the valuable assets in potential legal claims.

A limited liability partnership, like a corporation, is a completely separate entity and can not be liable as an asset if someone files personal lawsuits against either Gore.

The Gores also bought the new California mansion under the auspices of a trust which, experts say, can also be shielded from potential legal attack.

So just what is the carbon footprint on nine homes?

I find it amazing that not one liberal has ever found the need to call out the hypocrisy of the Gore's.

More.............