How Obamanomics kills jobs

Imagine you own a tech company looking to open a chip manufacturing facility.

There are several issues that you'll measure to decide where, when, how, & why to place that facility in it's ultimate location.

For instance, you'll review logistics (the ability to move product from Point A to Point B), you'll review the cost and stability of production such as utilities, land, labor etc.

Now your average "progressive" believes corporations are solely out to minimize the costs of production. But if that were the case, wouldn't Haiti or Sierra Leone be absolute job mecca's right now?

But they are not. Why? Because these countries have never developed a work force to be able to accomplish minimal tasks. How could they possibly do the work involved with the production of micro chips?

See, sweat shops have their place in a developing economy. For instance, you don't give your kid a key to a tractor if they haven't shown a modest competence with a lawn mower. After your kid proves they can handle a lawn mower you can move them up to something more sophisticated.

It's how things work. Companies don't locate plants in areas where the workers can't do the work. Depressed areas start with sweat shops, the money their economy earns adds to the standard of living for the area. That allows children to get educated, maybe even allows for them to go overseas for their education.

Then the economy evolves for the next level of jobs.

How does that pertain to Obamanomics?

Every time we pass a minimum wage law, a health care mandate or other unfriendly business mandate, we force those entry level jobs to another country.

Those jobs are needed for our entry level workers to obtain the skills to move on to the next job on the skill ladder.

I remember reading The Jungle in high school and was appalled with the conditions workers in the meat packing business had to endure at that time. But I would offer that without those jobs, Henry Ford could never have set up his first assembly line. First, there would not have been any money in the economy for anyone to buy cars. Second, no one would have had the smarts to actually build those cars in the first place.

Little by little, you are starting to watch the shift of good jobs going overseas. And it's because those economies welcomed the "bad" jobs first.

We currently have a chronic unemployment problem in this country. And in an attempt to "help the little guy", Obamanomics hasn't done anything but push jobs out of this country. The jobs those little guys would be doing.

And slowly but surely, those high quality blue collar jobs will be right behind them.

Harold and Kumar will need more money

To pay for White Castle employees health insurance..........

The White Castle hamburger chain fears that a health insurance reform law adopted earlier this year will put its profits on a downward slide.

The Columbus-based family owned restaurant chain - known for serving small square hamburgers called "sliders" – says a single provision in the bill will eat up roughly 55 percent of its yearly net income after 2014.

Starting that year, the bill levies a $3,000-per-employee penalty on companies whose workers pay more than 9.5 percent of household income in premiums for company-provided insurance.

White Castle, which currently provides insurance to all of its full-time workers and picks up 70 to 89 percent of their premium costs, believes it will likely end up paying those penalties. The financial hit will make it hard for the company to maintain its 421 restaurants, let alone create new jobs, says company spokesman Jamie Richardson. White Castle employs more than 10,000 people nationwide, and more than 1,200 in Ohio.

Thanks reader Jeremy

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Brooks sees the light

David Brooks, a man who once decided a certain senator should be president because of the crease in his pants, may finally be getting it. Here's a column critical of the intellectual elite (Paul Krugman) where he doesn't name the person (Paul Krugman) but you can't basically figure out who it is (Paul Krugman) by the description.......

Let’s say you’re the leader of the free world. The economy is stuck in the doldrums. Naturally, you want to do something.

Many economists say we need another stimulus bill. They debate about whether the stimulus should take the form of tax cuts or spending increases, but the ones in your party are committed to spending increases. They trot out a plausible theory with computer models to go with it. If the federal government borrows X amount of dollars and pumps it into the economy, that would produce Y amount of growth and Z amount of jobs. In a $14 trillion economy, you’d probably have to borrow hundreds of billions more to have any noticeable effect, but at least you’d be doing something to help the jobless.

These Demand Side theorists are giving you a plan of action. But you’re not a theorist. You’re a practical executive, and you have some concerns.

These Demand Siders have very high I.Q.’s, but they seem to be strangers to doubt and modesty. They have total faith in their models. But all schools of economic thought have taken their lumps over
the past few years. Are you really willing to risk national insolvency on the basis of a model?

Moreover, the Demand Siders write as if everybody who disagrees with them is immoral or a moron. But, in fact, many prize-festooned economists do not support another stimulus. Most European leaders and central bankers think it’s time to begin reducing debt, not increasing it — as do many economists at the international economic
institutions. Are you sure your theorists are right and theirs are wrong?

Here's the problems with so many of the Keynesian ilk (see econ 101). They totally forget one half of the basic theory (and it's a big f'in one half) which is this..... during good economic times...... government is supposed to retract.

Why is this important? Because our government has been priming the pump with deficit spending for generations. As a result, our economy has become "addicted to it" to the point that it's needed to just maintain status quo.

It's like a crack head who needs more and more of the substance in order to get more buzz out of it.

Now, it may take trillions in stimulus, which the country can no longer borrow, to get us back to an 2008 equilibrium point we couldn't sustain even if we wanted to. Hence, the crash in the first place.

But try telling that to a Nobel Piece Prize (error intentional) winner.

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But what would I know, I only paid attention in my Fiscal Policy econ course.

Faith in America or American in Faith

A really great piece on what it means to be an American.

Hint, it's not a birthright.........

During his immigration speech last week, President Obama said: “Being an American is not a matter of blood or birth. It’s a matter of faith.”

He’s obviously correct in observing the American character is not inherited through genetics. There is no “American race.” It’s also not determined by the location of our birth. Many who were born in other countries become Americans of outstanding patriotism. It’s an honor to recite the Pledge of Allegiance alongside someone who crossed long miles, and perhaps endured great hardship, to join us beneath the red, white, and blue. They mean every word of that pledge.

Some families have worked, studied, and waited patiently to obtain their citizenship… only to have their sons and daughters die on foreign soil in our service. We welcome their bodies back to their adopted home, comforted by the knowledge their souls never left. Those who recite the Pledge of Allegiance dwell in America forever, no matter the provenance of the ground upon which they take their final rest.

Is the American identity a matter of faith? If so, faith in what?

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Thanks reader Tim for the tip.

Where are the jobs?

A few years ago, I had a client who worked at a Ford plant in Sharonville. He was telling me that he had been working 6-12 hour shifts for the past few years. I asked him why the plant hadn't hired any new workers for the demand and he told me that because of the UAW contract it was cheaper to pay time and a half (or double time for the holidays/weekends) to existing employees than it was for the company to add someone to the payroll (because of the benefit packages offered to the employees).

So right now if you have a job; congratulations. You probably have some semblance of job security. You'll probably be asked to do a lot more for a lot less but you will be employed.

However, if you don't have a job, you're in a bad situation right now. Why?

Few small-business owners would hire more workers even if they had more money, according to the monthly American Solutions survey.

Almost half (46%) would put the extra money into savings and 15% would hire more workers. One in 17 would use the money to delay laying off existing employees.

This is the basic reason for the lack of job creation even though most experts think the economy is no longer in recession.

“The cautious behavior shows entrepreneurs are still very reluctant to make any large investments or outlays of new capital given the current economic environment,” says American Solutions, a group chaired by former Congressman Newt Gingrich, that is conducting jobs summits across the country including Irvine.

Chapman University economist Esmael Adibi agrees that employers are typically hesitant to hire coming out of a recession for two reasons:

• They are uncertain any revenue increase will continue
• They’re uncertain about the costs of government actions such as health care reform and tax increases.

• 
  

How about adding to the uncertainty; the impact of cap and trade on utility costs, increases in the minimum wage, etc.

Think about it. When you cannot reasonably ascertain the cost of an employee you're typically reluctant to hire extra people on.

It's a reasonable human response. Something I'm sure was proven in a psychology 101. But yet liberals who pretend to be so smart cannot seem to grasp that concept.

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Life in "Progress" City - San Francisco edition

Do you know how liberals are always groaning on and on about "choice"? Of course that's only where choice pertains to the bedroom. But a choice on anything else in life is totally verboten.........

Coca-Cola is out, and soy milk is now part of San Francisco's official city policy.

Under an executive order from Mayor Gavin Newsom, Coke, Pepsi and Fanta Orange are no longer allowed in vending machines on city property, although their diet counterparts are - up to a point.

Newsom's directive, issued in April but whose practical impacts are starting to be felt now, bars calorically sweetened beverages from vending machines on city property.

That includes non-diet sodas, sports drinks and artificially sweetened water. Juice must be 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice with no added sweeteners. Diet sodas can be no more than 25 percent of the items offered, the directive says.

Restricting people's choices in life?

Now that's "Progressive"!

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The concrete on the camel's back

The camel being you, a taxpayer............

Feel like you're not paid enough? Worry about losing your job? Wish you had better benefits? Ever think about quitting?

If you answered "yes" to these questions, one thing is certain: You don't work for Uncle Sam.

That's because federal workers are much better off than private-sector workers in all the major markers of job satisfaction — salary, job security, benefits and job desirability. And it's costing taxpayers a bundle.

Start with the money. The average federal employee earns an annual salary almost 60% higher than the average private-sector employee — $79,000 vs. $50,000. Federal employees do have more education (on average) than private-sector workers. Their unions argue that this justifies their higher pay. But it doesn't. Even after controlling for education and experience, federal employees get paid significantly better — 22% more per hour, on average — than private-sector workers.

Not all federal workers earn above-market pay. The government bases raises on seniority, not performance, so the most skilled and hardest-working federal employees are actually underpaid. Overall, though, government workers earn well above what their private-sector counterparts make, even before you consider benefits.

Seriously, would you pay 22 percent more than your current wage for someone to mow your lawn and/or paint your house? Yet that is what we are expecting taxpayer's to do with government jobs.

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Politicizing justice

Several former Department of Justice employees have approached Pajamas Media to support Chris Adams, the whistle-blower who resigned from DOJ to protest Eric Holder's racist enforcement policies:

Several former DOJ employees have been in contact with Pajamas Media, interested in publicly supporting J. Christian Adams as he comes forward about the DOJ's failure to enforce the country's laws from a race-neutral perspective.

These former DOJ employees have expressed a willingness to go on record regarding Adams' professionalism, excellent performance, and outstanding record of enforcing the law without racial bias.

Additionally, they would like to corroborate Adams' statements about the DOJ. ...

From 2006-2008, Asheesh Agarwal served as a deputy assistant attorney general in the Civil Rights Division. In that position, Agarwal supervised the Division's Voting Section, which included Adams, and worked directly with Adams on several matters. [Agarwal writes, in part]:

During his tenure with the Department of Justice's Voting Section, J. Christian Adams was a model attorney who vigorously enforced federal voting rights laws on behalf of all voters, without respect to race or ideology. Mr. Adams was also one of the most productive and successful voting rights attorneys in recent memory.

Will the media demand a response?

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When liberals run stuff

Thanks reader Jeremy for the link..........

Want to send granny a card? It might cost you a bit more next year.

The U.S. Postal Service on Tuesday proposed a 2-cent increase in the price of a first-class stamp, bringing the cost to 46 cents. The change, if approved, will go into effect on Jan. 2.

The Postal Service is trying to dig itself out of a deep financial hole. It projects a $7 billion deficit next fiscal year.

The agency's revenue has been crushed. Last year, the amount of mail sent declined 12.7%. Businesses hit by the recession have cut back on mailings and more people continue to turn to the web to send their messages.

So your demand is down and how do you respond? A price increase and reduced service.

Just like your local newspaper.

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Big Money leaves the dems

What goes around comes around..........

A perfect storm of events — the recession, Wall Street anger at Washington, donors who feel ignored by the White House and interest group dissatisfaction — has Democrats bracing for a brutal fundraising period and fearful of losing dominance in longtime donor stronghold and megarich New York.

While the exact quarterly figures won’t be known until after the July 15 filing deadline, a number of Democratic campaign insiders said the past few months were a mighty struggle to raise cash for candidates.

It's a humbling moment for Democratic moneymakers in the richest city in the world, an uncomfortable and unfamiliar position for New York fundraisers after a long ride on the gravy train. Beyond a free-flowing financial market that managed to rebound after the Sept. 11 terror attacks, there were 16 flush years of having a Clinton family member in a position of power and working the Big Apple donor base hard.

But hey, aren't these guys for the little guy?

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Life in "Progress" City - Chicago edition

Apparently, all the criminals in Chicago must have heard about the Supreme Court ruling overturning the Chicago gun ban. How else could this have happened....

At least three people were left dead and 13 wounded in overnight shootings in Chicago, most on the South Side, officials said.

The most recent homicide occurred at 5:06 a.m. this morning, when DeShawn McNeil, 35, was found dead in the 7900 block of South Ingleside Avenue in the East Chatham neighborhood after being shot in the chest.

McNeil, of Madison, Wis., was pronounced dead at 10:53 a.m. at Jackson Park Hospital, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Based on earlier reports, police indicated four people had been killed and 12 wounded.

I would still like for someone to explain to me how it is that about every other household in my "Redville" neighborhood is packing heat and yet we don't have massive genocide occurring in this area.

Turning your cities into giant refugee camps?

Now that's "Progressive"!

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Who did they vote for?

Watch this and ask yourself are these people likely to be democrats or republicans?

We're #1

I guess someone took exception to my characterization to the US being the best country in the history of humanity.

Let me offer that this is not the jingoistic opinion of some redneck, but a fact. For those even in our lowest economic classes, just being born in the US puts you in the top 1% of the world's population in terms of wealth.

A fact also proven by the masses of people who leave families and put themselves in jeopardy just for the prospect of a greater life.

I have maybe 50 clients who are immigrants to this country. I have many German immigrants as clients. Now Germany is not exactly a 3rd world country where the impoverished are looking to flee; but a country of great wealth and opportunities of it's own. I love asking these people about their decisions and often they look at me with that glazed donut look as to communicate "this is the greatest country in the world.... why wouldn't we want to be here?"

One of the things that seems to lack for the Blame America First crowd is really the lack of civic knowledge.

For instance, we take democracy for granted but do you realize how many democracies existed during the days of the revolution? It had never been done before in any sense of the meaning. The signers of the Declaration of Independence signed their death warrants for some lark of a notion that people should be free and not subjects to a ruling monarchy.

In a word.........CRAZY.

None of this means that our society is perfect. It also doesn't mean that it can't be stripped from us by allowing a government to usurp our rights for security.

But I don't care what standard you use, the fact is, this country is the greatest in the world and there's billions of people who would give up everything they own to be a part of it to prove it.

Happy 234

I'll get into specifics tomorrow. But I want to recognize the birthday to the greatest nation in the history of humanity.

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"!

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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"!

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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"!

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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.

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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.

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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"!

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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"!

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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.