Friday, September 02, 2011
Why not invest in time machines?
None the less, I decided to keep score of the failed "green" companies that Obamunists feel are so crucial to our future.
Solyndra
Evergreen Solar
Elephant Pharmacy
Think Global AS
VeraSun Electric
SpectraWatt
For those who believe that solar and wind power are our future let me introduce you to this concept called "reality".
See, there have been TRILLIONS invested in these technologies. From private companies to governments worldwide, people have been trying to make this work. How much more money will it take to make these technologies work?
If were only a factor of money, we could invent a time machine using the same business model.
There are venture capital groups (rich people) out there sitting on GABILLIONS of dollars to invest in something that would yield the kinds of returns green energy could yield yet they're not investing. Why? Unlike the government, that's their money. One of the reasons rich people are rich is that they don't like to throw money around on boondoggles.
As an aside, how did Daryl Hannah get her rear end to Washington to get arrested for protesting against the Keystone Pipeline? I'd bet my life savings that she used fossil fuels.
So, in her mind, it is environmentally more friendly to purchase oil from a middle eastern dictatorship, ship that oil via tankers halfway across the world, and use existing pipelines to move that oil from port to refinery?
And these people proclaim that they're so much smarter than those knuckle dragging conservatives?
Probably includes some of Obama's relatives
The Internal Revenue Service allowed undocumented workers to collect $4.2 billion in refundable tax credits last year, a new audit says, almost quadruple the sum five years ago.More......
Although undocumented workers are not eligible for federal benefits, the report released Thursday by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration concludes that federal law is ambiguous on whether these workers qualify for a tax break based on earned income called the additional child tax credit.Taxpayers can claim this credit to reduce what they owe in taxes, often getting refunds from the government. The vagueness of federal law may have contributed to the $4.2 billion in credits, the report said.
The IRS said it lacks the authority to disallow the claims.
Life in "Progress" City - Chicago edition
Every month, Thomas Villanova gets a $9,000 reminder of how lucrative it can be to serve as a union leader in Chicago.
The sum is part of a city pension that comes on top of the $198,000 annual salary he is paid to represent the interests of thousands of city workers.
Villanova last worked for the city in 1989 as an electrical mechanic with the Department of Streets and Sanitation, making about $40,000 a year. Yet in 2008 he was allowed to retire at age 56 with a $108,000 city pension. That's because, under a little-known state law, his pension was based not on his city paycheck but on his much higher union salary.
This kind of deal is available only to union officials who meet certain requirements, but a Tribune/WGN-TV investigation has uncovered documents that show Villanova violated state law when he applied for the pension and cast doubt on whether he truly qualifies for all that money.
Any wonder cities are going broke?
More.....
Not good enough
President Obama told the EPA today to withdraw proposed air quality legislation, citing the need to reduce regulatory burdens on businesses as the economy continues to recover. The new ozone standards were favored by environmentalists but criticized by business groups and Republicans.
In the House of Representatives, Republicans had made standing in the way of the regulation a top legislative priority and billed it as a cornerstone of their jobs plan.
“I have continued to underscore the importance of reducing regulatory burdens and regulatory uncertainty, particularly as our economy continues to recover,” President Obama said in a statement. “With that in mind, and after careful consideration, I have requested that Administrator Jackson withdraw the draft Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards at this time. Work is already underway to update a 2006 review of the science that will result in the reconsideration of the ozone standard in 2013. Ultimately, I did not support asking state and local governments to begin implementing a new standard that will soon be reconsidered.”
While this sounds good it doesn't address the main points.
1) If this is a good idea then it should be implemented immediately.
2) If this is a bad idea then it should never be implemented.
3) This doesn't help the business climate at all in this country if this is only a temporary moratorium. No company in their right mind is going to spend millions upon millions of dollars on a manufacturing entity in this country if they know these regs are coming down the pike about two days after the Obamunists are reelected.
Nice try O. But it's not good enough.
More.......
Scholastic News Kid Reporters Interview the President (3/7): Challenges ...
How about telling these kids their greatest challenge will be how to pay for my social security benefit.
Thursday, September 01, 2011
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tea Party spreads to Spain
Spain will get a balanced-budget amendment added to its constitution, after socialist Prime Minister José Luis RodrÃguez Zapatero proposed such a measure today.Members of opposition party Partido Popular -- including PM candidate Mariano Rajoy -- have already been calling for such an ammendment. Zapatero's approval signals that such an ammendment will indeed be signed into law.
"I consider it feasible to reach this agreement of constitutional reform, and I invite both major political parties and others in the Congress to solidify this in a bill...that could be approved immediately," Zapatero said, according to El Mundo.
Exactly how is it that we are surrounded by all these countries looking to be more American like and we're working to join the EU?
No it's not a Ponzi Scheme...... it's worse
For the past week, I have been absolutely amazed with the outrage of Rick Perry's description of Social Security as a Ponzi Scheme.
Seriously?
If I were to die tomorrow, my family would have less of a chance to get the money I kicked in to social security than to file a claim against Bernie Madoff...... and we didn't even invest in Madoff's scheme.
Read the related article.......
The making of a politician
It starts when some weasel takes on this job..............
This summer, a group of University of Kentucky students and staff has been patrolling campus grounds -- scouting out any student, employee or visitor lighting a cigarette.Unlike hall monitors who cite students for bad behavior, the Tobacco-free Take Action! volunteers approach smokers, respectfully ask them to dispose of the cigarette and provide information about quit-smoking resources available on campus.
It looks like UK has a whole bunch of Mike Bloombergs on campus.........
Ditto
Read the whole list here.Via Carpe Diem and a whole string of other sites:
“How will California parents react when they find out they will be expected to provide workers’ compensation benefits, rest and meal breaks, and paid vacation time for…babysitters? Dinner and a movie night may soon become much more complicated.
California Assembly Bill 889 will require these protections for all “domestic employees,” including nannies, housekeepers and caregivers. The bill has already passed the Assembly and is quickly moving through the Senate with blanket support from the Democrat members that control both houses of the Legislature – and without the support of a single Republican member. Assuming the bill will easily clear its last couple of legislative hurdles, AB 889 will soon be on its way to the Governor’s desk.
Under AB 889, household “employers” (aka “parents”) who hire a babysitter on a Friday night will be legally obligated to pay at least minimum wage to any sitter over the age of 18 (unless it is a family member), provide a substitute caregiver every two hours to cover rest and meal breaks, in addition to workers’ compensation coverage, overtime pay, and a meticulously calculated timecard/paycheck.
Failure to abide by any of these provisions may result in a legal cause of action against the employer (“parents”) including cumulative penalties, attorneys’ fees, legal costs and expenses associated with hiring expert witnesses, an unprecedented measure of legal recourse provided no other class of workers – from agricultural laborers to garment manufacturers.”
I know this is exactly the kind of thing you would expect me to oppose, but I have decided this is exactly the kind of thing California needs. I am tired of average citizens passing crazy requirements on business without any concept of the costs and injustices they are proposing, and then scratch their head later wonder why job creation is stagnant.
I want to propose that California do MORE in this same vein. Here are some suggestions:
- Every household will have to register for a license to conduct any type of commerce, a license to occupy their house, and a license to hire any employees. Homeowner will as a minimum have to register to withhold income taxes, pay social security taxes, pay unemployment insurance, pay disability insurance, and pay workers comp insurance.
- Households should have to file a 1099 for every payment they make to contractors
By the way, something I'd add to the list. I think homes should be subject to the same rates for utilities (phone, gas & electric) that businesses pay. For instance, in Ohio, most people have no idea that a business pays more than double the residential rate for phone and internet service. In addition, our gas and electric rates are a good 20% higher than residential consumers.
It's just the PUCO way of saying we're doing something even as businesses keep raising prices to cover the additional overhead.
Crony capitalism at its worst
Successful dealerships closed without reason
Drilling banned in the gulf
Gibson guitar raid
Warren Buffet's investment in companies receiving large government subsidies (GE and BOA).......
Why did the Department of Justice raid Gibson Guitars twice in the span of two years, yet leave competitor C.F. Martin untouched? Both appear to use the same allegedly illegal woods. The allegation floating around is that it’s because Gibson’s CEO supports Republicans and Martin’s supports Democrats, and we have a Democratic administration hell-bent on punishing Republicans. Instinctively, I want to reject that theory. It’s too simple and too, I don’t know, obvious and even un-American. Gibson’s CEO may face jail time, and the company may end up failing under the weight of the federal boot. And over what?Why does Warren Buffett, billionaire businessman, keep supporting President Obama despite the president’s obvious economic failures? Reading Tim Carney’s piece about Buffett and bank bailouts that appeared yesterday, it’s evident that at every turn over the past couple of years, Buffett has managed to cash in on huge government actions. Carney suggests that Buffett bought a major stake in Bank of America on the belief that the Obama administration will end up bailing that bank out, stuffing more money into Buffett’s pockets. One would expect a savvy and fair-minded businessman to oppose the rampant regulatory state that Obama has unleashed on the nation’s economy, but if the businessman stands to profit from it? If can use his influence to direct it to move in ways that help him? Does Buffett continue supporting Obama because he, Buffett, basically owns the president and knows he can make money off of his policies?
Why did the Obama administration shut down offshore oil drilling? Why did it take some car dealerships from their owners back in 2009? Do we really have an administration abusing its powers to punish its enemies? Is is really that simple?
Update: 3M would probably argue that yes, it is that simple.
Still wondering why companies are sitting on cash?
More.......
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
The Obama enablers
Fred Barnes with a good read.............
As a rule, the press is the scourge of presidents. They’re expected to endure unending scrutiny, mistrust, and badgering—plus hostility if they’re Republicans—by a hectoring herd of reporters and commentators in the mainstream media. But there’s an exception to the rule: President Obama.
It’s counterintuitive, but Obama has been hurt by the media’s leniency. Both his presidency and reelection prospects have suffered. He’s grown lazy and complacent. The media have encouraged him to believe his speeches are irresistible political catnip, though they aren’t. His overreliance on words hasn’t helped.The kind of media pressure that can cause a president to sharpen his game, act with urgency, or take bolder steps—that has never been applied to Obama. If it had, I suspect he’d be a more effective, disciplined, energetic, and popular president today. Ronald Reagan is a good role model in this regard. When the media attacked him over gaffes in the 1980 campaign, “Reagan responded like all competitive men by working to improve himself,” says Reagan historian Craig Shirley. “Experience taught him to be better and try harder.” He took this lesson into the White House.
I don’t want to exaggerate the media’s baneful influence on Obama. It’s hardly the main reason for his decline. It’s a secondary reason, and it continues to have an impact.
Surprise, Surprise, Surprise
The faddish obsession with "green jobs" is being revealed as a massive waste of taxpayer money.Pipe dreams eventually are revealed for what they are – unrealistic, wishful thinking. It didn't take long for Spain's touted green-job revolution to be revealed as a financial disaster, siphoning taxpayer subsidies and destroying 2.2 real jobs for every green job created.
Domestic green-job pipe dreams similarly drain U.S. taxpayers' money into economic sink holes. The millions of so-called green jobs promised by President Barack Obama and other champions of taxpayer-subsidized energy schemes not only haven't materialized, many that did, already are disappearing.
Considering the president's pledge to create 5 million green jobs in 10 years and Gov. Jerry Brown's promised 500,000 clean-technology jobs by the end of the decade, it's worth noting the New York Times' conclusion: "[T]he results so far suggest such numbers are a pipe dream."Lowlights of the saga include the recent bankruptcy of Evergreen Solar Inc. of Massachusetts, recipient of $58 million in direct subsidies and tax breaks, including federal "stimulus" funding, but which cut 800 jobs and is now $485 million in debt, with more job losses to come with the closure of a Michigan plant. Green Vehicles of Salinas received $500,000 in city subsidies, but closed last month without having produced anything of significance, Human Events magazine reported. The company had promised to create 70 jobs and pay back local taxpayers $700,000 a year in taxes.