Afghanistan… Obama pulled the wool over your eyes

Posted on June 24th, 2010 by craighope

My conservative leanings are often challenged during this Obama administration.  I rant about many things, but I try to temper them because I want the country to succeed in spite of a being led by an Administration I don’t agree with.

The point here is how people are so gullible during the campaign.  The promise of withdrawing from Afghanistan in particular.  This mini-rant is not about the strategy.  That is another discussion altogether.  But the prospect that there is a large debate on strategy feeds to my point that there are many decisions yet to be made that you can’t set a firm withdrawal date publicly.

I said it during the election.  It is proving to be very true now.  The war in Afghanistan is not going to end until “…conditions on the ground” are favorable.  The Presidents listen to their Military people.   They should.  Obama campaigned on a different platform and now is going back to the normal way of conducting wars.   This means the promise of a complete withdrawal is broken.  At the very least it was a spun promise.

Claire McCaskill said it this morning on Morning Joe.  The Obama camp ran on a platform of peacenik withdrawal from wars.  I knew then it was unrealistic and no matter what President we elected the outcome with the wars would be the same.  Yet, many of the electorate based their vote on the withdrawal promise.

I hope people choose to vote in a more educated way in the next election.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Tags: Obama

Bret Michaels Brain not working…

Posted on April 23rd, 2010 by craighope

Bret Michaels

Brain hemorage?  Headband too tight?.  Multiple partners. Diabetes.  The aged rocker lives on the edge.

To think that Slash was almost the lead guitar in Poison.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20363506,00.html.

Healthcare Bill passed…

Posted on March 23rd, 2010 by craighope

I don’t know what to think.  As a conservative, I fear that we are putting too much control in the hands of a bureaucracy.  I know that sounds like a cliche or a republican talking point but I really don’t think our voting public fully understands the impact of doing this.

As a middle class wage earner, I feel like the hardest hit.  Our income doesn’t have the cushion to absorb more taxation or fees.  This is going to suck.

I feared long ago that this bill would pass and it almost didn’t due to the over-reaching lefty ideas of single payer systems.  The Democratic leadership could have passed something a long time ago.  They had the seats.  They had all the power.  But instead they tried to grab too much power and alienated the centrists of their party.  In the end, they got it done.  They got it done with some curious deal and got it done in a partisan way.  They now own it.

What will the future hold?  I suppose we can only find out.  For those of you without coverage because it costs too much, you will now have it.  It won’t be free.  You WILL be paying something into the system.  I hope for your sake you maintain a healthy lifestyle.

For those who could afford it and chose not to, welcome to the club and pay into the system.

For those who are under the poverty line and don’t have coverage or had medicaid, well… you’re welcome.  Now the rest of us will have to pay a little bit more to cover you.  However, your scooter will be taxed.

I do feel defeated.  But I am not as right-wing enough to shout things at politicians or throw things.  I am more dignified than that.  I really want to talk/listen/analyze this bill based on the policy.  These next couple of days will be filled with victory talk by the democrats.   I don’t want to watch.  I will just read about what the bill actually has in it.

I just hope that the voting public who is truly upset by a bill they didn’t want make themselves heard next fall.

No more sugary drinks for you young man

No more smoking for you... Mr. ... Obama.

Tags: healthcare bill

Grrr…My Response to Craig’s “Re-Learning Math” Post

Posted on March 19th, 2010 by MaryBeth

(Mary Beth) What do you mean “start in grade school?” What do you THINK THEY’RE DOING IN GRADE SCHOOL?

I hate this “the U.S. doesn’t stack up against other nations” crap.

#1: What do Americans like to do on the weekends? We like to relax. We go to the lake, we knock back a couple of cold ones with our friends… we plan outings and activities that are FUN. And, on the weeknights? We like to watch American Idol or some other reality nonsense after we get home from our kids’ 42 sports activities. So, what’s my point? CULTURE. The American culture says, “Life is short, let’s enjoy it.” Now, if you’re willing to give that up, fine. But changing our CULTURE? Good luck. I don’t see every American K-6th grader spending evenings at Kumon after a full day of public school, do you?

#2: In the U.S., thanks to the grand vision of our founding fathers, we provide a free education to every child through grade 12. EV-ER-Y child. In the nations we’re being compared to, free public education is for students through 8th grade. After 8^th grade, students in other nations are filtered into either a trade-school track or a college track. In our country EVERY child is tested; in other nations, only the cream of the crop is tested. Apples to oranges.

#3: You want me to do my job better? Do yours. I need every parent to send me children who are prepared to learn. Read to your child every night at bedtime starting at birth. Play math games at dinner, in the car, and when you’re waiting with your child in the doctor’s office. Make your child work HARD on their homework (quit doing it FOR them). Make your child “look it up.” And, TALK to your child. A LOT. One of the single biggest determining factors of a child’s school success is the number of words per day he/she hears at home. Expect your child to respect you, and discipline him/her when s/he is disrespectful. If I call home to report your child was disrespectful at school, it was a BIG DEAL, so support me. (I don’t call home if it’s small potatoes. I handle the small stuff on my own.) Classroom management strips away a LOT of learning time.

#4: Let me do my job. Stop expecting me to teach material that is unrelated to my curriculum… Character education, career education, DARE, CHOICES, dental care, etc., etc., etc. These are wonderful programs. They are. But, if you’re going to keep whining about how we don’t stack up with other nations, let me teach the core curriculum.

#5: The highest math class I took in high school was Algebra II, and the highest math class I took in college was College Algebra. I never took trig; I never took calculus. Granted, I am not an engineer (neither are you!), but I am not wanting for math skills. I managed to obtain two bachelor’s degrees and a master’s. There are a lot of us out here who were not graced with a math brain, so torturing us all with advanced math would be pointless. Instead, how about if we find out what percentage of the Chinese population has taken calculus, and we aim for a similar percentage?

States use tax incentives to draw film work from Hollywood

Posted on March 14th, 2010 by craighope

I want to keep my money and spend as I see fit. That includes chartity.

States use tax incentives to draw film work from Hollywood – CNN.com.

When are policy makers going to learn?  You can’t tax your way into the black.  Businesses will move.  Individuals will find a way to get around the taxes.  Then what?  You are out the tax revenues you had.

The reality is that most understand a limited tax that provides for basic services.  But if taxes begin to overreach, the taxed get creative and look for alternatives.

It’s simple, but our politicians have lost sight of this.

Unlicensed beers, Mary Jane is next.

Posted on March 9th, 2010 by craighope

More than a dozen armed State Police officers conducted simultaneous raids last week on three popular Philadelphia bars known for their wide beer selections. The cops confiscated hundreds of bottles of expensive ales and lagers, now in State Police custody at an undisclosed location.

This is a great example of how the world would look if we legalized marijuana.  Crazy over-regulation.

Troopers raid popular bars for unlicensed beers | Philadelphia Daily News | 03/08/2010.

More healthcare discussion…

Posted on February 28th, 2010 by craighope

Paul Taylor - CEO Ozarks Community Hospital

My thoughts on http://ochhealthcarereform.blogspot.com/2010/02/dear-president-obama-and-guests-of.html

A very interesting perspective on the topic of Universal Health Coverage.  We should also keep in mind that all Americans have access to healthcare and will not be turned away when seeking attention.  The healthcare debate revolves around controlling the costs.  One of which is getting more people to pay into the system.  I suppose 100% employment would help that, but that is another discussion.

“the government would contract with insurance companies to serve as fiscal intermediaries to process and pay claims efficiently”

No way…Maybe I am being cynical but nothing with the words government and efficient have ever turned out well.  One of the main problems we have today is with insurance claims processing.  It introduces too much overhead.  We need to eliminate as many middlemen as possible.

“Employees would have half of the premium deducted from their wages with the other half paid by the employer. Self-employed persons would be expected to pay the premium and those who do not would have it assessed against them as a tax.”

This has been debated as being unconstitutional.  As much as I like the idea of forcing people to pay a premium and contribute, this is a tricky one.  The car insurance analogy is often used.  We will still have uninsured motorists getting into accidents.

“Legislation would prohibit loss of coverage for pre-existing conditions and other nefarious insurance practices, but individuals with higher risk factors would pay higher premiums.”

This is basically already being done.  I suppose the debate would be to define “higher premium”.  I agree we need to eliminate pre-existing conditions and somehow pool the risk.  The bottom line is that you pool risky patients who have to be paid for by the healthy patients.  More on enforcing healthy habits later.

“…nation-wide army of general practitioners, better trained and more highly compensated than specialists. Patients would be required to choose a general practice physician to supervise their care.”

I am trying to visualize this component.  It sounds like a huge impersonal medical/treatment farming process like a medic for an army platoon.  It smells like a bunch of academics practicing medical theory.   This concept needs more inspection and discussion.

“No doubt less money will be spent on new facilities and new equipment for many years, but the healthcare delivery system will adapt and survive. Americare is one of those compromises that everyone would hate and complain about bitterly, but it would work.”

Here is the rub.  This is rationing healthcare by demand outweighing supply.  A complete government takeover will almost certainly reduce the quality of American Healthcare.  If we get frustrated today with delays to see specialists, think about a system that does not grow infrastructure and introduces 45 million new patients into the system where medical professionals will eventually be paid less and get more frustrated with practicing medicine.

I do agree totally with the concept of incentivising (did I spell that right…. I am too lazy to spell check) good health and putting the responsibility on the individual.  This is going on now with some companies.  The other side of the health care debate is getting people to be healthier which in time can reduce some healthcare expenditure.

As I read through this, I can’t imagine how much more the employed middle class will begin to pay in taxes to support anything universal.  We already can’t fund government programs.

Tags: healthcare

2010 Census: Money well spent?

Posted on February 8th, 2010 by craighope

During the SuperBowl there was an ad for filling out the 2010 Census.  The fiscal cheapo in me was outraged that our federal tax dollars were being spent on such an expensive television ad (directed by Christopher Guest whom I find very funny).  I want to see more funny beer commercials of dudes freaking out over spilt beer or half naked godaddy girls.  I don’t want a boring commercial about a government form that I know I should be filling out.  Do I need an ad to tell me to file my taxes?

Then I googled around a bit and learned that there was a  justification for this expensive ad… If an additional 1% of viewers completed their census, it would save $25-30 Million in followup costs.  Ok… nice.  I get it.  BTW, how many SuperBowl viewers do you think WON’T complete their census?

I can accept the funny cost savings math, but I can’t accept the fact that the federal government is so backward that we have to complete our census on paper.  Why not electronic?  Their defense is security and hackers.  Lame excuse given the fact that I just completed my personal property declaration online and I just finished reviewing all of my online banking and investment accounts via Mint.com.

There are so many ways to collect census data.  Send each citizen/head of household a pin#.  Designate a location where each person(s) can go to fill out their census’ online (voting locations, schools, Target).  Or simply fill it out online at home.  Offer a tax credit for completing it.  I used the example of Target because in order to work at a Target, you have to fill out your application online.

The security argument does not hold water and as tax paying citizens we should demand a better way and more efficient way to get this done.

Tags: 2010 Census

Do we really like Twitter?

Posted on January 26th, 2010 by craighope

Has Twitter seen it's peak?

Has Twitter peaked?  (News on CNN) Is it on a downward turn? I don’t use Twitter as much.  It is somewhat annoying when you use it full time.  It is more fun and interesting in small doses or when you are using it via your mobile with friends/colleagues.

The article does not that most people use an alternate interface to post.

Twitter might be the next Atari.