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How To Stop Political Antics In Congress

Tired of all the “BS, Mud-slinging and issues brought to the for-front that do not matter to you”?

Yea.. it happens all the time when real issues that effect every-one’s life need to be discussed. They talk about Gay’s in the military, religion, abortion, gun control or burning the flag, anything but the real issues so maybe you will forget they exist and insight a voter base that will turn out a vote for them. Then while they are busy keeping you occupied with one of the above, they de-regulate they banks etc just like they did when Americans attention was on the Monica Lewinsky’s dealings with President Clinton in 1999 and got a weakened President to sign the bill that the media did not seem to have time to cover or make an issue that we all know now was a big one!

There is a solution this election however it would require more candidates and voters nation-wide to participate.

It is so simple it almost stinks. I always quickly correct folks that say that I have been bi-partisan to the idea that I am non-partisan ( I do not discriminate, I hate both party’s ). Being Independent has it’s advantages that allow me to persuade a Liberal or Conservative, Republican or Democrat.

My real battle is with those who have lost touch with common folks and common sense and favor the money of those who would attempt to influence our everyday lives regardless of good/bad but for sheer money alone. The Neo-Capitalist. Those are the same folks that currently want to turn the high unemployment into low wages for the large company’s and get a tax break doing it. You know they honestly think they know better than anyone that they are the only folks that make anything happen and with the way they have been able to stifle innovation in this country by buying out or merging with any competitor, they may be right.

So here is your solution…

DO NOT ALLOW EITHER PARTY HAVE A MAJORITY IN CONGRESS !

Just think about the implications of a no-majority or a majority of independents. If anyone wants to do one iota of anything, they have to work together. Gee… There’s a thought !

Congress just does not seem to be capable of thinking past the next election. We need some long term thinking out of this body of our government that really has no idea of the long term implications of the legislation they pass.

Professional Politicians is not what this country needs (lifetime politicians are like welfare frauds) nor is it CEO’s of large company’s ( running the country is not like running a company despite the contrast drawn ).

We need some “Mr. Smith Goes To Washington” and a whole bunch of them in a hurry !

Emergency Unemployment Extension Illusions And Realalitys

There has been a big disrespect paid to those that have been unemployed by no fault of their own but by the deregulating Congress, greedy wall street types, and the right wing talk media has been spinning that these folks just do not want to work or even look for a job. With a unemployment rate of 10% I would say if there are so many jobs for these folks then why are there 50 to 100 or more applicants for every job listed.

Congress has been giving the illusion of helping out time and time again but they really have not done what most think by reading what little the media has been publishing on a full explanation of benefits allocated and benefits paid for.

Here is where the actual weeks of emergency unemployment compensation that the federal government has allocated.

First the normal state allocation of 26 weeks.

Then a fderal funding of 53 weeks of emergency unemployment that was originally set-up in 2 tiers, then the same number of weeks was changed to 3 tiers and later to 4 tiers but the number of eligibility weeks has not changed from the 53.

So the only thing Congress has been debating if whether to change the dates that would cut off recipiants who have lost their jobs since the banking crash of 2008 and to fund the program they set-up some time ago. So they did and extended the dates to make more sense than previously rendered. This is the current:

Must exhaust Regular UC benefits by 05/22/2010 in order to be eligible for Tier 1 (20 weeks).
Must exhaust EUC Tier 1 benefits by 05/29/2010 in order to be eligible for Tier 2 (14 weeks).
Must exhaust EUC Tier 2 benefits by 05/29/2010 in order to be eligible for Tier 3 (13 weeks).
Must exhaust EUC Tier 3 benefits by 05/29/2010 in order to be eligible for Tier 4 (6 weeks).

Now saying that there is one exception to a number of states that got an additional funding to state unemployment coffers of 20 weeks only to those states whose unemployment rate was exceedingly high like 12% or more. This is known as state tier 2 benefits.

So all things going well, the can is now kicked down the road till after the election if you are one of those lucky enough to collect the full 79 or 99 weeks of unemployment before the dates not the weeks cut you off again.

Then what? If the Republicans win the House and/or Senate, they can answer to the folks that are going to have a long cold winter.

It makes no sense to not fund the program. Without it there will be more folks staving, more crime as I do not blame someone who will do what is needed to feed ones family. More house foreclosures etc etc…

Now if you want to buy the Republicans argument that these folks just do not want to work…

Just fund the Emergency Unemployment at a 70% level for a 5th tier to get folks through the winter and help more, longer. These folks are going to be your burden one way or another but it is just the right thing to do at this time !

In the time it takes them to figure something out, there needs to be a second stimulus in the form of rebuilding Americas Infrastructure (bridges,dams,water works). It is needed for the country and will create the needed jobs and return a tax revenue throughout the economy, hence having the effect of paying for itself.

The American economy is at a teetering point. A little stimulus now or we will go into deficit spending of no return later. I can only hope the voters do not forget what caused this mess as it still has not been fixed regardless of the latest financial reform act. It was the “repeal of the Glass-Steagle act in 1999″ . Yes, the same legislation that was created from the last time the banks went wild with your money that led to the great depression and it only took the banks 9 years to screw it up again !. Apparently our politicians must come from schools where HISTORY is not taught !

Where the jobs went ! A Fresh Perspective

You might think this is a China or Japan Bashing post but think again. Where most of our jobs went is a internal problem and is the direct result of Merger and Acquisition that has been on steroids for the last 20 years. In short a regulatory and legislative failure. Oh… Congress has acted, but in a way that made this more and more possible with bigger and bigger companies.

To Big To Fail is a monster of deregulated proportions and the cause of job and tax loss for Americans and those tax losses must be made up by the taxpayers.

I will use my area as it is not so different than yours for prime example. My county’s population is around 140,000, down from 20% in this same 20 year span I will now describe. Please also understand this zip code was at least half previously small farms is now the main shopping area for 4 counties across 3 states now as the other areas have nothing that resembles full service anything with exception to a few large bank offices without local control.

20 years ago,

there were 9 full service grocery stores in my zip code. Each owned by an independent grocer and employing about 30 persons each, 20 full time and 10 part time (avg). Each store paying property taxes and each employee paying income tax (much less than today’s rate I might add).

there were 18 independent full service gas stations. Each employing an average of 4 persons.

there were 9 locally operated and controlled banks. 4 savings and loans and 2 credit unions. Each employing 8 – 16 people.

Now,

I have 1 independent full service grocer employing 10 full time and 8 part timers. 1 very large regional chain that has bought out all the existing independent grocery stores but has 2 locations and a Super Wal-Mart with a food store and I do not know how to calculate the employee’s as the meat is prepackaged somewhere else (to avoid union workers) and I never see more than 4 to 5 stocking shelves but I do understand they are open 24 hours and the sales clerks are shared with the dept store section of the same business.

I have 1 full service gas station (just opened and I hope he can make it) that employs 5 family members. 3 large company owned gas/convenient stores employing about 3 full time (management) and 12 part timers (kids).

I have 1 locally controlled independent bank. 0 Savings and loans and 1 credit union but 2 bank offices from one of the “to big to fail” 2 others that were not to big and failed. 2 regional banks with a office each but no local control of loans.

Now for every bank office and gas station or grocery store that is no longer there and those vacant store fronts are not adding anything to the property tax collection of my schools coffers so my rates go up and all the jobs lost from supporting services to made those businesses run and their employee/property tax loss…..

You can quickly see where this is going with only my 3 example industries but the real question is where does it end?

To Big To Fail My ASS, there is such a thing as “just to big” and size should support a local economy not rape it.

No merger or acquisition comes without job and tax loss just as if they went out of business because they did!

Corporate Subsidies… But Not The Kind Your Thinking !

When hearing the term “Corporate Subsidies”, you might automatically think I would be speaking of the kind like the U.S. sugar industry gets to protect the price of sugar from cheap imports or the kind corn farmers may get for corn and methanol production. But if we were making methanol from sugar cane that is 3 times more efficient, this subside would not be needed and food prices would be lower, because candy, pop as everything food is sweetened with corn syrup (please see Energy Policy Act of 2005). No I am not going to talk about these kind.

I can’t think of an American taxpayer who does likes them except those receiving the subsidies! No I am talking about the ones your taxes are paying for and is not some unknown like the above mentioned subsidies for farmers or price supports.

If you want to believe in the free market unregulated system like they are always telling us, lets start with Cable TV.

What cable is subsidized? Not exactly and not by the Government. You are subsidizing channels by paying higher than needed prices to have channels you want or so the cable company says when it comes time to raise prices on customers. If nobody would pay for these straight-up, why have them? Just so you can say we have a gazillion channels? What good are they if nobody would pay to watch them?

We all know its a way to force profits. Cable Co’s hold the Discovery channel or Disney over are heads and tell us we will lose them if I don’t pay high prices for the half dozen channels we watch. Believe me when I say that the technology has been there to pay for only channels you want to watch. The Cable Co’s own much of the content now by the mergers and acquisitions of the movie makers in the last 15 years and are skewing the price triers to force you to buy content they own. Not to be outdone by the internet, they now have landmark court decision that now allows them to slow or stop media content delivery on the Internet. The Internet is their next competitor that they can not buy or merge with but do have control of more than 70% of high speed Internet distribution that makes movie content possible via the Internet. But don’t try to watch to many movies that way or you may find yourself with a surcharge or discontinued or slow service. So what is unlimited if there is a limit? See also Comcast / NBC Universal Studios Merger. This is paid for by your subside of channels you never watch to buy more content you will pay through the nose for.

You would not buy a car if they made you take a $1000 worth of cheap toasters and microwaves with it would you? I don’t know, maybe you need a toaster! Nor would you find it acceptable to be surcharged if you mange to make your car get better than average gas mileage.

Now let’s take cell phones. A bit more complicated, these plans are still no different. Start with the latest phone released, add a high price that many would not pay to have the phone, subsidize the price with a 2 year contract (so you can’t switch carriers when you find out you are not getting the voice or data service you are paying for, add a “early termination fee” (ETF) of $350 in the case you really need to get off the carrier to have any service coupled with the idea your phone is married to the carrier or will not physically work with anyone else so you will also need to buy a new phone to switch.

This forces you into the same subsidized cell phone with a new carrier after paying the ETF from the last carrier. I only hope the service is better!

It took over 2 years to get the promised “3G” service in my area and by then, they were promising “4G”, so what did we get? probably some other areas 3G equipment that converted to 4G. I can guess I should be able to advertise and sell a product that you are bound to and I do not have to deliver until enough folks pay for it in bad service and high fees. Is that not subsidizing the current undelivered technology? Gee, I want to sell you a car that runs on water ! Price $200,000 I will not deliver until I make one that runs on air! If you jump off my ever changing delivery schedule, it will cost you $350,000

It is no wonder 7 other nations have much better cell phone system in voice and data with good competition and lower cost while delivering more. What? you thought the U.S. was on top of the cell phone industry? you don’t know what you have been missing because nobody here is providing it.

I could site many more of these given the time and space but let it be food for thought the next time someone in congress starts taking regulation to these unregulated and out of control companies that may very well own all the content and delivery means by the time they speak of it. To Big To Fail? What would you do without AT&T, Verizon or Comcast, Time Warner in Your Area. You have little or no choice.

So Long AT&T. I will not reward your Preditory Actions ! Hello Sprint & Android Phones!

Despite all the things that I was not told when I bought the original iPhone and required data and text message plans, the most important one being you must pay for a data plan for the life of the iPhone. Funny, I did not read that in my contract but I’m sure they poked it in there while I was under a 2 year contract with them (the only way to get a iPhone or iPhone service).

Most important Moot Point I have to make here is I do not love my iPhone enough to reward AT&T’s bad behavior ! I now have two iPhones I use as Paper weights and on occasion, as a iPod. I had to break out a old Motorola RAZR and call AT&T to tell them I made the switch and to cancel my data and text plans. Gee if I only had a Voice over IP app, WiFi coverege is better than AT&T’s coverage and would not need them at all. Anyway…

Apple could be next on my list as I will not get suckered into anything bearing their mark that requires a contract unless it has some absoluteness to it (is that even possible now-a-days?) or in this case un-absolutness that I may switch to a new carrier if I am unhappy with the one I have to buy it through.

Let’s look at what got us to this point in a time line that I can’t be specific but points out the sequence of events.

Apple creates a cool device and initially contacts Verizon a CDMA cell carrier about a exclusive deal to be the only supplier cell company. Talks break down as Apple wants a cut of money from data services.

Apple approaches AT&T for the same deal and they accept but before anyone knows about the product, AT&T buys several other cell company’s utilizing the same GSM cell phone technology giving them a mass monopoly on this amazing new gadget that has no name yet that Apple must now re-design for GSM cell networks.

AT&T sells iPhone (2G tech/EDGE) exclusively. One must pay $450 + and submit to a 2 year contract that includes a data and text message plan. minimum commitment is about $70 for 450 min of phone service per month and unlimited data and text for 2 years. but what after contract?

Apple gets upset with AT&T for not being able to provide planed upgrade features to the newest gadget iPhone like tethering and is quickly pulled from the very next software update. The” iPhone 3G S” employs HSPA, a flexible high speed data capability. AT&T can not deliver.

Behind the curtain, Apple makes a deal with Verizon to have a CDMA technology version of the phone but CDMA will not support the speed requirements of the future of the iPhone features/apps/programs so a new system is devised and is to be implemented known as LTE.

Verizon buys Alltel Wireless as they know the future can be theirs as you can not use a iPhone from AT&T on their system so folks will have to buy a new iPhone if they wish to switch carriers. (profits profits!) Meanwhile they embrace Android OS platform smartphones like DRIOD.

AT&T now requires data plan for the life of a iPhone on their networks even if you are not in contract and if you are in a area where they do not even provide fair 2G speeds and have a 3G iPhone, your minimum data plan with minimum phone/data plan will cost you about $90 a month without text messaging.

In advance of iPhone 4 and iOS 4.0, AT&T moves to metered data plans in the hopes to make some profits to provide the 3G service they promised 2 years ago in most areas and now promising 4G service to the network and mostly not quite delivering the old EDGE data speeds (2G) unless you live in a larger city area.

My outlook for AT&T is bleak as they are to far behind in this data delivery game and now seem to be a very weak player to be able to deliver anything that might resemble a promising future of a cell phone company and this is not to mention the maintenance costs of the traditional aging land line based phones.

My outlook for Verizon is a bit better as they seem to be selling off their land based company’s that are not profitable for them but someone is going to e left without service when these company’s eventually fail.

So, the future is SPRINT !

Why? because they have no land based outdated wire systems that are high maintenance and are embracing Android based smartphones like the “HTC EVO 4G” and are not switching to metered data plans as they still offer a $99 unlimited voice and data plan and have a network that can deliver that data but we shall see if they are able to deploy 4G speeds to more than 50% of their network in the next 2 years.

In any case, once again, if you buy this phone you will be stuck using it through Sprint only, there is no carrier based on their technology. A plus for Sprint is they offer the EVO 4G phone at $449 and No Contract. This allows you the freedom to switch if they do not deliver but of course, you will need to buy a new phone to switch carriers.

All of that being said, it is not funny that a cell carrier can make folks think they are deploying all this high speed technology on their networks for years and not deliver it to 50% even 2 years after. My phone is outdated before you deploy the technology to use it correctly. I pay the same rate as those enjoying 3G but can’t get 2G enough to make it worth even $20 a month and they tell me I can’t cancel it even while I am not under any contract?. I do not mind paying for something that works but to be told I have to pay for something that does not is to much for my ideals.

So do the carriers have a monopoly…. Absolutely… You can not take your iPhone to Verizion, It’s just not possible. T-Mobile does not serve my area (the only other GSM carier) even if AT&T did not have a exclusive on the phone. Now see this with Verizon with Driod, and Sprint with EVO 4G, and T-Mobile and Goggle G1.

The FTC, FCC, Congress will not act on this. I guess it is like the banks and oil company’s self regulating. No action until failure of the system. But when one of these fails, it will only mean a merger will save the day till maybe only 2 company’s exists. Then What ?

What is embarrassing to me as an American, to look at half a dozen other country’s cell coverage, speeds and the number of competing carriers is so high and service so good, it’s not a wonder it is cheaper than in the U.S.

The in-action of regulation here is putting this country at a technological disadvantage and most consumers do not even know they are missing the boat as they seem to be pacified with a cool gadget even if they do not know the service is not half what it was meant to be .

So I will continue to collect these high priced techno paper weights but the next batch will undoubtedly be Android Platform Phones where I am also free to develop my apps for my use and do not have to get someones approval to use the device in a way that I see fit which is a new issue all together.

If it sounds like I am endorsing Sprint or Android it is because I am, at least till something else changes in the market that I do not see happening before Oct 2010 and most likely Nov 2011 And I have been weary of spending more time servicing my iPhone and my iPhone carrier than they spend servicing me !

Energy, National Security And The Environment – BP, Pensions And Finger Pointing

– This post is not a sound bite but a SOUND BYTE. Please read/watch associated links.

The US Minerals Management Service oversees US natural resources.

Least we say this is a big mess that will get worse before getting better. But it is the effect having a political cause many years ago.

Congress, mostly Republican but many Democrats being lobbied by big oil failed to provide proper regulatory protection years ago. Their words summed up in a single statement “The Oil Companies are perfectly capable of regulating themselves with out the Government interfering”.

What kind of hardships could the company possibly have to cut cost and safety on a oil rig of this size and risk while the average price of oil is three times the price it was profitable for them just a few years ago? Where did the money go ? The shareholders did not even see a tenth of the increased profits. Someone is pilfering a bunch of money here in the name of future exploration! Seems to me that this was the same maintenance story on the Alaskan Pipeline a few years ago.

So is it any wonder we are where we are today with this oil spill in the Gulf Of Mexico. No, it was simply a matter of time before we got here. This seems to be the same story we can easily see with the banking and health insurance industries. Fail to regulate or remove regulation and it’s only a short time before market forces create a hole in the taxpayer’s wallet along with job depletion, tax revenue loss that the rest of us must make up for.

It’s funny to hear those that keep telling us the government should stay out of making rules for business, want the government to do something here. Gee… I’m confused ??? Would it not have been better for us, the environment, jobs and taxes that we did just a little regulation and had a few real watch dogs to be sure they were in compliance.

It’s funny we never learn from history and history should be a requirement for Congress. Where do we go from here?

I do not think it would be to much to ask for those redundant systems to be tested twice a year to be sure the oil flow of a oil well could be shut down and the MMS should be there documenting each and every one as a matter of public record.

To be fair to big and small oil drilling company types, a 5 cent per barrel (not 5 percent but .00002%) tax of that oil to go into a common fund that is a insurance for the future of a rapid response team properly engineered and equipped to handle such a future problem.

President Obama is getting a bad rap as many of the Republicans who fought the proper regulatory structures years ago are trying to put the blame on him now for their lack of action. But even after his speech from the oval office I do not think he connected with the people.

I can see he is hesitant to promote a solid alt energy plans for the U.S. until he has all of his ducks in a row. But when he does, if he does not have a clear plan, talk directly to the people and ask for their help to achieve a single solid goal, it will be a failure. You simply can not treat this as he did with health care.

While it does seem embarrassing to the President that he had opened the door for more offshore drilling, it is easily understood as the need for a intermediate supply for domestic demand to further reduce trade deficit, and is also a national security issue. Politically it was also smart as it was sure have been a issue for the Republicans in the next election. So he did their work (for different reasons) for them and is getting burned for it by them.

BP promises to pay damages and while we do not want to bankrupt the company, I have been hearing a bunch of talking heads say we should not be so hard on them because many pension plans have investments in the company. Now what kinda hogwash is that? They invested because of high yield money that comes with a amount of equal risk. To not take a measure of penalty to the stockholders would be to subsidize all risk investments. This keeps appropriate pressure from shareholders to the company for not doing risky things to the bottom line of a company so it is clear that this thinking would be total BS. Should we not take action to the banks because of pension plans ? This thinking is just ludicrous.

So, MR President, Please come up with a goal and outline/requirement to get us off of the OIL FAUCET and ask for our help and you will be blessed with our help as nobody who understands the National Security Issue of this will deny you. 10 year plan and a 20 year goal would be nice. One that required that for every “NEW” megawatt electric generation capacity constructed, 25 percent must be in renewable formats increasing to 50 percent of “New Capacity Constructed” in 10 years. That leaves the existing system in place and insures that at least in ten years of half of new generation plants must be constructed renewable.

We simply must have home grown capacity or we are doomed to be fighting somewhere in the world to ensure that the oil keeps flowing uninterrupted. Even our trade deficits would shrink along with our budget deficits. How do you fight a war without your own supply of energy that would skyrocket in price when a big one should breakout.

Gee do not take my word for it, watch and listen to a 2008 Republican Senate Committee Hearing

So what lobby group will win the day? I hope it is the American People !

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