Governmental Behavior Bump

With Congress increasingly irrelevant, the Obama administration is gaining control of our lives in a frantic and terrifying pace; and you may not know hardly anything about it.

Probably the most widely known example of this would center around regulations on energy imposed through a series of executive order. For example, Cap and Trade was shut down by Congress but elements of the proposed legislation are being enacted through regulation by the EPA.

The regime is not actually taking property over per se, but controlling without ownership by imposing high regulation and taxation. Limits on permitting unless stringent environmental standards are met, with HVAC and lead based paint being two examples, nudge, or force your compliance.

If you are not familiar with Cass Sunstein, Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs under President Obama, you better get yourself acquainted promptly. As Obama sets to transform America, it is Sunstein, author of the book Nudge, who is "nudging" you to make decisions the regime finds favorable.

While our media is complicit in the production of propaganda in support of Obama, an eleven year old girl from Scholastic America had to call Michelle Obama on the carpet. In response to the exchange, over on the wonderful GBTV, Glenn Beck cover in alarming detail the answer provided by our First Lady and the actions taking place now that are efforting, fairly successfully, to modify your behavior by nudging you into making choices the administration prefers.



Remember; they know better than you about how you should live your life. As such, your freedom is being taken from you right before your eyes. Before you know it, the removal of choices will knock you right on the head. You better get yourself together on this or pretty soon, or you will be asking, as John Lennon put it, What in the world were you thinking of?

Before we wonder how we lost our freedoms, lets get ourselves together now and stop this unlawful encroachment. Time is running out.

The Will of the People

Back when I was in college, before cable networks had a 24 hours news cycle, ABC's World News Tonight was my preferred source on national news matters. Man, have times changed.

Washington Post opinion writer and ABC's George Will has some advice for Republicans as the 2012 presidential election draws near. With the likely nominee for the GOP being Mitt Romney or Rick Santorum, Will thinks both would lose to Obama, so he thinks the GOP should go with Plan B.

"If so, there would come a point when, taking stock of reality, conservatives turn their energies to a goal much more attainable than, and not much less important than, electing Romney or Santorum president. It is the goal of retaining control of the House and winning control of the Senate."

"Several possible Supreme Court nominations and the staffing of the regulatory state are among the important reasons conservatives should try to elect whomever the GOP nominates. But conservatives this year should have as their primary goal making sure Republicans wield all the gavels in Congress in 2013."

Will is among the most respected mainstream media pundits who lean right. That respect is held by many Americans who have not come around to recognizing who slanted the big three news organizations are. In the absence of this knowledge, these folks continue to respect the major network evening news programs, and this includes editorial commentator George Will.

Will is far off the mark on this line of thinking, and Americans had better come to know it and recognize the narrative being presented.

Barack Obama cannot be re-elected. Better stated, our country as we have known it all our lives will cease to exist should Obama win re-election.

The goals Will sets forth are only a part of what needs to occur to prevent our our freedoms from becoming significantly constricted. The goal is much larger than Will visualizes, and it must be, for a myriad of reasons. Sadly, Will obviously has no clue of the many reasons why, with sovereignty at the top of the lengthy list.

The most important action that must take place is to control the next Supreme Court Justice nominees. Presently, we are one Supreme Court justice from game over. This cannot be understated. If Obama were to place perhaps the next two justices, the balance of the court would tilt to a radical left court which would serve the interests of unions, anti-capitalist, entitlement friendly anti government loyalists. Freedom would then be lost to darkness.

While gaining control of the Senate, and keeping control of the House, is critical, that would only minimally prohibit Obama from harmful action. An Obama victory against a GOP Congress will damage his ability to win legislation, but he will just continue to operate outside the Congress through executive order, as he has been doing for some time. In an ongoing example, the inability to get cap and trade going legislatively only resulted in increasing burdensome regulatory actions being handed out by the EPA.

Sadly, there are Progressives in both parties. Many in the GOP unfortunately do not grasp the grave economic position Uncle Sam is in, and think it is just a normal political year where they may gain control the purse strings for their pet projects. Instead, all the purse strings need to be violently yanked back.

For Will to provide the false narrative in the mainstream media that it would be acceptable for Obama to win the presidency if the GOP could control the Congress is slap in the face to Americans out of work, a brake applied to economic growth, energy independence, and entrepreneurship across the fruited plain.

If members of the mainstream media presented the truth to the American people about how dreadful the Obama tenure has been, a ham sandwich could defeat him. Most folks are working their fingers to the bone to keep afloat, and spend time with their families when they get home. They do not have time to search alternative media outlets seeking the truth the mainstream media does not provide them. Therefore, these false narratives create far more harm than imagined.

If they knew, they would shout from the roof tops in support of whoever Obama's opponent is, Foghorn Leghorn included. No one could care about which companies or academic institutions offer birth control when the very existence of the country hangs in the balance.

Will should well know that. I suspect he does, and given that, he is no longer to be considered an honest broker. Patrick J. Buchanan thinks Will should have his pundit's license suspended. I quite agree.

Will will be at play in November. The will of the American people, that is.

The Company He Keeps

It has been a busy week. Did you get your brackets filled out? Get all the accommodations made made on the next of your monthly vacations? Me neither.

While the world is seemingly on fire, what with our great friends in Japan suffering unparalleled disaster and the middle east in significant turmoil, Obama got all this done. He is all Rock Talk Jayhawk to cut the nets down.

Our response to the crisis in Japan is most troubling, as is most of the significant moves made by Obama. Beyond that, however, is a much more serious matter, and that has to deal with the action undertaken in Libya. I know what you are thinking, and you are right. But there is more.

We were all scratching our heads on the apparent dithering going on as President Obama watched as Colonel Muammar Gaddafi blasted rebels in country, threatening to cleanse them. While we are not the policemen of the world, but we do expect a level of leadership from our Commander in Chief.

We were not getting that leadership in this case. Why? It is not hard to come to a conclusion. Obama may claim he is not tight with Rev. Jeremiah Wright or Louis Farrakhan, but he is, and these guys are friends with Gaddafi. So while Obama will claim publicly Gaddafi "has to go", he will sit out the affair.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was reportedly incensed by the failure of Obama to make a decision in this matter, but she knows the real story. Already this week, we have heard in the media that Hillary would have been better as President in this arena, even from Rudy Giuliani. As I have written before, tread most carefully on that score.

France, leaders in absolutely nothing but surrender over the years, took the lead under President Nikolas Sarkozy to form a coalition to enter into military action against Libya. After getting the United Nations on board, Obama had no choice but to reluctantly go along.

Now, Obama has got a whole slew of issues that extend far beyond the lack of any orchestrated plan of action in Libya. First, by not consulting the Congress, did Obama act outside his constitutional authority in attacking Libya? J. B. Williams over at American Thinker makes that case.

In fact, Obama has been very effective at operating outside of Congress, from the appointing of the Czars early in his administration to enforcing cap and trade measures through the office of the EPA.

With the military action, Obama's base of support, including Wright and Farrakhan, have issued stern rhetoric his way. Weasel Zippers has more on Farrakhan. Certainly, all the left wing moon bats and George Soros led organizations will be up in arms over such action, or is that just when George W. Bush is in office? Will they turn on him?

The real story here is Obama is not against Gaddafi as you and I are. Obama is on the side of Wright and Farrakahn, who share the same beliefs as Gaddafi. The actions of France, France mind you, put Obama in a reluctant position of acting. Otherwise, one would expect, even given our media, reasonable questions regarding his beliefs in the role of America in the world would be put forth.

The real answer to those questions is not the same answers you and I would give. Any sound thought on the subject would draw this conclusion. You can learn volumes about someone by the company they keep. With Obama, it is not E. F. Hutton, Great Britain and Japan; it is Venezuela and the likes of Gaddafi, Farrakahn and his nation of Islam, and the Reverend Jeremiah Wright.

Not Complicated Then or Now

Economically, Uncle Sam is in perilous time and thus socially as government seeks increasing power. While the President continues to proclaim we are on the right track, it is clear this is not so.

What has happened is an increase of governmental influences in many aspects of the economy, from regulation to increased taxation. In addition, there are plans on the drawing board, from Cap & Trade to immigration reform that create a large measure of uncertainty going forward. It is tough to invest in future endeavors with this high level of uncertainty relative to business return on and return of investment.

The playbook to create an environment of increased production is not complicated, and it is not new either.

Ayn Rand, author of the famed "Atlas Shrugged" discussed the environment with CBS News Mike Wallace where liberty versus socialism is outlined. Take a listen:



As we learn in Amity Shlaes outstanding book "The Forgotten Man", Calvin Coolidge noted in a speech in 1924 that "all liberty was individual". Coolidge and Rand, among others, were correct as liberty decreases with the erosion of individual rights.

Florida is a mess, with among the highest number of home foreclosures in the nation. GOP Senatorial candidate Marco Rubio, in delivering the weekly GOP address, demonstrates his understanding today of the steps necessary to begin the process of securing the future of our exceptional country.



Many on the left, the same crowd that incorrectly blames Wall Street for the current economic crisis, are angry that Wall Street is not "participating" in the initiated programs aimed at helping the economy recover. The GOP is labeled the party of "no" for blocking governmental action, which is false since the Democrats, until the election of Scott Brown in Massachusetts, held a super majority. The GOP could go white water rafting and it would be of no consequence.

I support those in the GOP and those on the corner of Wall & Broad for not supporting most of the initiatives set forth by the administration to thwart the crisis, as they all take power away from the individual and give it the government, allowing the elitist politicians, who think they know better than you, to control and govern our lives. Obamacare is a classic example of this.

Free market capitalism remains the best path to prosperity, and the sooner we all recognize this and move away from a nanny state thought process, the sooner a real summer of recovery can begin.

Pontificating Progressive

Recently, The New York Times Magazine ran a lengthy article on South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, and as usual, Graham pontificated several incorrect opinions about his Republican party and his position in the party.

Graham takes positions most conservatives usually hate, and just when you are ready to throw him overboard, he comes out in strong support of a conservative position. In reality, however, Graham is a progressive I would toss right on out of office as he fails to understand what the principles of the Republican party are.

Here are a few instances of Lindsey Grahamnesty, as Rush Limbaugh so aptly refers to him, pontificating in error in the article.

“The problem with the Tea Party, I think it’s just unsustainable because they can never come up with a coherent vision for governing the country. It will die out.” As a tea party patriot, I can tell you we do have a coherent vision for America, and that is LIMITED GOVERNMENT!

“Everything I’m doing now in terms of talking about climate, talking about immigration, talking about Gitmo is completely opposite of where the Tea Party movement’s at,” said Graham. Indeed! Climate change, or global warming, is simply a vehicle for the global transfer of wealth which Conservatives are vehemently against, including the cap and trade legislation you joined the Democrats in crafting. Furthermore, Club Gitmo is a terrific place to house the terrorists plotting to kill us.

“We don’t have a lot of Reagan-type leaders in our party. Remember Ronald Reagan Democrats? I want a Republican that can attract Democrats.”quipped Graham. No we do not, and that is central to the problem as most of the current bunch do not adhere to the principles outlined by Reagan.

“Ronald Reagan would have a hard time getting elected as a Republican today.” In actual fact, America is searching here to yonder for a Reaganesque leader, one who respects our founding fathers and loves America and the sacrifice and history of our great nation.

Per the article, Graham has commented that Obama is "a good role model" and "an American just as much as anybody else". I certainly do not view the chain smoking Obama as a good role model and can think of no political leader of my lifetime who has shown more anti-American actions and commentary than Obama.

The Times also says his greater transgression, however, has been his willingness — even eagerness — to seek common ground with Democrats. The Democratic party, which has been hijacked by the progressives, is attempting to socialize our capitalist nation, and any progressive Republican like Lindsey Graham assisting them in this effort is an opponent of all conservatives.

The citizens of America, Reagan Democrats and conservative Republicans alike, have had quite enough of the progressives and their assault on America. As such, Graham represents the individuals the tea party patriots despise.

Hopefully,the Senator from South Carolina might have some Presidential aspirations. I would be happy to consider the potential Presidency of Jim Demint.

Left Looney on Economics

The James Madison Institute reports on the Economic Literacy of Progressives and finds exactly what you might expect, a train wreck.

George Mason University Professor Daniel Klein and Zogby researcher Zeljka Buturovic surveyed 4,835 American adults on eight questions about basic economics. They also asked each of the respondents about their political leanings, grouping them into six categories: progressive/very liberal; liberal; moderate; conservative; very conservative; and libertarian. They wrote about their findings in The Wall Street Journal.

As Klein asserts, “The left has trouble squaring economic thinking with their political psychology, morals, and aesthetics.”

If you are like me, you run into this thinking everyday. If you take for example our current economic crisis, spearheaded in large measure by decades of socialist programs, most with good intentions, which are geared to assist fellow citizens, you find governmental initiatives that end up being entitlement programs that are drowning our financial system and placing Uncle Sam at the doorstep of bankruptcy. Going green, presented as a worthwhile effort to protect the environment masquerading as a global transfer of wealth, is a prime example of this. Current legislation proposed as the cap and trade bill, if voted into law, will likely be the event that does bankrupt the ole USA.

“We must face the fact that the preservation of individual freedom is incompatible with a full satisfaction of our views of distributive justice"
-F.A. Hayek

We recently had an example of a progressive politician, who really demonstrated what the study identified. Get a load of this recent interview on FOX News Neil Cavuto and Vermont Representative Peter Welch, and must I qualify that he is a Democrat:



That was brutal. Cavuto finally recognized that the progressives are lost in an economic sea. The Congressman simply cannot comprehend what the elimination of the dividends of British Petroleum (BP:NYSE) and other oil related companies would do to the pensions to most Americans.

So with a handful of economic idiots running things in Washington, what can we expect going forward in the marketplace? The worst is behind us according to President Barack Obama. Dr. Arthur Laffer, former economic advisor to President Ronald Reagan, penned an article for The Wall Street Journal that is raising quite a few eyebrows among those on the periphery of the investor community. Art Laffer's colleague, Steve Moore of The Wall Street Journal, weighs in and you better sit down for this one.



Dr. Laffer has put this conclusion forward for a few months now, and when you couple the Gulf Oil Spill, an economic and environmental of unmeasurable magnitude, you put in some sell stops. You may still have some time for trades, but you have been warned.

Turn Out the Light on Global Warming

Due to climate change and energy efficiency, which is nothing more than a global transfer of wealth, we are going to be dealing with a new type of light bulb. Sounds great, until you follow the governmental regulations is disposing of expired bulbs. Glenn Beck and his producer, Stu Burguire, follow the guidelines for disposal.



All laughs aside, this idiotic cap and trade legislation, which will be the job killer of all job killers, simply must be defeated.

Casting the Blame

While there is nowhere close to the media howl in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, there are rumblings that the Obama administration has been a failure in addressing the most unfortunate oil rig explosion and resulting spill of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

Among those asking questions, and rightfully so, are The New York Times, Rush Limbaugh, and even left wing moonbat Bill Maher. On FOX News, the lovely Megyn Kelly discusses the issue with Juan Williams and Brad Blakeman. Take a listen:


To recap, President Bush was excoriated for his administrations response to Hurricane Katrina, unfairly as I saw it. The National Weather Service had it nailed, and the Emergency Alert System kicked in. New Orleans residents were told to evacuate, even by Bush himself in a pre-landing announcement. Most who stayed weathered the hurricane itself, but the devastation that came after the levee broke was severe. When the levee breaks, you got no where to go. Bush and the FEDS were held back by state and local governments (recall NO Mayor Ray Nagin), who were totally inept.

When the oil rig platform explosion happened, it seemed the situation would be handled. However, as shown in this National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration video, officials were worried about extensive oil leakage as reported by theblogprof.com. It has been reported that the congress was by law supposed to have fire booms and failed to do so, in yet another example of governmental ineptitude. If true about the fire booms, someone in government is criminally negligent.

Obviously, in retrospect, both the Bush administration and the Obama administration would handled some things differently. In my view, the big difference is the arrogance of Obama, who was among the many mouthing off at the actions of Bush but feeding us the load of crap over the weekend that his administration was on this "day 1", which if it were not so serious, would be laughable. And, I cannot help but think this may be another emergency the Obama administration wants to take advantage of, what with cap and trade on the horizon.

A big difference is the media coverage, as there are very few questioning Obama on this. From Sheppard Smith to Kayne West, Bush was getting an absolute earful. Obama?

Meanwhile, Obama's Katrina is taking place and he out is telling jokes, attacking Wall Street, calling out Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck at U Michigan and firing distasteful jokes about the Jonas Brothers while yucking it up at the National Correspondents dinner. But don't worry, it is British Petroleum's job to clean it up and Obama has his foot on the neck of BP (BP:NYSE).

Wow! Even though we have an environmental disaster and substantial forthcoming economic damage, I feel much better.

Advantage Bush. Again!

HT Gateway Pundit, Doug Ross and The Blog Prof.

Fundamental Transformation: Evil Looms

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's response to the question of addressing Fannie and Freddie by Joe Scarborough on Morning Joe caught my ear. Roll the tape:



Exactly how is the Obama administration going take a look at the entire housing market? How will they change the system completely? What regulatory steps will be taken to make the market more affordable and stable?

Clearly, Geithner is speaking of governmental intervention instead of allowing free markets to dictate, which is the action that should be taken. In case your are new to the issue of the housing crisis, government intervention is the central culprit in the problem.

I wondered if the government was going to take aim at limiting risk. Risk is an essential, and measurable, component in markets. Risk measures the variation in anticipated outcomes. Most home buyers in the last decade had never seen housing prices extend past a standard level of deviation, much less seen home values crash. Therefore, they anticipated that the risk of such an event were close to zero, even though as prices extended above measurable moving averages, risk increased.

Through Fannie and Freddie, the government controls almost 70% of residential home mortgages. The biggest player, and in most cases, the only player in town, these GSE's can dictate terms for lending, and through this mechanism, control risk.

Enter Glenn Beck, who in all seriousness these days is Inspector Clouseau and Woodward and Bernstein wrapped into one, and the evil plans of our government are exposed. Beck outlined a series of coincidences, that are actually not coincidences, that are extremely alarming. Please listen carefully to the following segment of The Glenn Beck Program from this past Tuesday:



The Examiner has more on this startling report at Examiner.com.

The administration has stated they never want to see a crisis go to waste. As I see it, the housing crisis, created in large measure by the government, appears to be a vehicle through which the government will implement cap and trade policies through regulatory actions on residential housing through the mortgage holder Fannie & Freddie. Remember the article recently in The American Thinker? Politico has more and this has been looming for some time.

The regulatory actions placed on residential housing will likely be a carbon tax based on the energy efficiency score placed on your residence. Interest rates, through the GSE's, if you can get them, will likely be based on your score as well. Keep in mind regulations that already exist for mortgaged properties, such as certain levels of property insurance. The slope is getting real slippery.

Forget that global warming is a hoax whose real purpose is provide a vehicle for the global transformation of wealth. Under this false premise, regulatory action on residential housing, enforced by the EPA, will tax residential property owners to fund this transformation.

While if voted in with corrupt measures like the Health Care bill was, it likely won't be illegal, but the actions of former Fannie Mae CEO and Obama transition team consultant Franklin Raines may well be. At any rate, this nonsense has simply got to stop, as our country is being run into the ground on purpose by Progressive global warming moonbats.

Obama proclaimed he is going to transform the Untied States of America. Into what, I am not sure, but into something our founding fathers would strongly resist. Wake your neighbors up before it is too late!

A Bunn In The Oven

On the way to emergency legislation to give yet another extension of the federal extended unemployment benefits, which include the COBRA health insurance subsidy, the upper chamber of the Senate was thrown a high flying curve ball by Senator Jim Bunning, (R:KY). Bunning has apparently drawn a line in the sand due to what is known as the "paygo" rule, which is aimed at fiscal responsibility, claiming this new $10 billion needs to be paid for before being enacted. Big Government has more on the rule.

While Democrats, such as Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, (D:IL), who is just horrendous, are boiling mad at Bunning, his own party is not backing him either. Bunning has so upset the left that some unemployment groups want Bunning, a towering pitcher and who threw a perfect game in 1964 for the Philadelphia Phillies, removed from the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.

The extension of job benefits is quite a problem, and with the federal government quickly running out of money, these extensions cannot just be rubber stamped. Although the leaders of Congress fail to recognize it, they are in large measure responsible for the events that led to this dangerous level of unemployment (see previous post) and are impeding the process of recovery by the implementation of idiotic economic policy.

I frequently stop in a 7-11 for a Coca Cola (KO:NYSE) where across the street sits an unemployment and Social Security building. Recently, the parking lot of the 7-11 has been has been on overflow as the overwhelming amount of visitors from across the street seek parking. The other day, I witnessed a Caucasian would be rapper, far from short on jewelry, who jumped out of his Cadillac and proceeded to join the security patrolled group of folks waiting in line in the parking lot.

Certainly, there many workers who are actively searching for a decent job, finding little if anything to work with. Others, are gaming the system and want to ride for free on the back of the federal government, and us taxpayers. Unfortunately, it appears the governmental leaders are attempting to crash the system, so therefore a significant decrease in the unemployment rate is not on the horizon.

The federal government is not in a position to fail to extend these benefits, so Congress will get it done one way or another retroactive to today. It is appropriate for someone, in this case Bunning, to call out the Congress for their hypocrisy. It certainly seems the Obama administration and the Congress feel compelled to continue to push their socialistic agenda, with items like Cap and Trade and Health Care reform, rather than focus on the extremely serious problems at hand in our economy. They appear willing to try every concept involving the intervention of our government into the marketplace but seem unwilling to consider free market based avenues, which, incidentally, will work.

Look for the situation to fail to improve, and we are likely looking at another leg down. With the expiration of the Bush tax cuts slated for 2011, investors are taking action now which could cause 2011 to be much worse than anticipated. Someone once said, "It's the economy stupid". It would serve President Obama, and the leaders of our Congress to listen to the American people, and a few like Bunning, for once. A jobs summit with union leaders and Al Sharpton is simply not gonna cut it, as if this would be news to anyone outside of Washington.

Boston Tea Party?

Since the bursting of the housing bubble, the rate of unemployment has been growing, now at approximately 10%. This is not the real level, as many who remain unemployed have given up looking or have taken jobs beneath their skill level just to pay bills. Job losses are dwindling, from some 700,000 per month to just under 100,000, but much of this destruction has already taken place. Please see the following chart by the excellent blog Calculated Risk:

Although the 10% unemployment rate, which will likely rise a bit in the forthcoming months as this is a lagging indicator, is a very significant and real problem for many Americans, there is a bigger problem many are not aware of or are discounting.

Outside of the expansion of the government payroll, even with the incredible amount of stimulus, there is no job creation going on and without private sector expansion, high unemployment and a lack of prosperity will continue.

Uncertainty is the biggest obstacle small business owners face. The administration is working on very costly confiscatory taxation measures in health care reform, energy through the cap and trade legislation and business regulation. When you tax something, you get less of it, and as long as small business America is unsure of the playing field, forecasting the costs of doing business is difficult to measure. Given the looming legislation, most business owners project a significant rise in these costs, which is very prohibitive to increasing payroll.

Meanwhile, the consumer is ravaged. Many of the small businesses, from local restaurants to mid level production facilities, need consumption from the consumer to achieve acceptable revenue levels, but the consumer is in full scale saving mode, adding to the problem. Businesses hoping to borrow in an effort to survive the storm have very limited available outlets as the credit markets remain extremely tight.

The above referenced chart shows we are currently at the bottom of a very big hole, but due the policies of the administration, there is little or no evidence we are emerging out of the hole. While GDP may increase slightly, you will note in the chart that most of these big dips are met with a strong rebound. Not happening today.

Remember, socialism (don't kid yourself, this is where we are going) is great until you run out of everyone else's money. Ask yourself how many of your friends have come close to or have exhausted their 401K's this past year. Governmental actions have done just about nothing to solve the economic issues and I maintain have made them worse. Now what?

Increased governmental influences and interaction in the marketplace is hampering growth and keeping a hard press on employers. For this situation to be resolved, taxes and regulation on small business must be decreased, credit lines must opened and looming legislation fitting the plan of wealth redistribution must be scrapped.

Free market capitalism is the best path to prosperity. Those taking us down a different path must be stopped. As a new day begins tonight for Jack Bauer, a new direction for this country make take place later in the week with a good old fashioned tea party in of all places, Boston. This is change I will be hoping for!

Laffer & Moore Unplugged

I had trouble sleeping the other night and while surfing YouTube, I came across video of a very interesting recent dinner party in Chicago which had famed economists Arthur Laffer of Laffer Investments and Steve Moore of The Wall Street Journal discussing our current economic issues. Laffer and Moore, in promotion their outstanding book The End Of Prosperity, covered a wide range of issues.

Perhaps you are also having a hard time nodding off, or you appreciate sound economic discussion as I do (Oh, I do recognize I have issues)? If so, sit back and take a half an hour to become knowledgeable on the economics of the day, which include taxes, regulation and important proposed legislation such as health care and cap and trade.



Although I have had occasion to visit with Steve Moore recently, I would jump at the chance to throw some beers together and host an event such as this down here in Orlando. Should that come to pass, I'll invite all my readers.

A Farce of a Job Summit

On Thursday, President Obama will holding a jobs summit at the White House. Over a hundred invited movers and shakers will convene to brainstorm and help shape policy moving forward to help government create jobs and move the country forward.

Don't be fooled. This is a political event to make the public fell the administration cares about them and is working on the problem. The truth is, they are creating the problem, overwhelming the system and hoping you turn to them for help out of despair.

Aside from the incorrect mindset by this administration that government creates jobs, it is actually the private sector that does. Fixing the job problem is not particularly challenging, but the mechanisms to get the job done go against the policies of this administration. In an effort to be of assistance, here are a handful of ideas.

1. Uncertainty. Investors, small business owners and corporate America are paralyzed as the amount of regulation and taxes seem poised to increase substantially in the short term. Markets and forecasting HATE uncertainty and the high level of it that exists now must be eliminated.

2. No Free Lunch. Remember Peggy Jospeh? Transferring wealth from successful Americans to those who take no risk, are unable due to secure long standing employment due to lacking skills is the equivalent to exercising a tax on those who create jobs and provide an avenue for those on the low end to build and enhance their skills.

3. Energy Policy. Vice President Joe Biden attempted to throw Sarah Palin under the bus quipping "it is more than just drill baby drill". Not really. Get serious on this this afternoon.

4. Minimum Wage. It was just increased. It should be eliminated. The free market should dictate wages based on demand for the service and the abilities of the workers.

5. No new programs. Cap & Trade and the Health Care Plan will cost businesses untold and unpredictable dollars, which is money that could and should be spent on business expansion.

6. Bush Tax Cuts. Obama will not continue them, which is the wrong move. Recall from economics class when you tax something, you get less of it.

7. Cut Corporate tax. Businesses need to be free from excessive taxation and regulation to conduct business, which leads to increased tax revenue and, oh yes, expansion in employment.

8. Global Climate Change. Although encouraging everyone not to pollute is great, this global warming deal is a hoax and in reality represents a vehicle for the global transfer of wealth. Until completely exposed, and given our main stream media this could take some time, it acts a tax on business, which is passed along to the consumer. That is money that could be used for business expansion, and, jobs.

9. Immediate suspension of stimulus package. Only about 25% rolled out (given the level of unemployment you would think this would be on the fast track), it is already apparent that it is not working (who knew?) and it should be stopped.

10. Reduce corporate taxes. This will help businesses, get this, generate business, and therefore jobs and tax receipts for the government. Instead, Congress and the Obama administration are looking for ways to add to the tax burden, from inheritance tax to war taxation. Increasing taxes in various ways is not good, and one could refer to the Laffer curve for review.

11. Eliminate the Czars. In America, we actually currently have a pay czar. This is far from helpful.

12. Government Interference. A striking example of this is the government takeover of the car companies, and Uncle Sam screwing the bond holders. This was a very bad precedent and possibly illegal.

So there you have it, a dozen items. I doubt Obama will hear any of these thoughts at the summit today, since small business is not invited. Labor unions, SEIU, Academics, government officials and companies involved in global warming are among those participating.

The following chart gives you an idea of the real story in Washington:

A Collision in Copenhagen

Lord Christopher Monckton was recently speaking on the greatest hoax of all time, global warming. While this may be quite a howl, given how governments, media outlets, several hundreds of companies and millions of Kool-Aid drinking citizens are completely duped, there is a sinister agenda behind global warming that the average citizen would not dream of. Take a listen to Lord Monckton:



Not withstanding the berating Joe the Plumber got during the 2008 campaign from Barack Obama about the redistribution of wealth, five days before the election Obama proclaimed how he was close to beginning "the transformation of America". Unfortunately, nobody took him at his word, but it is not only visible now that he is in fact attempting to transform America away from capitalism but is aiming to transfer wealth among the world, under the vehicle of global warming, as some sort of perceived debt the United States owes due to our contribution to global warming through pollution.

This thought process is an attack on capitalism and the free market system to be sure, and one I vehemently oppose.

There are a significant number of factions, and or socialists, counting the days to this conference where the treaty Lord Monckton described will be presented. Most of the media will be offering their slobbering love affair analysis of the event, so make sure to get your updates from the real media outlets you have come to rely on.

This will be very important to monitor, as I fear Lord Monckton may be much more on target than you may think, and therefore, our sovereignty may in fact be at stake. If necessary, speak boldly without fear!

The Inconvenience of Truth

Astonishingly, with our President leading the charge, the Congress is set to attempt to push through a very expensive cap and trade energy bill which is primarily based on the acceptance of man made global warming, or climate change, or whatever politically expedient label they now place on it.

Former Vice President Al Gore, who has made millions of dollars spreading this propaganda, has declared the debate over and even degrades those with a differing opinion. But, that fact is, the debate is far from over.



There are well qualified spokesman on both sides. Recently, Bill O'Reilly had an interview with someone in the field I respect, and that is AccuWeather's Joe Bastrdi from Penn State University.



It seems obvious to me, no doubt far from the meteor logical expert Mr. Gore is, that very limited funding, if any, from our bankrupt government should be expended on budgetary items based on 50% probabilities. This is not prudent, but then again, the history of our government shows they have no problem spending the taxpayers money on all sorts of unnecessary avenues.

Hence, the march on Washington yesterday.

The Beatles Got It, So Should You!

Glenn Beck of FOX News presented week long series titled Reasonable Questions for Unreasonable Times. I sincerely hope you were able to catch this vitally important series. If you missed it, please visit Glenn Beck clips where you can watch each segment.

We all owe Glenn Beck a debt of gratitude. Beck has put his career, and health, on the line to orchestrate delivery of information of critical importance about this administration very few other media outlets will touch. Yes, Investors Business Daily is outstanding, Michelle Malkin and blogs like Gateway Pundit are stellar while Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity play their roles, but Beck has attacked and outlined these issues with his well researched unique delivery and top notch wit.

In the following segment, Beck fired lyrics from the greatest band ever, The Beatles, in demonstrating the restraint against progressivism not displayed by the Obama administration. Take a listen:



Beck comments that the Beatles got it, quoting from "Revolution"

"You say you want a revolution.
Well, you know,
We all want to change the world.

You say you'll change the Constitution,
Well, you know,
We all want to change your head.

You tell me it's the institution,
Well, you know,
You better free your mind instead.

But if you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao,
You ain't going to make it with anyone anyhow.

Don't you know know it's gonna be all right."

1,2,3,4.....



I'll take it a step further by remembering the George Harrison Revolver classic "Tax Man" and posing a few questions of my own.

Should US tax dollars be going to minds that hate like ACORN, masters of civil disobedience?

Certainly, the Census should not be operated by this group, should it?

With an economy on the ropes, is it appropriate to "skyrocket energy taxes" and potentially tax stock market trades, hampering investment yet again?

Members of Congress are failing to read proposed legislation, never mind voting on bills yet to be crafted. Forget voting on some agreed upon principles written by some left wing looters, fire us the details for we would all love to see the plan? Nice transparency on you!

Who is for making September 11 a day of service, trying to mask the horror we all dealt with on that horrific day?

I could go on and on. One thing is clear. Thanks in part to Glenn Beck, Americans are waking up in droves to the fraud committed against them. In fact, there is a non-transparent revolution presently going on against free market capitalism and the Constitution. America has found out!

The revolution? Let me tell you how it will be! I hear Americans now! Like we told you before, NO, "You Can't Do That"

It's Happening Now

For homeowners, credit is still marginally difficult to secure even as most banks have received federal assistance to resume fair and prudent lending practices. But, while even the most intellectually challenged banker can make money borrowing short at next to free and lending long at around 5%, few banks are doing so. Why? Do they know something we don't? Is there another shoe to drop?

FOX Business Neil Cavuto uncovers it is happening as we speak.



Unfortunately, the economic policies of the current administration, which can be summed up as an assault on small business, is prohibiting the marketplace from resuming economic growth. Yes, a jobless recovery.

If these proposed actions, from excessive new regulation, increased taxation, "skyrocketing" energy costs under cap & trade to the insane prospect of government run health care, the prognosis for real recovery is bleak.

The commercial real estate sector cannot bounce back without small business expansion, which is fueled by entrepreneurs who start and expand small businesses, and thus occupy office and retail space. The current environment is not supportive to small business. A sad situation indeed.

Feds Strike Blow To Orlando Economy

The actions of our government never cease to amaze me. Orlando, has been put on a "no fun" list of cities to avoid for conventions and business meetings going forward. CNBC's Mark Haines chats with Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer about this nonsense:



Since the government is commanding more control of the economy seemingly daily, should this policy become strictly implemented, the policy would strike a blow to our number one local industry, tourism, which would be a catastrophe for the Orlando economy .

It is indeed time to take a stand on the "remaking of America", as the implemetation of these idiotic policies going forward, (Cap & Trade and nationalized health care?) will continue to handicap our economic growth. Higher taxes and regulation cause limited economic growth which equates to a limited increase, if any, in employment. With consumers handicapped in spending in a very suspect job market, growth will be non existent.

You do not have be an economist to recognize this is not good.

Palin Exposes Cap and Trade

Although it was baffling, I did find it somewhat interesting that during the presidential campaign of 2008, while America was getting it's ass kicked by suffocating gas prices, the one candidate with a background in energy was being attacked for her limited knowledge and experience in the functionality of Americas resources, commerce and economic marketplace.

When GOP nominee John McCain selected Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, most in America and those in the beltway scoffed at the selection. Palin, however, was well known in the circles of investors, as those with information and knowledge regarding energy were highly sought after. In fact, Palin had made a handful of appearances on The Kudlow Report on CNBC with Larry Kudlow.

The election is over, but those who do not understand energy, its costs to produce and bring to market, the impact it has in everyday commerce and how varieties of energy can play a role in providing America with efficient and cost effective power are debating policies which will severely handicap the potential of our great country going forward.

Of course, I am speaking of the limited knowledge of energy of President Obama, those who subscribe to the hoax of a lifetime in global warming/climate change/cooling and the stranglehold bill working through Washington known as Cap & Trade, essentially a huge tax on everything energy touches, which would be about everything. Remember, when you tax something, you get less of it!

The resignation of Sarah Palin as Alaska's Governor last week may have left some thinking (hoping) she is going away defeated. Think again. She has emerged with a blistering editorial, which could not be further from the truth, on a subject she is well versed in and a topic which is vital to be understood by every American. The disastrous impact this bill would have on small business and working Americans from sea to shining sea would stranglehold our economic growth for decades. All for a hoax.

Please take time to time to read the editorial by Sarah Palin in The Washington Post. Someone must tell you the truth, and for once a politician, is; Sarah Palin.

Attacks on Small Business Claim "The King"

In the current climate with the government employing an all out assault on small business, a local BAHL favorite has been claimed as a victim, The Sandwich King.

I made every effort to have lunch there every Friday either with some friends or with the editorial page of Investors Business Daily. The King made outstanding sub sandwiches, and I was particularly fond of the heated turkey and cheese. The staff was great and it was a favorite of many businessman in the area.

They were operating on a thin margin in there for sure, and it appears a broken down HVAC system struck the defining blow.

Small business cannot get out of the way these days. Inexplicably, the minimum wage is set to go up later this month increasing the costs of retaining employees. Taxes are rising and energy costs are set to become deliver a crushing blow to the revenue stream based on the Cap & Trade debacle working its way through our governance.

Small business success is critical, get that, critical, to our economic system functioning properly, and in the current environment, small business is taking it in the shorts. Governmental interference in the form of raising the costs of doing business for small business is having an extremely negative effect. Look around your town!

Until the mindset changes, I am afraid economically we are set to tread water at best going forward, from Wall Street to Main Street.