Thursday, August 25, 2011

Retraction Of The Welfare Story

The story, "Making Obama-babies and Money in the Good Old USA" posted on August 20 was allegedly  about a welfare ggrandmother receiving $1,500 per child and more than $144,000 annually by serving a a foster parent for her daughters children appears to have several misstated facts and maybe entirely untrue.  It was supposed to be based on a letter from a Sebastian J. Ciancio, M.D. Urologist, Danville Polyclinic, LTD.  This doctor reported that he heard the story from someone who was admitted to the emergency room.  The State of Illinois pays more like $400 per child instead of the reported $1,500.  Several other things in the report are highly questionable. 

I sincerely apologize for not fact checking this letter before I posted it.  I am also grateful for a regular blog reader calling this to my attention.

This unfortunant report does not change the fact that our welfare system is out of control and fraught with fraud as evidenced by the following facts:

Despite spending $4 Trillion from 2002 to 2009 our poverty rate increased from 12% to 14%, a 16% increase.

So is our spending at fault in not preventing additional proverty?  From the year 2002 to 2011 we had the following percentage increases in spending in these welfare categories:

Medicaid up 87%
Food Stamps 256%
Child Nutrition 82%
Energy Assistance 190%
Tax Credits 353%

Today 53% of immigrants to the USA receive some form of government assistance.  Many of these are illegals.

The most destructive aspect of this wealth redistribution is the creation of a culture of dependence and reliance. Some call it a "nanny state".  While that is clearly the intent of the elite ruling class it will ultimately destroy our way of life if it remains unchecked.  Our country is built on self reliance and hard work, and then charity only in rare situations and always under close supervision.  Today welfare is not rare and the 50+ million Americans that receive it are not means tested nor monitored.

Again sorry for the misinformation, but not for the message.

Think about it,

Jim

P. S.  One reader objected to the title.  I guess this person found "Obama-babies" insulting.  I feel those who are perpetrating these wealth redistribution plans to buy votes  (Obama, Reid, Pelosi, etc.) should be insulted along with those who participate in milking the system.  An Obama-baby would be one that was born out of wedlock to increase a mother's welfare check.  No child should be used for this purpose.








Monday, August 22, 2011

No Ethics, No Competence, No Growth

Seems like economic growth in the US and Europe is negative to near zero. Why? We are told that companies are not employing people and expanding. They are sitting on trillions of dollars. Likewise, consumers are not spending. Why aren't they? To understand it let's review our recent history.

The financial elite had a little problem. They made a lot of bad loans, mostly in real estate, packaged them in bundles and sold them to other financial institutions. It was like passing along a hot potato. When foreclosures mounted it all hit the fan. However, the elite did make a ton of money in the process. People found out their financial elite were not only incompetent but were also unethical.

Along come the political elite to the financial elite's rescue. They deem their brothers too big to fail, and armed with our and our children and grandchildren's money (taxpayers), they bail them out. Yet, the political elite don’t hold anyone responsible for wrecking the economy of most of the free world. Why? Maybe because they had aided and abetted the scam by encouraging, if not forcing, them to make these bad loans to gain votes while keeping interest rates low to make it easier. All American’s had a RIGHT to own their own home, right?  They even assured their financial contributors they would back them up with Fannie and Freddie.  Lastly, they passed new financial regulations even though they never enforced the old ones. And you can never replace ethics with regulations even if you did enforcement.  So people found out that their political elite were not only incompetent but also unethical.

So why don't the American people have confidence in the financial and political institutions?  Why do they want to put their money in a coffee can and bury it in their back yards?  They know there is nothing as dangerous as incompetent and unethical people in high places.  In other words, our elites suck!

So what is our solution? Throw the bums out and replace them with the likes of Marco Rubio, or Paul Ryan, or Mitch Daniels! Maybe even appoint a Secretary of the Treasury that doesn't come from Goldman Sachs.

But let's start at the top. Even though Obama came late to the financial party, the crisis party, he is clearly incompetent beyond belief and an incredibly unethical liar as evidenced by Obamacare which will do more damage than the financial crisis if implemented. Let's face the truth. Affirmative action at the White House level has us in a helluva fix.  Affirmative action poisons every well, including the minorities it is supposed to be helping.  Let's get over our guilt and truly treat everyone the same.

And our big question is which of our candidates is not elite?  Which one is a Reagan instead of a Bush or a McCain? Even if they are ethical and somewhat competent, the elite will ultimately compromise with the elite resulting in a ruling class.  Our founders left Europe to escape the ruling class.  Which candidate is competent? Which one is ethical? Is it Romney, Perry, or Bachmann? Or must we kidnap Chris Christie and force him to run? Let's hope we figure it out over the next few months. We failed miserably in 2008.

Think about it,

Jim