Beach Memories & the Summer of 1942
My summertime memories started at an early age. The events of the early forties and the beaches of Cape May County during that time were the stuff that made memories that have lasted for more than sixty years.
In the last few years Cape May has restored one of the Coastal Watch & Fire control towers that were strung along the beaches in Southern New Jersey in the early days of World War Two. The concrete towers need not be restored to enhance my memory of those days. The reason for the towers placed on our beach was demonstrated many nights for me during those early war days in the summer of 1942.
The war was at the door of our summer residence. My bedroom was on the East side of our home facing the ocean. More than once I was awakened by the distant booms of explosions taking place just a few miles at sea. When I looked out my window I could see the red glow of the exploding Liberty cargo ships that had made the turn North out of Delaware Bay to dash up the coast. They were heading to form a convoy in the NY area with ships converging from all points on the East coast.
I learned at that young age what was happening just beyond the gentle surf that we played in almost every summer day. Those explosions produced additions to our beach which captured everyone’s sad attention. Life preservers and floating crates and debris washed ashore a few days after those booming disturbances of childhood sleep. Tar balls formed from the fuel escaping from the torpedoed vessel and were on our feet when we returned from a day at the beach . A ritual when returning from the beach was to clean up under the outside shower that was part of every summer residence. An addition to the shower stall in 1942 was either a can of Bon Ami or Old Dutch scouring cleanser. We were taught to sprinkle some on the concrete shower base and then scrub our feet on the concrete to remove the tar before we went in the house. In the summer1942 we all got out of our “winter feet” very early.
The Naval Training Airbase in Cape May County produced excitement as we watched planes racing across our skies to destinations unimaginable to a pre school mind. The Blimps(Airships) which were based at the Lakewood NJ Air station glided past us every day on their search for enemy submarines off our coast.
We knew the Germans were nearby and it caused concern but somehow little fright in the beach community. At least the fright was not exhibited to the kids playing on the beach although from time to time we heard conversations about husbands ,uncles and older sons who were more active than just collecting debris from the surf.. In 1942 we were at war but the Gold Stars in the windows were not yet appearing in the numbers that we would see 2 years later.
We have heard much in recent years about the Greatest Generation that saved the world in those years. That Greatest Generation extended to our shores populated by folks who while not in uniform were a part of the effort. They contributed with support and volunteering in bond drives, scrap collections, bandage making and planting of gardens as well as a myriad of other activities so that our troops could be supported by the best of everything the home front could provide.
Each year the start of the summer beach season, in South Jersey moves into full swing on the 4th of July, Independence Day. Growing up in Philadelphia, we always looked upon the 4th of July as our Special Day. Through my life on the summer beaches of South Jersey, I was never far from memories of those childhood summer days in 1942 when every part of our Nation was gathering
” together “ to assure that our Independence would not be diminished by the enemy at our door. They are powerful rememberences.
Your fond memories of your week on the beach this summer will be more joyful than those of my youth. Take a moment now and then to think of the price that was paid those many years ago to preserve the opportunity for us all to have those enjoyable moments of surf and sand as they were meant to be…..
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Outrage Perspective: A Guest Post byHeath Suddleson
Heath Suddleson once again has contributed a guest post worthy of your attention
Heath’s Post:
Today Bernard Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison for defrauding hundreds of clients out of billions of dollars. I am happy with the sentence and would like to see more. Three of my family members are on his client list, including my mother. There are a lot of people who have been crying for justice in this case and the judge ignored all pleas for leniency.
What I don’t get is that while all of this emotion is going on about a Ponsi Scheme that didn’t even effect the vast majority of Americans, there seems to be a lack of outrage for even more irresponsible actions that effect every American and to date total into the trillions of dollars.
This past Friday the House of Representatives passed a Cap and Trade bill that wasn’t even available for review before the vote was called. This legislation by the most liberal of estimates will cost each American Household an extra $175 per year. All impartial sources say the cost will be between $2,000 and $3,000 per year per household. This bill will not protect the environment, it will not protect jobs, and it will not do anything except put more money into the federal coffers and drive jobs out of the country where companies won’t have to pay the cap and trade fees.
This bill is just one of several that have spent trillions of dollars in less than six months. Between the bank bailouts, the stimulus package, the take over of General Motors, passage of expensive and inefficient climate change bills and the eventual take over of the health care system, this Congress and Administration seem bent on scheming the American Taxpayers out of trillions of dollars, and where is the outrage? There were more people showing up to Bernard Madoff’s sentencing than show up to the Capitol to express discontent with the acts of our Members of Congress. There were more people showing up to mourn the loss of Michael Jackson than were on hand to mourn the loss of common sense on Capitol Hill.
Make no mistake, the legislation being passed in the House and Senate are pure fraud at a much greater stake than anything Madoff was able to pull off. This effects every American, not just a select client list, and the damage done will take generations to pay off. Write your members of Congress and tell them you are unhappy with their actions. The next step is to vote out all incumbents who voted in favor of this bill. The list of those who voted in favor are listed on the House of Representatives website http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll477.xml
They could not be trusted to take this seriously. They passed a bill under the cover of darkness without giving even themselves an opportunity to check the bill. They do not deserve our trust and they do not deserve their positions. Vote them out!
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Sunday with Foxes, Dressage and the Neighborhood Lion
As a former East Coast city guy I have been reflecting on how Sundays are now different in my life. There often is still a ball game on TV involved, but the surrounding events certainly never happened in Philly.
Yesterday started with my wife coming in from the garden to urge me to get out on the deck and see what was going on in the meadow in front of our house. Our neighborhood fox had brought the family over to meet us. She was stoically sitting watching her 4 Kits frolic on the area between our house and the road. The kits were roughhousing, rolling around, nipping each other and having races from one end of the meadow to the other. It was a wonderful show and the passing traffic soon stopped passing. Cars were pulling over to watch and many pictures were taken.
An interesting aspect was that no one approached the foxes to disturb their acrobatics. My mountain neighbors seemed content to watch without interrupting. I’m not sure that a Philly crowd would handle it the same way. There probably would be bets taken on the races between the kits with appropriate cheering sections organized. The difference of what people enjoy was part of the thoughts I had while watching the foxes. However much the Philly crowd enjoyed the foxes they would have kept the car rolling, slowly maybe, but rolling towards the next event of their day. My mountain neighbors made this an event of their day which would only take a short time but was definitely worth the time taken.
Our Sunday afternoon included a trip to watch a Dressage competition. I must admit that if my granddaughter wasn’t competing I wouldn’t have been any where near the competition. I know that Dressage things probably occur in the Philadelphia area (Devon maybe) but not in my Philadelphia neighborhood. This was the 5th or 6th time over the years I have gone to watch her compete and I admit I have no clue how the judges make their decision. I always have been a bit suspicious of events that are judged. I played baseball and at the end of the game the team with more runs won. No points were taken away because of technique flaws. The most runs won. End of story.
I don’t voice these thoughts to horse people because they would then subject me to details I really don’t care to discuss. I simply enjoy seeing these beautiful people and horses performing, with skills that have obviously taken thousands of hours to learn. They all look great to me and they must, obviously, have very astute judges. Once again the correct decision was made and gave g’daughter another blue ribbon and also enough points to qualify her to compete in the regional championship in September. As a grand pop I obviously am very proud of her growing success but would understand it better if she had scored more things (runs, touchdowns) that I understood to get the points.
I was able to get home in time to catch the Yankees- Mets game on TV and was relieved to see the Mets continue to stumble more than the Phillies. My wife came up and asked me to join her on the back deck since it was a beautiful night and she wanted me to hear the noises going on up the hill behind our house. W went on the deck and shortly heard some screeching from our neighborhood lion. I can assure you that there were plenty of animals in Philly but all the lions were out on Girard Avenue at the zoo. I suggested that sitting on the deck in the dark while our local lion was prowling about 100 yards above us was probably not a smart thing to do. It was reluctantly agreed and we went in the house with no dramatic mountain lion event to report. My wife has a wildlife photo collection that she has assembled through the years but has no lion shot. I worry that she may give me a dramatic story to post one of these days from trying to get her lion photo.
Her bear photos on our deck are dramatic enough for me. We have had bears on the deck many times going for the bird feeders. When my wife goes out to get her photo she often huffs like a bear to get the bear to give her the angle she wants for her photo. I stand inside holding the door handle to open the door quickly if she needs a fast exit.
I always have been ready to take a part in family events as long as I can determine the part I will play. On these wild animal activities I’ll be glad to hold the door from the inside.
So much for a Sunday in Colorado. It may not be Philly but it’s not a bad place to spend a Sunday or every day
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Cap and Trade and The Theft of America
Nancy Pelosi is about to push a Cap and Trade bill through The House of Representatives this week. Nancy’s enthusiasm for this bill guarantees that it is something, about which every thinking American should be wary.
Wary is not a strong enough admonition. Every American should be e-mailing their Congressional representative to oppose this action. It is potentially the most economically destructive action yet conceived by the socialist movement of the Obama Administration.
If you are not sure what Cap and Trade is don’t be embarrassed. I am absolutely convinced that Nancy doesn’t know what the effect will be and couldn’t answer clearly how it will work. She does know that it will create a whole new agency that will regulate carbon emissions of every industry in America . The government will set standards for every business which if exceeded will result in stiff fines. The clear result is that jobs will be lost , your household energy cost will increase by thousands of dollars and Nancy and her Statist cohorts will be controlling the operation of every business in America. Think about that for a minute. Only take a minute. Contact your Representative with your objection, because time is short. Nancy is ready to axe American commerce with her Cap and Trade Bill.
Carbon emissions are now the least important aspect of this plan to consider. We can consider alternative plans to determine emission reduction where needed and if needed.
The things to consider which Nancy plans to pass tomorrow are:
1.The Obama Administration will be creating a massive new agency to regulate carbon emissions in every business and home in America.
2. There will be a tremendous increase in cost to heat your home. This cost is estimated by some to range from a $3000 to $5000 per year increase as this plan roles out over the next ten years.
3. Decrease in employment as many businesses are forced to close as the fines cause them to become unprofitable.
4. A potential lose of 1,000,000 jobs due to this Cap and Trade Nancy plan.
5. Obama and Nancy will extend their operating control beyond the Auto, Banking, Finance and Health businesses to every aspect of American business under the cover of supposedly controlling carbon emissions.
The Obama Administration does not lack personal energy. While we are trying to get a handle on Cap and Trade Obama last night launched his ABC Infomercial on why Socialized Medicine will be good for America. With absolute arrogance he announced that his plan would be implemented this year. My concerns, your concerns and our quality of care are not his concern. He and his minions are totally focused on placing the government (his government) in control of every aspect of our life. The reason for the rush to get all this done is now evident. The one fear they have is that the American public will wake up to the planned theft of our country by a foreign socialist philosophy that will place us all under the control of a central governing body.
The Obama tax plan will immediately follow the Health Plan. Taxes will be raised on the productive individuals in our society and the non tax paying portion of the citizens will be increased to more than 50%. We are not far from this now. About 40% of Americans do not pay any income tax. Many in addition get a tax refund for not paying any tax, (Figure that)
If you pay no tax and Obama sends you a refund many people will take that deal and repay Obama at the polls. If 50% are on the Obama dole, that sounds like a lock on the deal as to who will run the country until America collapses a few years down the road.
This Administration has structured a scheme that makes Madoff look like he was engaged in child’s play. If you are now concerned, call a few friends and send this email to everyone on your mailing list. These are issues to be considered seriously today.
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Liberty and Tyranny By Mark R. Levin
Mark R. Levin in Liberty and Tyranny has written one of the most important books of our time with the intriguing comparison of liberty and tyranny as his driving theme. Levin quotes Abraham Lincoln to start the thought process of his readers.
In 1864 Lincoln said: “We all declare for liberty but in using the same word we do not all mean the same thing. With some the word liberty may mean for each man to do as he pleases with himself, and the product of his labor; while with others, the same word the same word may mean for some men to do as they please with other men, and the product of other men’s labor. Here are two, not only different but incompatible things, called by the same name—-liberty. And it follows that each of the things is by the respective parties, called by two different and incompatible names—-liberty and tyranny.”
Levin in his book outlines in great detail the steps to tyranny being taken by the so called Liberal movement in America. He correctly points out that the modern liberal is does not fit the classic meaning of liberal which is the opposite of authoritarian. Levin maintains that the Modern Liberal more accurately can be characterized as a Statist.
The Statist believes in vesting economic control and economic planning in a centralized state government.
Levine unlike many talks how hosts describes the contest between Conservative thought and the efforts of the Statists with an academic research effort that is outstanding for detail and accuracy. The bombast of many of the combatants on the important issues of governance is not part of Levin’s Liberty and Tyranny.
The creation of the Constitution with the thoughts of Madison and the founders is included in understandable detail. The Statist assault led by Judges legislating from the bench is carefully outlined in a section that clearly describes the continuous assault on the foundation of our nation.
The failure of Federal spending to solve any recession is outlined with a recitation of the continued record unemployment figures throughout the 30’s despite the Roosevelt intercession of massive government programs, new agencies and control of many aspect of previously free market activity. The conclusions of expert analysis that the depression would have ended six years earlier without the government intercession is supported by some of the New Deal operatives of those programs and Levin provides the quotes.
A quote that strikes at the current administration economic policy was provided 70 years ago by
Roosevelt’s Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau. He provides a telling statement in his private diary. He states;” we have tried spending money. We are spending more than we have ever spent before and it does not work… We have never made good on our promises… I say after eight years of this Administration we have as much unemployment as when we started… and an enormous debt to boot.”
I wonder why Ted Geithner, Bernanki and Obama haven’t read the Levin book and the quotes of the Statists of a previous period. Either they haven’t done their homework or they are determined to ignore previous failures to continue their pursuit of power
I have thought for some time that in the Obama Administration a form of tyranny was to be a result of the programs being formulated. Levin points out that the tyranny has been structured in a gradual step by step process through decades of Statist activity. His thoughtful presentation has been very helpful in clarifying the real development of what have been my fears.
Adam Smith in 1776 wrote: An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations This work is regarded as the foundation work that formed the base for modern economic theory. Smith makes an important point that government does not add value to the economy. I have noted this in previous blog posts and Levin makes the same point with the additional clarifying note that the Obama stimulus “removes value from the economy by imposing taxes on one citizen and providing cash to another.”
Edmunde Burke argued that “each individual is created as a unique spiritual being.” Burke made the case that there is one law that governs all law, the law of humanity, justice and equity—the law of nature and of nations.—Natural Law
At the heart of our nations founding was a belief and statement concerning Natural Law and that Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness are unalienable rights of man.
Levin makes the point that: “the abandonment of Natural Law is the adoption of tyranny in one form or another, because there is no humane or benevolent alternative to Natural Law.”
Obama and his cronies are demonstrating their disdain for the founding principles of our nation. Dignity and value of the individual is considered to be subservient to the greater capability of the “State” and it’s organizers. Levin needs to be read. His summations proofs and quotes concerning the foundation of America have in concise form recalled for me many of our nation’s founding principles that I studied in my American history courses decades ago.
Levin with his example of accurate reporting has me now, more carefully, reviewing historic facts to support conclusions rather than just ranting about this administration. The administration deserves some rants in which I will still engage, but the Levin example of careful documentation will help any case against the Obama Statis agenda to steal our America.
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The Summer of The Obama
My youthful summer training involved beaches, surf, sailing and no thoughts of school. The closest thing that I came to a reading list was the Classic comics that crept into my pile of Superman and Batman classics. The early summertime commerce training involved trading those comics with buddies for issues I did not have in my collection. We also traded baseball cards which involved a little more savvy thought. A Joe DiMaggio brought more than an Eddie Joost in a trade. Perhaps if a Hank Majeski,. a Pete Suder and Elmer Valo were thrown in I might consider letting go of my Joe D.
Summer was nothing but fun back in those days. The summer mentality carried over into business after school days were over. It was hard to do a significant deal in July and most of August since everyone was on vacation or said they were. In early September it was hard to get any ones attention since getting the kids clothed for school was the priority
Business got our full attention in October with a real hustle since everyone knew that after Thanksgiving it was impossible to do any new business unless you were in retail
January till Easter was the period of few distractions if you were in business.
Easter revived thoughts of the coming summer and the preparations of the Shore or Mountain home if you owned one. If you didn’t own a property you had better get down to the resort area of your preference to make summer rental arrangement, because all the good places would be gone in a few weeks.
The Obama summer will not very likely be similar to the summers of my youth or those of most of my life. As a matter of fact the first Obama summer is laying out changes that likely will change the entire structure of the work year as well as those special summer months
The opportunity in America that presented a life as I have experienced will never be the same, unless Americans wake up. The opportunity that my generation had for living a good life with hard work only interrupted by joyful summer and holiday periods is about to disappear. The summer solstice this year only means more Obama in our face with plans to tax our country into an close imitation of an poor Slavic state.
The beneficiaries of the Obama plan will be the politicians and their favored supporters.
The moves being made by Obama will make this summer the most historic in my life.
There is a revolution taking place here while most Americans are not even following events
The Auto Industry has been gutted by amateur political management is a few short months. The Banking system is in control of the Obama Administration.
The Secretary of the Treasury calmly suggests to Congress that major expansion of the Federal Reserve role in controlling currency be implemented. The Secretary was President of the NY Federal Reserve Bank before being appointed Secretary of the Treasury. Might there be a conflict of interest here??
Cap and Trade is surely coming from Obama if the America population doesn’t rise up to stop this ridiculous approach to providing a cleaner environment. The average cost to an American family will be more than $4000 per year with thousands of jobs lost and little environmental benefit will result. If you don’t know about cap and trade, you had better do some reading of an impartial analysis of this plan.
The Health Plan proposal is so outrageous that it overwhelms any reasonable thought. A Trillion dollars in additional cost and 36,000,000 people will remain uncovered. If you think you will pick your doctor think again and again and again.
We are being governed by folks with a fascist agenda while we sit and cheer like the Germans in the 30’s. It is time to stop the cheering and for people to be ready to hit the streets in protest of the daily plans being formulated to take our country away from the people and be completely controlled by a political elite.
I’m not happy to have my summer turned into the Summer of Obama. His daily TV appearances must cease to be supported by major media. He does not own the airwaves and there must be a few courageous TV management executives with the ability to say; Not again today, to the White House.
The Obama Change is a major alteration of everything worthwhile in American business and relationships between the government and the governed. We as individuals are not without guilt in this situation. We elected these folks and are sitting by while they take our country away from us while we sit like a bunch of dummies watching reality shows.
We are a long way from the summers of my youth and I fear that my grandchildren will think my descriptions as an impossible fantasy. Simply the ramblings by an old man who doesn’t really remember summers without the government making daily proclamations of needed new programs costing trillions of dollars.
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Obama: Please! Please! Take a Break
Will there come a day when Obama is not on the news with another plan to change America from all the ills of decades of national mismanagement by leaders less skilled then he.
I really am thinking of changing my sleep/ awake structure . I need to miss a few of the daily Obama excitements. I have hardly caught my breath from the extraordinary plan to further indebt more generations of Americans with a Health Plan that makes no sense at all, when here he comes with a revision of all things financial. He gives an interview while demonstrating his eye hand coordination by killing a fly while explaining the plan of the moment.
I now am calling them the plan of the moment because plan of the day is too slow moving for our fly killing President. My fly killing expertise has not received any notice even though it is at a level of assuredness that exceeds that demonstrated by the President.
I have a son who is extraordinary with his ability to snatch an annoying fly out of the air while it is flying. He considers the Obama method of waiting till the fly alights before striking as bad form and a lack of basic sportsmanship. If the media is determined to make fly elimination a subject of national coverage they should in fairness contrast the Presidential performance with some demonstrations of fly swatting/catching professionalism.
I am getting groggy from the Obama overdose. I forgot that coverage of anything that detracts from the Obama image is not considered by the media even worth mentioning.
ie: The ABC coverage of the Obama Health Plan on June 24th from the White House will not permit opposing views to be heard. I wonder how much time will be given to the GAO analysis of the plan. The GAO study indicates that the Obama plan will add another Trillion dollars to the budget deficits and 36 million people will still have no coverage. If this is mentioned watch carefully how the trillion dollars is explained away by administration spokes persons.
Chris Dodd needs to be watched very carefully if he is part of the program on the 24th. He has an ability to deliver a verbal slight of hand to match the Presidents fly killing hand motion. Dodd will kill any question concerning excess spending with an explanation that can spin the questioner into a state of forgetting what was the question asked. Dodd has used his years in the Senate avoiding any fiscal responsibility with the belief that a timely smile can carry one past responsibility for anything.
For those who may not know, the GAO is the Government Accountability Office. The non partisan office has the responsibility of analyzing proposals and presenting the Congress and the American public with their best assessment as to what a program is going to cost. Pay attention to any references to this study during the show I think they will be very few, especially since no dissenting fews are scheduled for presentation.
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Obama Takes Over ABC?
Drudge has reported that ABC National news will be presented by Charlie Gibson on June 24 from the Blue Room in the White House. There will then be a presentation from the White House promoting the Obama government run health plan called Prescription for America. The presentation will not allow opposing views to be presented.
ABC will be promoting the program for the next nine days. This astonishing development essentially is a network promotion of the Obama effort of his administration proposal that the government take over health care. There will be no network charge for their promotion of Obama’s health plan proposal.
If anyone ever doubted that this administration had goals mimicking historic socio/fascist strategy for government control of all aspects of American life those doubts are now erased. Obama has essentially taken over ABC to promote the government take over of the health care system in America. ABC seems to be a willing co- conspirator in this media takeover.
There is not yet information as to what pressure the Obama Administration used to make ABC turn over their news facilities for the promotion of the Obama health plans. ABC might not have been as willing as it now seems. However this happened ABC deserves all the criticism that will result. They are either totally gutless or completely brainless to participate in this Obama promotion without providing opposition opportunity for presentation. Charlie Gibson’s participation is the end of any of his credibility as a newsman. Infomercials should be his next assignment on TV. Obama has given him the chance to practice this craft participating in the governments June 25th Health Plan Infomercial on ABC
The kick off for the Obama Heath Care takeover plan was his speech the other day to the AMA. He used this gathering of 500 physicians to outline his sales pitch. Careful attention must be given to everything the President says since he is a superb presenter with deceptive elements in each move he makes. Listen carefully to his speech which sounds good on first hearing. I think a key sentence was his admonition to the AMA that he wants their cooperation but will proceed to put the plan in place even if they don’t come along. He feels that he can put together a plan without Doctors agreement. That is sure to be a plan we all can look forward to–No Docs needed.
Think carefully about his takeover of banks, insurance companies as well as the auto industry. He is now making moves to add health care and the major media to the list. He has stated he is going to revise health care without the doctors if they object. What was it he majored in at Occidental College?
Harvard, Penn and Northwestern Business Schools should have been staying in touch with Occidental and reviewed their classes on Temerity. Obama’s studies in college have remained a secret. There is however no doubt he did some “California Dreamin” when he was in college on the West Coast and if there was a course in Temerity he got an A+
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Is Jack Sparrow on the Obama Team?
The first evidence of common sense concerning government acquisition of American business has emerged in the Senate. John Thune the United States Senator from South Dakota has crafted a bill that every thinking American needs to support. Senator Thune has proposed a Government Ownership Exit Plan that is a needed additional amendment to the current government takeover of major private sector businesses. Thune points out that “Obama is now the effective CEO of General Motors, Chrysler, Citi Group, AIG, Bank of America and 500 other American banks. The Congress has become a 535 member board of directors of these businesses.”
If there is anyone that thinks this will work for the public benefit they really haven’t thought this through. Nancy Pelosi essentially becomes the de facto Chief Financial Officer of these government controlled companies. This situation is chilling and getting chillier by the day. We have major sectors of American business being run by a CEO who prepared for this massive task by running a neighborhood community organization. He is supported by a Speaker of The House who looks totally unprepared for any reasonable financial responsibility.
I have often written a plea for some leadership signs by the, seemingly absent from the contest, Republican opposition. Finally there is a significant proposal emerging in the Senate that we can rally around. Hope is rising in the West!
John Thune has the look of a leader and a proposed bill that directly addresses the dangerous agenda of this President to move our nation into a socialist model(at best) that has no evidence of success anywhere it has been tried. If you disagree you probably forgot about Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union who were decades long proponents of government controlled enterprise. If those examples are forgotten I don’t expect the Germany and Italy of the 30’s will be remembered.
The shining hope of America has been the opportunity for individual achievement with little government involvement in entrepreneurial activity. The American Dream has been a bit messed up by financial greed, business failures to react to market realities and increased disruptive government involvement over the last 15 or 20 years.
Much readjustment is needed but government ownership of major business is not part of readjusting the American Dream. Senator John Thune recognizes this and is taking action that will be a first step in limiting government involvement for any longer term than is necessary.
Wrong thinking government involvement is rearing it’s head already. The Obama Administration’s Treasury Secretary, Tim Geithner has appointed Kenneth R. Feinberg as Special Master for Compensation concerning executive pay for those companies receiving government aid.
Feinberg is not without compensation experience but nothing that has approached this level of responsibility. The appointment is easy to understand as a populist move to counter the kind of greed evidenced by Pundit of Citi Group who received $38 million while the company was tanking and Kenneth Lewis of Bank of America receiving 9 million while his banks stability was declining. The Government plan is to severely restrict the pay of the executives who will be responsible for taking these companies back to financial success. The government is talking about a $500,000 compensation package maximum for those companies who have accepted government bailout money since February. The response to this proposal has been a wholesale run of banks seeking to bail out of government involvement in their business. The evidence of Government pressure on BOA to buy Merrill Lynch by government officials is mounting .
This was a push against the increased resistance by Lewis to back out of the deal when he started to realize the scope of the Merrill Lynch liabilities. He evidently was pushed into the acquisition by Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson and Ben Benanki, Chairman of the Federal Reserve with veiled threats of dire consequences if he didn’t take the deal. The Merrill lynch deal has put BOA into a financial stress condition.
As the evidence of federal regulators handling of the financial mess with the Fed Chairman’s willing compliance unfolds, there will be increased evidence of the bungled continuing misuse of government funding. Recent actions will show the federal efforts to be a poorly veiled attempt to gain control of major segments of U.S. industry by the Obama team. They picked up the Paulson/Bernanki plan and restructured it to meet their own goals.
The Obama team is possibly being guided by Jack Sparrow who is standing in the shadows waiting for the key moment to run the Pirates Skull and Crossbones up the Capital flagpole to signify total victory.
The Obama ship better hold up for a minute . This fight is not quite over.
Senator John Thune has unsheathed a powerful legislative sword that needs some public sharpening. Check it out and sign up for this important Nation Saving Battle.
Meet Senator John Thune at http://johnthune.com/62b1
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The Amish and Me
At least once a year we visit my wife’s family in Central Pennsylvania. They live in small towns in close proximity to Penn State which provides much of the non-farming employment in the area.
An interesting part of the visit is provided by the Amish neighbors who have moved into the small hometown in which my mother in-law lives. For the last 20 years almost every house that has gone on the market has been bought by an Amish family. The first Amish family moved into the house next door about 30 years ago. My kids got to know their kids a bit and as time passed we also got to know the family. They owned the only (successful)store in town and sold boots and equipment related to horses and carriages. The retail approach met the needs of the growing Amish community but also me the high end needs of the Dressage and horse show crowd. If I needed boots I would schedule the purchase to my annual visit to PA. The selection carried in this small country store was as diverse as any I have seen anywhere.
The Amish are known by most for the separate life they lead from the normal activities of a typical American family. We have become friends of a sort with a number of Amish folks but recognize that there is a separation that will not be crossed . That is understandable and OK with me. I feel my blood pressure relaxing as I sit on the porch watching the neighbors grandkids playing in the yard with simple wagons and carts. They are having as much fun as any kid in
America and there is not a cell phone or I-Pod in sight. On the porch I watch with interest when the neighbors head out with their carriage pulled by a beautiful Standard Bred which didn’t quite make it at the track as a big time Trotter. He seems to be quite happy heading into town proudly trotting in front of the neighbors carriage.
An older single Amish lady lives across the road with an immaculate lawn and hanging plants around the porch. The property looks great and today I discovered why. A young Amish Family showed up with push mower and a few garden tools. In an hour the lawn was cut and trimmed and the young family was on their way home. My mother in-law explained that an Amish family shows up every week to handle the large lawn cutting. It is a different family every week and a schedule has been worked out that takes care of this for the neighbor.
Last year the next door neighbors house caught fire and burned to the ground . It was a total loss.
The embers were not yet cool when the Amish community started showing up to help solve the neighbors problem. We followed the progress of restoration every day from Colorado on the phone with my wife’s mother. She watched from the window with amazement as a new house appeared next to her rising like a Phoenix from the rubble. Hundred of Amish friends and relatives appeared within a few days with hammers and saws. Six weeks later our friends were in their new house.
We are not talking a modest house. It is approximately 4000 sq ft with every amenity(except electric) that is necessary for a comfortable life. I ‘ve had a tour of the new house and as an old builder developer I can’t even imagine how that six week deal happened.
I’m not about to convert(they wouldn’t take me) but I recognize certain aspects of the Amish life that were once important to most Americans. Family and community were once structured into our activities every day. The family was first and other issues were structured around that primary consideration.
The President was not in our face every day and we were able to get along without the government plan for the AM followed by the PM outline. I think that the average Amish person doesn’t know what Nancy Pelosi does for a living. That is not unusual since I’ve been trying to figure that out for some time. I have figured out how to avoid high blood pressure problems.
My personal recipe. Only listen to a weekly summary of the news. Listen while lying down after taking a full sized aspirin (not an 81mg variety). If there is a Nancy Pelosi sound bite, on the news broadcast, hit the mute button.
This prescription has not been approved by any medical organization and I am not sure what the administration will think about it. I do fear that if my practice becomes widespread that the administration will make a proclamation requiring a National Noon News Break where we will gather for daily instructions from the Obamanista Administration.
The Amish won’t notice. No electric
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