The 30 Minute Cocktail Hour Podcast & Blog

We hear the politicians say it for a sound bite.  We hear the news anchors say it because they think they have to do so.   “Our brave men and women.”   But when a phrase that is supposed to be heartfelt  is over used it enters buzz word stage.  Read more

This is for all the Californians.

Another special election is coming up on May 19th and your vote is very needed.  It seems the state officials have figured out a way to screw the tax payer again while shifting their responsibility of actually making a budget that won’t bankrupt the state.  It doesn’t take a genius or Econ professor to know that you don’t tax people in a recession.   The knee jerk reaction for people is to reduce their own spending which causes the dominoes to fall and at the end….layoffs.

The worse part about these propositions is the bold face lies coming from Arnold and the rest of the Republicrats (the two parties have merged). This shouldn’t really shock any of us though I suppose.  DO NOT believe the crap from the ads about Prop 1A.  It is nothing but a tax increase.  An extension of  the higher taxes we now enjoy for an additional two more years.

The rainy day fund bullshit presented in regards to Prop 1B is nothing more than a bride to the Teachers Union.  They will get half of that fund when it reaches a certain amount.

Below is a summary of the Props thanks to John & Ken at KFI 640.

Proposition 1A-VOTE NO

State Budget. Changes California Budget Process. Limits State Spending. Increases “Rainy Day” Budget Stabilization Fund.  This is the 2 year tax increase!

Proposition 1B-VOTE NO

Education Funding. Payment Plan.  “Payoff” to Teachers Union

Proposition 1C-VOTE NO

Lottery Modernization Act.  No more borrowing schemes!

Proposition 1D-VOTE NO

Protects Children’s Services Funding. Helps Balance State Budget.  This feeds the spending beast

Proposition 1E-VOTE NO

Mental Health Services Funding. Temporary Reallocation. Helps Balance State Budget.
This feeds the spending beast too

Why isn’t Obama pushing for the Big 3 to support national healthcare? General Motors, Chrysler, and Ford are all hamstrung by huge commitments to legacy healthcare costs. Recent reports have suggested that there is $1,000 in the purchase price of every car on the lot that goes straight to paying for legacy costs. This is a $1,000 in vehicle expense that does not add value to prospective owners. If Obama is so intent on offering some form of socialized medicine, why isn’t he asking those asking for a handout to help? Socialized medicine would alleviate a large percentage of Detroit’s issues and allow them to become competitive again. Detroit will still have the antiquated idea of the AUW and poor product design to work on but there will be time for that later.

I’m all for smaller government but I do like the idea of a safety net for our tax paying citizens. It is said that medical bills are one of the leading reasons for pushing people into bankruptcy. This then forces people onto government assistance or worse yet, the street. A national healthcare plan could spread the cost over a wider base and offer a service to everyone. I suspect that those with higher incomes could enjoy a private provider but they would not receive a rebate for doing so. I’m no doctor but I suspect the burden of medical bills contributes to even more health issues.

National healthcare would also allow the finally concentrate on health education and prevention. By educating people and preventing illness from progressing, we could actually save money. This however would require massive change from citizens, the government, and big Pharma. In the end it’s probably just a lot easier to hand out billions of dollars and listed to the masses complain for a few months instead of leading a massive cultural change that would really improve our lives.