The Fear of illegal Immirants

Do you remember the biblical story of the Jews who traveled from Cannan to Egypt? The Egyptians enslaved the Jews. There is a similarity in that story to the large numbers of Mexicans who have entered the United States. Americans believe that slavery is immoral. However, many Americans have no problem treating the illegal aliens as second class citizens even if they are given legal residency. Thus there has been little progress in resolving the illegal alien issue over the past decade.

I started writing about illegal (undocumented) aliens in the USA in November 2007. Since then no new legislation has been enacted. It was a hot topic then and still is today. When Hillary Clinton was running for president she opposed even the issuance of driver’s licenses to those here illegally.

Say what you want but we really want those people in the United States. They do so many of the jobs we prefer not to do. From cleaning toilets to making beds to working in food processing facilities, we simply do not want to perform those functions and hope to send our children to college so they too can avoid those menial tasks.

The GOP is standing in the way of creating even a path to second class residency. The Los Angeles Times had an on line article about licensing illegal alien drivers that included the fact that “The applicants may include people from rural villages who never obtained birth certificates as well as day laborers with no fixed address to prove California residency.”

I understand the feelings and fears of those who oppose any legal documentation for those entering the country illegally. They are here. They do the jobs we don’t want to do. As I asked in November 2007, How many of us are prepared for an uprising of the down trodden?

Gay Marriage and who cares?

I now say it again, I Don’t Like Gay People. Apparently it needs repeating. My reason remains the same. Many of them feel the need to announce their sexual preferences openly and repeatedly. The most obvious display is their participation in gay or LGBT parades.

On an individual basis these people are mostly nice and well behaved. I have no reason to ask any one their sexual preference. I really don’t care. Their marriage will not effect my marriage one iota.

The question is why should anyone care? The answer is religious belief. Most religions frown on homosexuality. At least the orthodox do.

That view has provided the religious right with another campaign issue. Thus Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has another opportunity to campaign against Democrats and moderate Republicans. Perhaps because he realizes a legal challenge could soon strike down his state’s ban on marriage equality and that Republicans are generally losing the battle over equal marriage, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has introduced a bill “defending” states’ right to regulate marriage.

Is this a case of “state’s rights” or does he have a real opposition to gay marriage? Rawstory.com “Citing states’ rights, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) has introduced an anti-gay marriage bill.” Tea Party basic view is reduce the power of the federal government. That leads to opposing all federal legislation. That would include far a field topics from gay marriage to drought aid.

Marijuana

SHOCKING!!

Suspicious: This image of Brooke Shield’s allegedly smoking cannabis with hardcore punk artiste H.R was leaked on the internet

I have been a supporter of legalizing the use of all illegal narcotics for years. I have never used any of them. Actually the only thing I ever smoked was a pipe and I gave that up decades ago.

My logic is that all the efforts to discourage the use of marijuana, heroin, and other drugs have been a failure. Those that want those narcotics have no difficulty obtaining them. Society has spent millions of dollars jailing people for possession the drugs. Gangs and cartels have made millions of dollars distributing them and people who challenge the cartels are murdered. This is not just a Mexican problem. It is a world wide problem. FBI data reported in U.S. News: American police made a total of 12,196,959 arrests in 2011 for marijuana use.

This past week the issue of marijuana use arrived at my home. My daughter suffers with serious acid reflux disease. It has been an ongoing problem for the past 18 months. Her doctor told her that one way to reduce the nausea and heartburn symptoms is to smoke marijuana. Medical marijuana is legal in California. Those symptoms had been under control with a variety of medications. The medications have not been effective the past few weeks. Finally, out of desperation, I said why not try the marijuana. Instant relief was the benefit. Starting this past Tuesday night she has not pleaded with me to take her to the ER.

Here is the ultimate hypocrisy.

Obama is quoted as saying that marijuana is no worse than cigarettes or alcohol. Still, he remains opposed to a nationwide decriminalization of marijuana. CNN reports Marijuana is currently classed as a schedule 1 drug, the same category as heroin and ecstasy. The Denver Post reports “Attorney General Eric Holder says the Obama administration is planning to roll out regulations soon that would allow banks to do business with legal marijuana sellers.”

Is this a great country or what?

Battle to Save the GOP

The United States system of government requires compromise if it is to function. The two major poltical parties differ in so many way that it difficult to believe they are even from the same country. There are many reasons for this situation. Urban versus rural is the most obvious.

President Ronald Reagan “stood tough and strong against our — and humanity’s — enemies abroad, at home Reagan showed a congeniality to his political opponents. And he stood for and evinced a sunny optimism about both America and the American people. To him it was always “morning in America.”” From http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/02/04/bennett.reagan.optimism/ He compromised with Tip O’Neill, Democratic Speaker of the House.

Americans want a well managed functioning government. President Obama ran for election on the theme that he would be the man who would lead a government that would bring all Americans together. The president’s words, “There is not a liberal America and a conservative America – there is the United States of America.” It didn’t happen. His intent was in the right place but his ability to deliver has fallen far short.

It is obvious that Americans yearn for a president who can lead all the people regardless of their political party.

During the Obama presidency the GOP has NOT been the party of new ideas. It has been the party of NO. That has to change if the party is to survive.

That brings us to the group of potential candidates for the 2016 primaries. Who among the many can convince Americans that they can lead a divided nation?

Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan clearly is a well known participant who wants to prove to Americans that he could lead our politically divided nation. So even though he is an avowed conservative, who has been reported to be an admirer of Ayn Rand, he wants to convey the idea that he could lead the nation even if the Democrats controlled one house of Congress and the Republicans controlled the other. Thus, Mr. Ryan has forged a budget agreement compromise with Democrats. It’s not something like President Ronald Reagan reaching an agreement with Democratic leader Thomas (Tip) O’Neill despite what Chris Matthews tries to imagine but at least they were talking to each other.

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is another possibility along with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. After all both of them are holding office in states that are typically Democratic.

That leaves out Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, Texas Governor Rick Perry, and Texas Senator Ted Cruz. All have been strong conservatives. None has shown any inclination for compromise.

Still the budget agreement is an indicator that Republicans are beginning to understand the path to their success is their willingness to reach agreement. That ought to translate into agreement on the debt ceiling and immigration reform.

If the GOP says NO to those issues they can say goodbye to winning national elections.

Spend Today – Let Tomorrow be Someone Else’s Problem

I am exhausted by government mismanagement. It’s not about Obamacare. It’s about foolish spending at the state and local levels.

Here in California the EDD (Employment Development Department), that is the department that pays unemployment insurance, they decided to implement a new computerized check paying system. California paid Deloitte Consulting $62 million to develop EDD’s new computer system. An estimated 148,000 people have experienced delays of up to four weeks in receiving their payments due to computer glitches.

The Los Angeles DWP implemented a new billing system in October of this year. Thousands of people received bills that were double their normal charges. Some received bills one half their normal charges. When those receiving incorrect overcharges refused to pay they were threatened with shutoff notices.

A retired DWP construction worker volunteered his retirement benefit to me, $6,000 per month. Stunned, I said nothing. The DWP has a powerful union.

Meanwhile Chicago officials, as they often do, turned to borrowing to relieve the financial pressure. This time they used taxable bonds with high interest rates, making the ultimate price tag even bigger. A $12 million bill related to disabled parking will be paid off in 2039 for at least $30 million. The Chicago Tribune found that the mayor’s boasting of tough choices amounts to selling taxable bonds to cover day-to-day expenses. Long after he is gone the bill for retirement benefits will come due. With a declining population (in the 1950s it was 3.5 million people, today the population is 2.5 million) this city may be the next Detroit.

No Defining Issue

Does Every Vote Count?

Why should I vote? It’s the favorite question for everyone who fails to vote. After many non-voters say that no matter who wins nothing changes.

In my own state assembly district there was a special election to replace the assemblyman who now holds a Los Angeles city council seat. The results separate the Democrat, Now leading, from the Republican by 173 votes. It wasn’t immediately known how many provisional ballots remained to be counted. So results are not final. This situation has occurred in a district that has historically been Democratic.

Neither candidate has held elected office. The candidates had a difficult time defining their differences. Neither offered a clear message answering the question, why should I vote for you?

Perhaps that is the reason elections are close. There was no defining issue.

Democrats are Celebrating

The Republican Party seems to be living in another time when White conservative Americans were a majority and their beliefs dominated all others.

Their reference is the world of Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, William F. Buckley and Barry Goldwater.

Today is a totally different time. Large numbers of immigrants from non-White countries along with a more successful Black American society are the growing population. The population of Hispanics has become equal to the population of Whites in the most heavily populated state in the union.

The Huffington Post reports Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, speaking more than a year after he lost to President Barack Obama, acknowledged Friday that his campaign failed to attract minority voters.

“The place that my campaign and I fell short was probably in being able to speak openly and effectively to minority populations. We didn’t get as many African-American voters as we should have, didn’t get as many Hispanic voters as we should have,” he said on “CBS This Morning.” “Across the board, we need to do a better job explaining why it is that our policies will lead to higher wages, better health care, better schools.”

Perhaps Mitt Romney does understand the need to change now. However his comments about the 47% will dog him for the rest of his life.

The Tea Party agenda is in opposition to the changes the GOP needs to make in order to win elections in the multi-cultural society of 2013 and beyond.

Democrats are celebrating.

545 People Responsible For All Of U.S. Woes

Written by Charley Reese, a conservative, in the Orlando Sentinel in 1985. He is now deceased. Everything remains the same.

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

Have you ever wondered why, if both the Democrats and Republicans are against deficits, we have deficits? Have you ever wondered why if all politicians are against inflation and high taxes, we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don’t propose a federal budget. The president does. You and I don’t have Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does. You and I don’t write the tax code. Congress does. You and I don’t set fiscal policy. Congress does. You and I don’t control monetary policy. The Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president and nine Supreme Court justices — 545 human beings out of 235 million — are directly, legally, morally and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

I excused the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered by private central bank.

I exclude all of the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman or a president to do one cotton-picking thing. I don’t care if they offer a politician $1 million in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it.

No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislators’ responsibility to determine how he votes.

Don’t you see the con game that is played on the people by the politicians? Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of Tip O’Neill, who stood up and criticized Ronald Reagan for creating deficits.

The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it. The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating appropriations and taxes.

Those 545 people and they alone are responsible. They and they alone should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses — provided they have the gumption to manage their own employees.

Russian Professor Predicts End of U.S.

As we all watch the repeated government shutdowns and the up to the edge debate over the debt ceiling, ObamaCare, taxation and a variety of other topics it has become clear that the United States is severely divided. Others around the world see the end of our great experiment.

Perhaps the only thing Mr. Igor Panarin was incorrect about is the timing.

By Andrew Osborn in The Wall Street Journal

Updated Dec. 29, 2008

MOSCOW — For a decade, Russian academic Igor Panarin has been predicting the U.S. will fall apart in 2010. For most of that time, he admits, few took his argument — that an economic and moral collapse will trigger a civil war and the eventual breakup of the U.S. — very seriously. Now he’s found an eager audience: Russian state media.

More here >> http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB123051100709638419

There will be No Middle Class

In September, the number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more)was little changed at 4.1 million. These individuals accounted for 36.9 percent of the unemployed. The number of long-term unemployed has declined by 725,000 over the past year.

Both the civilian labor force participation rate, at 63.2 percent, and the employment-population ratio at 58.6 percent, were unchanged in September. Over the year, the labor force participation rate has declined by 0.4 percentage point, while the employment-population ratio has changed little.

These are not my words. They are copied from yesterday’s BLS report for the month of September.

Sadly today’s Los Angeles Times commentator, Doyle McManus wrote the following article that points out the real wealth trend in America. The future looks even bleaker, according to libertarian economist Tyler Cowen.

Cowen is quoted as writing, “Our future will bring more wealthy people than ever before, but also more poor people. Rather than balancing our budget with higher taxes or lower benefits, we will allow the real wages of many workers to fall — and thus we will allow the creation of a new underclass.”

Poof goes the middle class

Imagine a future in which real wages for most workers decline year after year; a future in which middle-class jobs that disappeared in the Great… The rest of this Los Angeles Times opinion here

McManus ends his column with the question, New ideas, anyone? Even if someone has any new ideas how can they be implemented when our political system is broken?