What is an “honest mistake”?

Timothy Geithner, President-elect Barack Obama’s choice to run the Treasury Department, neglected to pay self employment taxes for three years but according to Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus “These errors were not intentional; they were honest mistakes.” If you or I claimed we made “honest mistakes” would we be so quickly forgiven?

 

Bill Clinton’s Global Initiative is most likely a very worthwhile cause. If your company or country was giving money to this charity and the secretary of state is Mr. Clinton’s wife wouldn’t you be looking for a favor?  No! No! says Mrs. Clinton, those contributions will not effect my behavior.  Is this a believable scenario?

 

The Eric Holder hearing should be interesting.  He is the man who recommended the Marc Rich pardon to President Bill Clinton.  Based upon the televised hearings the Republicans are not willing to stand up to these utterly phony hearings.  

 

Barack Obama’s appointments will probably all receive “consent.”  What happened to “change you can believe in?”  Well it was an “honest mistake” or perhaps we all had the “audacity” to believe things would be different.

Earmarks, Pork, and Infrastructure

So what’s the difference between Earmarks, Pork, and Infrastructure?  It’s all about allocating specific money to specific projects.  Along the way the accomplishment of the project might be defined in such a way that only one specific company can do the work.

 

One man’s Pork is another man’s Infrastructure project.  Is that Pork an Earmark?  Earmarkwatch.org has identified more than 3,000 projects that they believe are Pork.  Daniel Engber of Slate.com offered his definition but not everyone would agree.  After all, a $500,000 grant to the Teapot Museum in Sparta, N.C. might be viewed by some as a perfectly legitimate way to spend taxpayer money.

 

Here is one of 10 most outrageous earmarks according to Time Magazine. 

Another product of the pork-stuffed economic bailout bill, this earmark slipped into the Senate version of the legislation renews an expired rebate against excise taxes charged on rum imported from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands until the end of 2009. The provision was mocked during a subsequent debate in the House by Democrat Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, saying, “So we got tax breaks for rum. You’ve got it right. R-U-M.” But it still passed — and the criticism that followed in the media fired up lobbyists from Bacardi and Captain Morgan, the two most popular rum brands in the U.S., who said they aren’t seeing any of this money. The $192 million in tax cuts mostly go to the two territories to help them build up their economies and, in theory, keep them from needing larger financial handouts from the mainland. But then again, this practice isn’t new. For decades, Congress has been giving the two territories this precise tax cut. And if it hadn’t been part of this controversial bailout this time around, it might have once again gone unnoticed.

 

Senator Hillary Clinton and fellow New York Senator Charles Schumer requested a million bucks to put towards a museum project in their state, backed by a major Democratic Party contributor, commemorating the 1969 Woodstock music festival.  This proposal failed.  Some people of New York State probably thought this was a reasonable use of taxpayer’s money.  A “bridge to nowhere” in Alaska or a “subway to the sea” in Los Angeles could be earmarks for worthwhile projects. 

 

 

I personally think that subway is important and believe it to be a very worthwhile Infrastructure project.  I hope President Obama agrees.

Not From Walmart or Costco

The New White House Place Settings

This place setting photograph of the new George W. Bush State China Service shows one of 320 14-piece place settings that cost a total $492,798.  Although it was paid for by a private association trust it is utterly astonishing to me.

 

First of all George W. Bush will be leaving office in less than two weeks.  The choice of this china should have been made by the incoming president or his wife.  To my way of thinking, this is an insult to the incoming presidential family.

 

Second is the outrageous cost.  The cost per place setting is $1,539.99.  Of course you could say that this will be the china used to serve heads of state, kings, queens and other high level dignitaries.  While this is an accurate fact it is also a fact that the United States has historically avoided honoring our presidents or other dignitaries with special tributes.  In David McCullough’s biography of John Adams he specifically identifies Mr. Adams’ failure to give the president any specific title beyond “Mr. President.”

Abraham Lincoln, Harry Truman, Barack and Michelle Obama all came from modest environments and they have all done quite well.  While we want to honor the president and his guests there is no need to treat them as aristocracy.

Gaza War is a Mistake

On September 20 of last year I suggested that Israel might go to war with Iran before January 20.  Apparently the Israelis opted for something closer to home.  I believe the motivation is politics.  Two of the leading candidates for prime minister are relatively dovish.  They are Ehud Barak and Tzipi Livini.  They obviously want to show a tough military face to the Israeli electorate.  There is little doubt that the cost of life to Israel’s forces will be small. It is astonishing to me that they would lead their country into war without an exit plan or even a plan on how to win.

 

There is sufficient evidence to support Israel’s contention that Hamas has been hiding their launching facilities inside civilian area.  While Israel has the right to protect its population the cost of civilian lives in Gaza has been too great.  Israel will have to agree to a cease fire without destroying the ability of Hamas to fire rockets at them.  Hamas will declare their survival a victory. The Palestinian people will be emboldened to fire even more rockets into Israel.

 

This is one more issue that will be high on President Barack Obama’s to do list.

Pay to Play

What a shock!  We need lots of money to run for political office but the people with the money want to be rewarded for their contributions!  The funniest part of this system of American politics is that most people are surprised by all of this.

It’s really a bribe.  We call it Pay to Play because it sounds so much nicer.  New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson is just one of many who have been accused of participating in this activity.  Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is being charged with trying to sell a senate seat.  The former mayor of Los Angeles was accused of Pay to Play activities in his run for office and his campaign to keep the San Fernando Valley from separating from the city.  These three people have not been found guilty of any crime.

When it’s a crime then it’s usually called a bribe.   Randy “Duke” Cunningham, the former congressman from the 50th Congressional District for California was found guilty of taking $2.4 million in bribes. Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska was found guilty of failing to report gifts that most of us would call bribes.  Massachusetts State Senator Diane Wilkerson and Louisiana Congressman William Jefferson are two others being charged with accepting bribes.

Campaigns are won with lots of money.  The process goes something like this. “If you will donate money to my campaign I might be able to help you with a city contract.”  Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California has been accused of supporting business interests that supported his campaign.  This is no surprise to me.  It has always been this way.  It’s the American way!

The United Nations Continues to Fail

It was with heavy heart that I withdrew my support for the United Nations in 1975 after watching Arab nations induce that body to declare Zionism a form of racism.  United Nations successes have been few.  Its failures have been many.  No one can deny that talk and negotiation is better than war.  The UN has failed to live up to it aspiration of ending wars in this world.  It has never deterred nations from going to war.

 

The current invasion of  Gaza by Israeli forces is just one of the many examples of the UN failure.  The genocide in Darfur is an even more horrifying issue that the UN has failed to stop.  When there was a war between Bosnia and Croatia it was not the UN that brought the fighting to an end, it was the United States.  When Iraq invaded and totally occupied Kuwait it was the United States that led the forces to free that country while the UN quietly stood by.

 

Perhaps the new President Obama will be able to instill life into the moribund UN.  There is always hope that a new voice will bring sworn enemies together.  I will happily celebrate that moment.  There is little evidence that he can bring about that renewed United Nations life.

The Ability to Speak Clearly

It all started when I was conducting a training class in MRP (Material Requirements Planning) about 15 years ago.  At that same employer I had to make a presentation to management on the benefits of MRP.  I sweated profusely but gave a satisfactory presentation.  Subsequently I decided that Toastmasters would make me a better speaker.  The results of that decision are magnificent.  I earned a CC (Competent Communicator designation) from Toastmasters International and have been an active participant ever since.

 

One of the things you learn to eliminate in your speaking is crutch words.  “You know” and “Uhh” are the two most common crutches most people use.  When does this happen? You are asked, at the last minute, to make a presentation or you are giving an interview and you have no prepared notes.  That is when those crutch words are more likely to come out of your mouth.  I have heard the “Uhh” or an “Umm” in many prepared speeches because the speaker had not sufficiently practiced the presentation.  That is the reason that Caroline Kennedy has been roundly criticized.  She is the daughter of a man famous for his speeches.  Barack Obama has used “Uhh” frequently in answering questions.  Mr. President-elect, you need to eliminate those words.

 

Proudly, I will tell you that when a scheduled speaker is absent at my Toastmasters group it is I who will step forward with an unprepared speech.  You know, I never do use the words “You know.”

Happy New Year! Here is your 2009 Contract

2009 Contract


 

After serious & cautious consideration . . .

 

 

 

 

Your contract of friendship has been renewed for the New Year 2009!
It was a very hard decision to make. So try not to screw it up!!!
My Wish for You in 2009
May peace break into your house and may thieves come to steal your debts. May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet of $100 bills. May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips! May your clothes smell of success like smoking tires and may happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy. May the problems you had forget your home address! In simple words . . . May 2009 be the best year of your life!!!