When Muammar Gaddafi, in his speech to the UN, called Obama his brother, that should have been enough for any American citizen to shutter.
To that I say two things...... I lost my good paying job which enabled me to make nice 401K contributions at the end of W's run and while he was still in office and during his tenure by the way the Dow didn't budge a inch in eight flipping years. Lest we forget.....which is convenient to many: http://stockcharts.com/charts/historical/
I actually applaud that action, and wish more politicians would stop suckling from the federal teat! You can't create jobs using taxed money!! If this high-speed rail made sense economically, some company would already have plans to do it. This smacks of redistribution. First, you tax those people that ARE working (less than 50% of the population at last count). Then, you pass it around the beaurocratic mess that is the bloated government leviathon, reducing the value of that received in taxes. Then, you "give" it to the good little states that are playing by your rules in return for their support on your pet projects. So, due to the inefficiency, we were probably taxed about 5 billion to dole out the 2.4 billion for a high-speed rail to put even more people on the government payrole. Great idea. Like I said, I'm glad he turned it down.
Yes Dave.... Quote the set up to the question and not the question itself. You've learned the Democrat Dodge very well.
Amen to that....why on earth is the federal government fooling around with rail projects that run between Florida cities????? If the citizens of the state of Florida deem such a project worthwhile, and the project cannot raise the necessary capital in the private sector, they have their own taxing authority, they don't need to spend everybody elses.....
Don't know where the DOW is headed in 5 years but it is up over 25% in the 2 years Obama has been President. Of course I have been too shell shocked since my unexpected job loss and having to sell my house at an 18 year low to even take what was left of my 401K and get back in growth areas instead of a 3% yearly fixed income......which it has been in since the day after my lay-off.
You really think that is possible? On Scott.....I can't wait to see his job producing results become quantifiable and documented. Heck....he has already contributed significantly to the minus jobs side.
I have no idea....that would be entirely up to the citizens of the state of Florida. As it should be.....
Dave, you continue to dodge, or just not comprehend the question. Please read closely: The issue is this. There is a distinct possibility, with the rapid spending that this administration pushed, the value of the dollar will see an unprecedented drop to the point that the dollar will no longer be the currency of choice when buying oil. The scenario I gave asked this: If your 401K stays at it's current level... no, let's put numbers to it. Let's say that your 401K is at $1,000,000.00 right now. Let's say in 5 years, it still shows $1,000,000.00. What would be your thoughts if the buying power of that $1,000,000.00 is then $100,000.00? That is a probability with the out of control spending for which this administration is responsible.
Regarding the great "jobs creation" of high speed rail projects; both articles written by guys who are actually kind of liberal and usually pretty kind to Obama. http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2011/01/a_train_that_ohioans_were_luck.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/23/AR2009082302037.html
Are those your numbers or numbers put forth by economists? Note: economists not Fox Newshounds.... In any event that would definitely suck. I suppose a priority for Obama should then be to extricate our stupid asses from the two frigging wars that Bush led us in to. That would be a great start towards some very significant savings. On healthcare....maybe the Feds should set the rates.....suspend all R&D.....( the pillow underneath which all profiteering is hidden )....make it mandatory for all employees to be allowed access to care and without cost to the Federal government in so doing. You see.....as the very rich get richer I get a little more cynical. Guys like Rick Scott talk a big game......and do absolutely nothing jack squat to help the citizens of Florida.....so far anyway. But by the slimmest of margins a miniscule majority asked for whatever crap he brings down the line. I'm calling Rick Scott the Lane Kiffin of Florida politics. 8) :wink:
Dave, This new proposed rail will service three city's, Tampa, Lakeland and Orlando. Outside of these three urban areas how will this help the citizens of Florida. Or in simple terms why should I have an interest or be willing to pay for a train that absolutely has no impact on me or my family other than robbing my tax dollars. Without subsidation no other passenger train is operational or in the black. This new proposal will be no different. The promised 24,000 jobs is political blabber that sells votes and makes the politician selling it look great. What is not mentioned is the fact that if Florida does not get the matching funds they must pay the Feds back with interest, the fact that Amtrak is still subsidized, and how if this is slated to be a 15 year contract then we need to add an additional 10 years onto that and the money associated with it. Dave I have been to Italy several times and have enjoyed the wonderful rail system they have in place. They decided 50 years ago to move in that direction which is why they are paying $9.00 a liter for gasoline today to try to maintain their subsidized travel. I do find it interesting that we are thinking of more railroads but not in this current era where we are facing a financial crisis in every state.
Dave Why don't you talk to Ralph about suspending R&D? His son would be in pain and not walking without it. And you remind us that you are not young. Talk to us when you are being mandated to limit care and receive death counseling rather than receive medical treatment as you age. Do I think medical treatments go too far sometimes? Yes. Do I think the government has the right to mandate what care a person can and can't receive? No. There are good and bad parts to this healthcare bill. And God help us, we all have to live with both.
Just two thoughts... How long has Rick Scott been in office? Six weeks? Obama wipes his ass with the Constitution. His disdain for the separation of powers is only exceeded by his gross incompetence.
re: Gaddafi's brother's birth certificate ROTFLMAO! re: Holder/Obama refusing to enforce the law I'm not aware of any peacetime historical precedent for what they're doing. They took an oath to uphold the law. The particular law in question was lawfully passed by the Congress and upheld by the Supreme Court every time it has been tested. It was even being upheld by Obama/Holder until they suddenly reversed course. I agree with Newt Gingrich: Obama may have commited an impeachable offense here... http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/washington-whispers/2011/02/25/newt-gingrich-obama-could-be-impeached-over-gay-marriage-reversal :idea:
OK, I found a precedent. Andrew Jackson was the father of the modern Democratic Party. (They were known as Jackson's Asses.) He wanted to remove all Indian tribes who lived east of the Mississippi River and relocate them to Oklahoma. The Cherokees sued and took their case to the Supreme Court, where they won; but Jackson removed them anyway in defiance of the court. Another Democrat, Franklin Roosevelt, removed all the Japanese-Americans the same way during WWII, but I'm not aware that the Supreme Court was ever asked to intervene. In the case of Jackson and the Cherokees, they did rule and he ignored the court and the law... The Supreme Court case was Worcester v. Georgia. Jackson's response was, "Chief Justice Marshall has made his ruling, now let him enforce it." Click here... http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/trail-of-tears.htm
I'm as conservative as anyone on this BB but it is hard fro me to believe that Congress would waste precious time chasing an impeachment based on gay marriage laws in the face of this apparent Armageddon of circumstances we find ourselves in. But that's what makes us Republicans. We take our eye off the ball a lot.