Category Archives: Socioeconomic

Living the numbers…

Youth-UnemploymentRichard Clark, owner of Supreme Janitorial Services in Jacksonville was speaking on one of the weekend news programs Saturday, and described his company as the “proverbial poster child” for the impending disaster that is “Obamacare”. A typical small business owner about to be pummeled by the mandates, taxes and fines of the “Affordable” Care Act, was very candid about not being able to hire full-time workers because of the staggering costs associated with the President’s signature law. He went on to say the recent implementation “delay” was nothing more than a political stunt, fueling the uncertainty which any economist worth his paycheck would tell you is kryptonite to small business.

I watched that segment while digesting some of the jobs and growth data which came out at the end of the week, and I was struck by a couple of ironies. The unemployment rate remains a reflection of how the numbers are calculated, persistent “underemployment”, and a critically high youth unemployment number of about 16 percent. Moreover, those same numbers continue to drive the market as the “Fed stimulus” lives or dies by any fluctuation. Make no mistake, our economy is a shadow of its former being, sputtering on fumes in the tank of ideological foolishness. The notion that it is somehow showing “resilience” is unrealistic and a fools play to be sure. Repeal “Obamacare” now, and unchain our nations free market economy so “We the People” may have real recovery! This classroom experiment has failed…

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“Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7)

Paula Deen

Paula Deen

It’s hard to get past today’s headlines and not ask when will the sins of a nation be forgiven. Factually speaking, “We the People” of the United States have done more to address the injustice of racism while promoting human equality than any nation in recorded history. I think no law passed however, or political will imposed, can take the place of a moral and decent upbringing free of learned prejudices. With that said, it does appear there are those who would continue to promote superficial and manufactured differences instead of the simple humanity which unites every one of us, all while fanning the flames of division for their own selfish interests.

I am not a huge Paula Deen fan per se. I do love her southern cooking style though, and have downloaded a few of her recipes in the past. (Warning – If you have an aversion to such cooking or high cholesterol, then turn the channel or quit whining.) What I can tell you is that by all appearances Deen is a self-made woman who for the last 25 + years has come from the bonds of poverty as a single mom, and achieved the American dream by way of hard work and sacrifice, (something I suspect really irks some Liberal dependency advocates out there). So when I heard of her recent trials, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. Then I did my homework on the issue and there it was, that sickening and politically correct hypocrisy which is crippling our country today. Now let me understand this. Instead of lying (as so many do), a sixty something southern woman told the truth in a court deposition, acknowledging some controversial words said many years ago and in a very different time, and we must now punish her for those words? As another consequence, the bandwagon bumpkins at Wal-Mart, Target and The Food Network have all dropped their proverbial drawers, as well as sponsorships and associated Paula Deen product lines because of the flap. Really? Well I’d certainly like to get those CEO’s under oath and ask them some similar questions, the bunch of lying hypocrites. When I analyze this insanity, and throw in the intentionally hateful, sexist and racially charged comments made by fools like Bill Maher, Jamie fox and so many other Left Wing lunatics, the glaring hypocrisy seems as thick as one of Deen’s meatloaf burgers. Layer on some inflammatory “special sauce” from the Zimmerman murder trial, which has already morphed into a matter of race and only race, and my earlier question keeps coming back. When do we move past the self-imposed and politically generated filters, and who has the intestinal fortitude to take us there?

Look, I’m not suggesting that racism and hate do not exist so long as we ignore them. To the contrary, we must battle mightily and continually against the purveyors of division. But we must do this in our homes and churches first, by continuing to reinforce the fundamental maxim that “all men are created equal”, and not by inventing ways to destroy others so they may answer for our own sin…

Posted in "Patriot64", America, Civil Rights, First Amendment, Fred Comella, Home and Family, Judiciary, Political Correctness, Politics, Race, Right vs. Left, Socioeconomic, Women's Issues | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

POTUS knows best…

062213_JER_Obama_640The science of “climate change” is debatable at best, and while curbing pollution should be an objective of any civilized nation, it mustn’t come solely at the expense of the economic stability necessary to pay for it. I am not writing today to debate President Obama’s assumptions about global warming, but to condemn his use of personal ideology to “dictate” policy in spite of our Constitutional Republic. This Commander-in-Chief has set new benchmarks for side-stepping the process of a free government in order to promote and enact that which (he believes) is ultimately necessary. This is the height of elitism and Socialist expression.

History clearly demonstrates that when politics trump the best interest of “We the People”, no good ever comes of it for “We the People”. Now I’m not suggesting an economic approach devoid of the regulation necessary to ensure the fundamental public health and safety, but rather one enabled by “common sense” application of those regulations which does not unduly handicap the industry and companies creating jobs and producing products we need and use every day. The goal of a world without fossil fuel is unachievable inside a period of time acceptable in “quality of life” terms, and it turns out, wholly unnecessary. These goals can be addressed in a far more realistic and generational manner, while ensuring economic and international stability throughout the process. In the end, one man’s selfish quest for ideological glory must not come at the expense of our representative government and the “unfiltered” will of its people.

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The Definition of Success…

BernankeandobamaLooking at some fresh numbers today, and as always I’m a little confused by the “Lame Stream Media” portrayal of our current economic posture. For starters, nearly 23 million households and 48 million individuals partake of the “Snap” (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). Now these numbers in and of themselves expose the Obama Administration’s  claims of any “recovery” for what they are, carefully contrived deception (with the help of a complicit media), designed to instill a false sense of progress. I also looked at some video from the past week and heard even a few “Conservative” economists characterizing 175,000 jobs created as a “moderate” pace. Now putting aside the fact that number will likely be revised down in the coming week, the reality is that about 200,000 is more traditionally “moderate” in terms of job creation, with 300,000 a sign of true momentum.  I’m simply having a hard time understanding why we continue to revise reality for the sake of this Administrations’ efforts.

The hard truth is our economy remains a shell of its former being. Housing numbers are driven by unsustainable Fed rates propped up by monopoly money, with the DJIA hanging precariously on Bernanke’s every syllable. Companies large and small continue to hire part-time to offset the impending cost of Obamacare and crippling regulation. The class warfare gap has never been wider with more and more people receiving some form of government assistance. Local governments are literally going bankrupt, an unthinkable occurrence one never would have imagined in this country. And most regrettable, our focus is now compromised by the myriad of scandals plaguing President Obama’s second term. This is always what happens when we substitute flawed ideology in place of “truth and reason”.

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End-run around Congress???

Kathleen-SebeliusIt should come as no surprise that funding for the “Affordable” Care Act simply doesn’t exist in real money. So notwithstanding what we know to be the Administrations true desire for a “single payer” system of healthcare, it now appears HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is strong-arming health care execs for cash ahead of the official 2014 roll-out of all the budget busting parts of “Obamacare”.

As we watch the IRS scandal unfold before our eyes, and we hear the likes of Eric Holder attempt to explain away lying to Congress and breaking the laws he’s supposed to enforce, and as the truth of Benghazi ebbs and flows like blood through the cracks of an al-Qaeda prison cell floor, this latest departure from ethical government leaves me to contemplate the words of our President back in 2009. “I will also hold myself as president to a new standard of openness …. Let me say it as simply as I can: Transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency.” – President Barack Obama 

What a complete and total crock!

I ask the Left, as well as the media sycophants who unbelievably continue to turn a blind eye to the obvious, are you comfortable with this? Is this your idea of our children’s America? Is this your answer to the dreaded George Bush? Shame on you, all of you…

Posted in "Patriot64", America, Benghazi, Congress, Constitutionality, Economy, Election 2014, Election 2016, Foreign policy, Fred Comella, Health Care, Home and Family, Law Enforcement, Media, Military, National Debt, Politics, Rhode Island Local, Right vs. Left, Socioeconomic, Taxes, Terrorism, The Middle East | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on End-run around Congress???

Priorities…

Christie-ObamaJosh Lederman of the Associated Press writes in today’s Providence Journal on how Republicans may be conceding a place for Obama big government, albeit reluctantly. However the article seems more a swipe at Republican Governors like Fallin and Christie as they appear to embrace the POTUS in their time of need, and almost implies Mr. Obama may have written the checks himself. There are references to the “Affordable” Care Act and how other so-called Conservatives are warming to parts of the bloated law as a means to bolster their own state coffers, but you get my drift. I would suggest another angle (reason) however, for the perceived change of heart.

Notwithstanding some Republican’s lack of skeletal structure when it comes to staring down our less than thrifty Commander-in-Chief, the simple fact is we’ve spent most of our money in all the wrong places, and unwisely in others to be sure. Generations of targeted and un-Constitutional entitlement spending, complicated more recently by two wars our government won’t let us win, have finally caught up with Washington, making necessary and wholly appropriate spending like disaster relief and infrastructure repair seem like gifts to be begged for. Moreover, the President of the United States jets in and out of these wounded states at a cost of about $200,000.00 per hour, and is seen as a hero for giving the folks their own money back.

Regrettably, most Republicans are far too concerned with re-election to stand for a re-prioritizing, or “re-Constitutionalizing” if you will, of our federal budget. “We the People” are therefore left to wonder, “What is the role of federal government in time of crisis, and how long will it be before we are simply left to our fate for lack of funds?”

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Who the hell is Kermit Gosnell???

Kermit-Gosnell-Philadelphia-Abortion-Clinic-27054632What could possibly be more horrific than partial birth abortion? Inducing labor on a 17 year-old to cause the delivery of a living breathing baby, only to snip his tiny spinal cord with medical scissors and discard him in a plastic shoe box for later “disposal”, that’s what!

Now I try to temper my writing on the issue of abortion as it evokes strong personal emotions for me. I’m also inclined to see it in terms of the oaths I’ve taken over the years as opposed to any particular political belief. Having said that, I think it’s important to recognize the role, or lack of role the media has played in the case of accused abortion clinic murderer Kermit Gosnell. Clearly, we are witnessing a circling of the wagons if you will, as a complicit “lame stream media” barely raises a collective eyebrow to the monstrous and barbaric charges involved in this case, because they cast a wholly appropriate cloud of evil over the Left’s defense of everything “Planned Parenthood”.

Once again I would ask decent Americans to take a good look around. From the unsupervised birth control “rights” of a 15 year-old child, to the brutal rape and forced captivity of three innocent young women in Ohio, to Kermit Gosnell’s “house of horrors” in West Philly, “We the People” seem lost for the outrage these types of events would normally elicit. Indeed for some, that outrage has been replaced by a morbid but disconnected curiosity satisfied only by the next 24 hour news cycle. Moreover, the news media we once sought to ask the tough questions on society’s behalf has now embraced a particular ideology in spite of truth and reason. What does all this mean for the value of human life, and ultimately for the longevity of a nation with our creed and Constitution? Anyone???

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Keeping evil in check…

050813_missing_girl2_640Possibly more victims. Alleged sexual assault on an unconscionable scale. Miscarriages, infanticide, beatings, locked basements and chains, a house of horrors, and neighbors who apparently ignored their better judgment and looked the other way. This is undoubtedly just the beginning of a very long investigation.

Media types, politicians and pundits alike, including myself, pontificate on a regular basis about where we are and how we got here. Recently I even commented on Facebook about how I missed the country I grew up in, the long bike rides far from home, and traipsing about in a pair of shorts with no shoes almost without a care in the world. Regrettably those days are gone, and my 10-year-old is missing out on the special things that were so much a part of what America used to be.

So in lieu of any fancy statistical data, sociological analysis and/or doctoral prestige, I would offer only this as an observation regarding the events in Ohio. If we are to have any hope at all of addressing the national quandaries before us, then we must return to the beginning. We must revisit family and community, values and faith, and aspire to a culture and code of accountability that while imperfect, has proven its overall worth through generations of our forefathers. Our courts must also re-evaluate their role in terms of the judicial application, but “We the People”  must rise up as fathers and mothers, friends and neighbors, to coral evil where we can before it graduates to levels like we are seeing on our television screens today. Only when we nurture kindness and character in our own homes can we expect our children to carry those tenets forward into society. Only when we set and enforce boundaries within a stable and caring family structure will we enjoy the success of a community that acts in the best interest of all its people. And only when we begin to accept responsibility for our own personal safety and security can we expect those who would do us harm to think twice.

Please join me in prayer for these girls who were forced to become women within the confines of madness and evil, but also pray that we awaken as a society to re-embrace our former nation so we may overcome that evil, or at least confront it with a clear conscience.

Posted in "Patriot64", America, Fred Comella, Gun Control, Political Correctness, Politics, Right vs. Left, Second Amendment, Socioeconomic, Women's Issues | Tagged | Comments Off on Keeping evil in check…

Amnesty is expensive…

4_bill_richardsonFormer New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson should stick to what he knows. Unfortunately, that’s not a whole lot. Senator Ted Cruz is doing something right however, as he has invited the wrath of the one-time presidential candidate, who champions everything having to do with amnesty just short of complete forfeiture of most of the Southern United States to Mexico. Moreover, Richardson’s creepy affection for all things North Korean has always troubled me a bit. Nevertheless, the former governor “doesn’t feel Cruz is Latino” because he opposes amnesty, and he’s “rude” to his fellow Senators. Really?

Look, Washington politics has taken on a form and function most political observers would say is alarming. Consequently, if the Senators candid approach to addressing the cesspool that has become “The Hill” is somehow offensive to Progressive fools like Richardson, I say tough “you know what”. We don’t have 6 cents to cover the cost of amnesty aka (insanity), never mind $6 Trillion Dollars.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/05/06/study-pegs-cost-immigration-bills-mass-legalization-at-63t/

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“This is what change looks like.” – Barack Obama (2010)

Barack ObamaChange looks like economic instability fueled by ignorance and/or even disdain for a free market system which has made our nation the envy of the world. Change looks like the empty promises of an ideological demagogue, embraced by those who seek “promise” without price. Change looks like fast flight from accountability in all its forms and the validation of excuses as a way of life. Change looks like selfish manipulation of the nuclear family to the detriment of posterity and of society as a whole. Change looks like “Plan-B” for a 15 year old child, further relegating the sanctity of human life to that which is fueling our moral decay. Change looks like a Newtown Police Chief, wounded by unimaginable tragedy, but blinded by that same tragedy to all truth and logic, describing the Constitutional rights so many have died to protect as “entitlements” which must now be forfeit for the “greater good”. Change looks like higher taxes and the strengthening of an all-encompassing federal government far beyond that which our founders envisioned, and at the expense of historical fact and reason. And change looks like a President of the United States who feels “constrained” rather than empowered by two of the three greatest documents ever penned by the hand of man.

So you tell me my fellow Americans, what does change look like for your kids?

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