Kevin, Bob:
Really good, simple, accurate analysis. I’m not a republican party member, even though I usually vote for republican (actually conservative) candidates as opposed to democrats.
On Tuesday, I voted for Bob Barr, the libertarian party’s candidate for president. I’m socially pretty liberal, and fiscally very conservative. The so-called neo-cons running the republican party have satisfied neither of these positions.
Over the last 8 years the neo-cons, acting as if they answered to no one, have managed to alienate just about everyone in the U.S. and around the world. Even if one is able to accept the explanation that the WMD scare tactic was really an intelligence error (I don’t), the rest of the so-called Neo-Con platform was way too much to take. Between pandering to the religious fanatics, generally screwing up every kind of government operation (FEMA debacles, Air Force nuclear weapon management, etc, etc.) and all the while allowing a bunch of greedy thieves to drive the country’s economy so far into the red that we will be decades recovering, most of us have well had enough.
One continuing concern is the fact that the lame duck Bush government continues to support Henry Paulson and the band of thieves, leaving them in charge of the various so-called bailouts and recoveries. Paulson’s incestuous relationships with the various banking and investment gamblers and their companies would disqualify him in any other organization. But for Bush & Co. it’s just business as usual as these guys continue to fleece the U.S. Treasury.
Just one example: Michael Alix, formerly the “Senior Risk Manager” at Bear Stearns, (You do remember how well Bear Stearns managed risk?) has now been appointed a Senior Vice President in the bank supervision group of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Talk about the fox guarding the henhouse!
I’m certain we can expect Bush to give one of his “. . . you’re doin’ a heck of a job,” speeches soon.
On the financial front, I don’t expect much better from President Elect Obama, as he institutes his socialist leaning programs. This afternoon, I did learn from one of his supporters that we will get free gas (I assume she meant ‘gasoline’) and not have to pay our mortgages. That actually would work for me!
BTW Bob: I see you will still have to pay income tax in MA. I was hoping the anti-tax measure would pass. It would be really interesting to see how the pols would run things when money really wasn’t coming in! Might have started a national trend.
We had a couple of ‘roll taxes back’ issues out here: Both designed to stop paying for new sewer treatment facilities or processing. Seems the Kool Aid drinkers in N. California want these tough environmental laws, but don’t want to pay for the equipment required to comply. One issue passed and one failed. I can only assume that will mean the losing city council involved will require city residents to take buckets of effluent home and put it on their gardens as compost. At least their tomatoes will probably grow well!
Happy RRing,
Jerry
And I guess some people value certain things more than others do.