Calling John Galt

Buyers Remorse

Are those that voted for change feeling a bit of buyer’s remorse?  Kudlow at CNBC thinks so.

He is declaring war on investors, entrepreneurs, small businesses, large corporations, and private-equity and venture-capital funds.

That is the meaning of his anti-growth tax-hike proposals, which make absolutely no sense at all — either for this recession or from the standpoint of expanding our economy’s long-run potential to grow.

What is happening

Are “times a changing?” Have I heard snippets of actual questions and maybe even a bit of sarcasm lately? From reporters and late night comics…

Are holes starting to be punctured in the myth of “hope and change?”  Lets hope that this trend continues.  Not to ensure the defeat of any one person or party but to act as the check and balance that is needed in a democratic society.

What Happens when you add High Taxes, Crazy Regulation, and bad Fiscal Policy Together

Ummmm, California. Almost 10% unemployment, net out-migration, business leaving, jobs leaving, and a housing market that is moribund. Crazy enough, things are only getting worse.

So, what is it about these policies that makes people think that they actually work?  Simply put, they don’t and now we are going to be trying them to an even greater extent on a National scale.

It is going to be an interesting 4-8 years.

Nothing is “Free”

P.R.I.N.T. Money

Thank you, Mark Cuban.

Home is where the Squat is

There is an inherent danger when people start confusing the actions of private citizens with the actions of the State.

Many will snicker at the above clip between Stuart Varney and Bertha Lewis (with ACORN), but what isn’t funny is the clear dichotomy in how people view the legitimacy of certain actions.

1. There are many who don’t like the notion of bailouts in any regard, but it is within the purview of government to engage in that behavior.
2. Lewis makes the contention that if it’s okay for the government to give money to banking institutions, it must be alright for citizens to take it upon themselves to interfere in a private business matter (a foreclosure.)
3. Once there is an erosion in the firewall between the rights a citizen enjoys and the rights governments employ, then the counter also becomes true: the State enjoys the privilege of making your business its business.

We’re reaching a critical tipping point in terms of civic knowledge and responsibility. The State ought to be fashioned to respect and uphold our Constitutional rights, not be a guarantor of our needs or the instrument to acquire our wants.

Laugh at Bertha Lewis all you’d like – she and others who misunderstand the distinct roles of Man and the State will have the last laugh. We’re running out of time to defeat the squatters who are claiming a dangerous definition of government, and possession is the only game that matters.

Cat’s Cradle

The Stimulus money being offered to the states is little more than a Cat’s Cradle: so many tangled strings it becomes a woven prison.

If there were no strings, states could simply accept the federal dollars, cut their own taxes the same amount, and enjoy the benefits of a stronger state economy.

However, states are now being lampooned for turning down “free money,” that comes with provisions that entail permanent and onerous conditions.

This Cat’s Cradle is so strangling that even the rats are staying away.

Spending, Spending, Spending

Where you stand on spending is really determined by how you are doing politically.

You won’t find too many defenders of George W. Bush’s record on spending these days, even among Republicans. But a check of historical tables compiled by the Office of Management and Budget shows that the spending that so distressed Pelosi and Reid seems downright modest today. After beginning with a Clinton-era surplus of $128 billion in fiscal year 2001, the Bush administration racked up deficits of $158 billion in 2002, $378 billion in 2003, $413 billion in 2004, $318 billion in 2005, $248 billion in 2006, $162 billion in 2007, and $410 billion in 2008.

Who would have guessed that our esteemed political leaders would say one thing while doing another entirely?  We are being led by people who want one thing, and that is the growth of the Federal Government.

We won’t ever truly address this until we create accountability for their actions.  Until that time, we will continue to run up larger and larger deficits.

Money Does Not Grow on Trees

One way or another, our homes will be worth less.  Either we let the market self correct or we create such inflationary pressure that everything becomes worth less.

I heard this morning that home sales in California are up 85%.  Seems that the market is working correctly.

A housing bubble was created with cheap loans = Homes were overpriced
Homes were overpriced = no one could afford them
House Bubble collapsed = Home prices come down
Home prices come down = Sales increase

What is so hard to understand?

Revenue vs Safety

Who would have known that red light cameras were more about making money for municipalities than saving lives?  How about everyone?

It isn’t a well kept secret that the Nanny State in the name of safety is trying to take more of your money.  The Red Light cameras are one example.

Red light camera supporters insist that the devices are needed to prevent the common and deadly T-bone style of accident at intersections. In practice, however, automated ticketing lenses are more often positioned to photograph a different type of violation, one that rarely causes accidents. A review of US Department of Transportation statistics shows that an average motorist could drive a billion miles — the distance from Earth to Jupiter and back — before being involved in an accident that resulted from a motorist making a rolling stop on a right-hand turn

Go figure.