Surviving the Storm

Here’s a couple of tips –

• Gas up the car – it could be your only power supply
• Fill the tubs with water so you can flush your toilets
• If using candles, don’t burn down the house
• No electricity, no water, keep lots of dry goods for eating and liquids for drinking
• No credit cards, no ATM’s, cash is king
• Grab everything from outdoors before it starts crashing through your windows
• Now’s a good time to load your Kindle or borrow some books from the library.  It could be a while
• A first aid kit is always handy, just in case
• Flashlights need batteries. Best to get both
• Charge your cell phones beforehand
• If you’re in a flood zone, don’t bother waiting. Just go

Best of luck to everyone. May G-d protect you and your loved ones. 

>>> Read more!

Washington Gnomes Working the Math

So, the economy “surged” to 2% growth in the last quarter, due to a true surge in federal spending – 9.6%. Had the White House not opened the floodgates on spending, GDP growth would have been about the same as the prior quarter, just 1.3%.

The latest report piggybacks on the big drop in the Weekly Unemployment Claims due to California (oops) missing the reporting deadline. And that report followed the mystery 850,000 jobs (mostly part-time) that brought the unemployment rate to “just” 7.8%, the lowest rate of the Obama presidency. And that report was preceded by the “discovery” of 450,000 jobs that should have been added the previous year, thereby erasing the claim that we have fewer jobs at the end of Obama’s term than at the beginning.

Add this to the Libya scandal where we now know there was no demonstration, it was a seven-hour firefight just an hour away from a NATO airbase in Italy, and that CIA operators, a mile away, were ordered three times to stand down and not offer any assistance.

Then add the Fast and Furious program that walked 2,000 guns into Mexico. And you can keep adding and adding. At some point, it all adds up to we need a change. 

>>> Read more!

The Romney Growth Agenda

Obama’s second term agenda will be a repeat of the first but on steroids since he won’t have to worry about reelection. In the second term, we’ll get tens of thousands of regulations for Obamacare, Frank-Dodd, and the EPA.

In contrast, here’s a snapshot of Romney’s growth agenda.

Tax Revenue –

The economy is only growing at a lackluster 1%. If we get that up to 3-4%, that will mean over $3 trillion in additional tax revenue over the next ten years. Add reductions in welfare, unemployment, and Medicaid (because people will have jobs) and you’re over $4 trillion.

Tax Policy –

Cut rates across the board for everyone. For the upper class and corporations, simplify the tax code and remove or cap tax deductions. A simpler and lower tax code will be revenue neutral but a nice incentive for investment and business growth.

Energy –

Balanced regulations that encourage the safe development of our natural resources. That means clean coal, natural gas, the Keystone Pipeline, the National Petroleum Reserve, and whatever other energy resources we can develop while protecting our environment. At the same time, all new major regulations, defined as costing the economy over $100 million, must be approved by Congress.

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The Hillary Kiss-Off

There’s no love between the Obama’s and the Clinton’s. The Clinton’s believe Obama was an undeserving, unqualified, newbie who unseated Hillary, in part, by using the race card. Obama believed Hillary was getting a free ride on her husband’s coattails.

Nor is it a secret that an Obama victory would spell the end of Hillary’s presidential aspirations. Nobody expects a roaring economy under another Obama term and the public would likely turn against any democratic nominee after eight years of a lackluster economy. (You can only blame Bush and Republicans for so long before the public holds you accountable.)

However, after the next election, Hillary will probably be too old to run. She’s already 64 and the non-stop global travel and stress has aged her terribly.

Yet, she and her husband have been loyal Obama supporters. Bill Clinton’s speech was the highlight of the Democratic National Convention and he’s been stumping for Obama throughout the campaign season. Hillary has done her duty concealing her many foreign policy differences with Obama.

Can anybody recall the last time a US Ambassador to the United Nations did the rounds on the Sunday talk shows to address the American people? That’s not her job. But everybody else in the state department knew the truth of the consulate attack in Benghazi so Susan Rice was given her talking points and sent on her way to lie to the American people about a demonstration that never happened over a YouTube video no one saw.
>>> Read more!

A Stark Presidential Choice

Energy
Obama wants to raise the price of gas and electric to “save the environment” and make “green” energy sources more competitive. To that end, Obama closed half the Alaskan Petroleum Reserve and all of ANWR to any drilling. He blocked the Keystone Pipeline from Canada. He’s not issued any permits for any drilling on any federal land. He’s signaled, through the EPA, he will restrain hydraulic fracking. He’s issued new environmental regulations (blocked, for the moment, by the courts) that would shut down up to 12% of all coal-fired power plants and place our electric grid in jeopardy. And, despite a national drought that caused food prices to spike, Obama refused to issue a waiver that would have allowed us to use corn for food rather than fuel.

Romney wants to pursue “clean” energy. That includes developing fossil fuels in a way that doesn’t do major harm to the environment. It includes safe oil drilling in Alaska, the Keystone Pipeline, clean coal, and leasing federal lands for natural gas production.

Gas is at $4 a gallon. Would you like it higher or lower?

Taxes
Obama needs more money and the only way to do that is through a growing economy and/or higher taxes. Since the economy is hardly growing and more people are becoming dependent upon government cash, that leaves just taxes.

There’s the Obamacare tax increases on investment income, payroll, individual and employer mandate, health insurers, health plans, medical device manufacturers, tanning salons, and early HSA withdrawals.  Obamacare also eliminates or limits tax breaks on health savings accounts and employer provided Rx drug coverage.
>>> Read more!

Great News If You Believe It

Cheers. After 43 straight months, the unemployment rate has finally dropped below 8%. It’s a truly extraordinary feat given how few jobs were actually created.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 114,000 jobs were created in September. That’s 90,000 fewer jobs than were created in September of last year. It’s 40,000 fewer jobs than the monthly average for 2011 and 40,000 fewer jobs than what’s needed to keep up with population growth. It’s 30,000 fewer jobs than last month and 70,000 fewer jobs than two months ago.

Wow. Fewer jobs and less unemployment. How is this possible, you ask? Well, there are two surveys, the Employment Survey and the Household Survey. And, here’s the great news, according to the Household Survey, 873,000 were added in just one month. Can you believe it? 873,000 jobs in just one month. At that rate, we’ll have added 10 million jobs in just one year.

But wait, there’s more. Last week, the government discovered another 453,000 the country created last year but got missed in the reporting.

This economy’s on fire.

And, for all you doubters out there, I got just one question for you.

Who you gonna believe, the government or your lying eyes? 

>>> Read more!

Where's Obama?

Have You Seen the President?

He wasn’t at the debate last night.

He wasn’t at the UN where he didn’t have time to meet with any world leaders.

He wasn’t on Capitol Hill where he hasn’t met with congressional leaders in over six months.

He wasn’t in the white house where he’s not been questioned by the White House Press Corps since May.

He wasn’t in the Oval Office trying to formulate a budget and avoid Taxmaggedon.

Where could he be?

Oh, I see the president.

He’s on the golf course.

He’s on The View.

He’s on the David Letterman Show.

He’s dining with celebrities.

He’s partying in Vegas.

He’s vacationing in Hawaii.

Maybe this can be the theme for his next book. >>> Read more!