By now, we all know that there’s not much about America that Obama and his teleprompter like. The noises coming from that speechmaking duo continue to sound like slightly toned-down versions of Hugo Chavez or Fidel Castro. Barack leaves no doubt that he believes capitalism is bad, bad. He objects to being called a socialist, but his continual rhetoric of rich versus poor fits that designation better than any other. And, he believes America’s capitalist drive results in more to “apologize for” than “to be proud of.”
Obama’s political approach reminds me of my five years in Jamaica in the early 1970s. That beautiful island country enjoyed a strong democratic tradition with two dominant political parties. However, Jamaica was distinctly a third world country with most of the population living in poverty.
In 1972 Michael Manley ran a campaign for Prime Minister that was my introduction to the political appeal of socialism, particularly when its political message is used to contrast capitalism.
Manley openly acknowledged the poverty of the Jamaican people in his speeches. His basic message was, “Yes, you are poor, very poor, but it is not your fault. The system (capitalist, of course) is to blame for your problems. Elect me and I will change the system in your favor.” It’s easy to see how attractive that offer sounds to a poor Jamaican. By way of contrast, the opposition party’s message was, “all of us have to work hard to succeed.” For distinctly poor Jamaicans who had tried working hard for years only to remain poor, it was no contest. Manley was easily elected Prime Minister for two successive terms of four years.
In those eight years he openly moved close to Castro and Cuba as a socialist ally. He also denounced the aluminum companies operating on the island as greedy multi-national exploiters of Jamaica’s bauxite reserves. His government passed huge bauxite taxes that made the island’s main export uncompetitive.
Again, Manley’s message was always that the fundamental design of the capitalist system keeps you exploited and poor. Not only that but, socialism will take from the wealthy and give to you. The current “Occupy” movement expresses the same frustration as that used by Michael Manley. “I am deprived because of the system. The system must be changed.”
One has to note that American capitalism allows the “occupiers” to stay for days and weeks in nice tents and fancy sleeping bags without worrying about work or food. Many managed to get a college education along the way. You’d think they would acknowledge there must be something good about a system that tolerates such gross inefficiency.
Despite its total lack of substance, the “Occupy” movement is supported by the likes of Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Michael Moore, the American Communist Party, Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, and various other thinkers with good socialist credentials. It’s rather sad, though, that this is the best the liberals can come up with to match the power of the Tea Party movement.
By the way, Manley’s socialist experiment did not change the fate of poor Jamaicans. The Jamaican democratic system prevailed. Voters lost patience with his approach, and he was defeated after eight years in office. Manley’s eight years in office served as yet another failed socialist experiment. I predict the same fate for Barack Obama’s similar excursions.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Obama goes on a bus tour
A world full of peril
The economies of the United Sates and the rest of the countries in the world have been clobbered by the worst downturn in decades. Indications are the situation may get worse. Thus far, no country seems remotely capable of finding a solution.
The U.S. government has a deficit spending problem that could lead America into a situation similar to Greece. The American political process is frozen solid and cannot solve this or any other problem.
The Arab Spring countries cry for leadership and advice as they face “the dog that caught the car” dilemma. Now what do we do, they plead?
Iran is a rogue country, supplying weapons to terrorists who kill American soldiers. They are close to developing a nuclear bomb. Arenas of the government apparently sponsored an assassination attempt on American soil. They are developing ominous relations with our Latin American neighbors.
The Israelis are increasingly threatened by their Arab neighbors. Peace seems even more distant.
North Korea is led by a nutcase dictator with a nuclear bomb. Who knows what he may do?
Meanwhile, Uganda, Yemen and Somalia are beds of terrorist activity and are in total disarray.
And, that’s just for starters. In summary, the entire world is a hodgepodge of major problems.
Not to fear, Obama is here
Each of the above issues has huge potential impact not only on America but also the rest of the world. Accordingly, one would expect the President of the United Sates to be working overtime on each item.
On the contrary, President Obama is in full campaign mode concentrating entirely on his reelection. Mind you, this is an election that is over a year away. While the world holds its collective breath that none of the above time bombs go off, our president plays with their future by attacking his many political problems. It’s hard to believe, but it is true.
Not only that, but Barack continues to cheapen the presidency by behaving like a cheap political hack. He blames everybody else for his failures, even criticizing his opponents by name. In fact, he goes even further by claiming that everything his administration has done was the proper thing to do. Whew!
Barack personally stirs up the class battle of rich versus the poor. He plays the race card over and over again. He blames Bush, and anyone else that sounds like an opponent.
His solution to our economic problems is to apply the principles of Marxist socialism. He sides with the Occupy Wall Street protesters. It doesn’t matter to Barack that the protesters don’t really know what their cause is other than a government handout. Oh yes, Barack signals his priorities by bemoaning the cancellation of the first two weeks of the NBA schedule, glumly proclaiming, “We need our basketball.”
To top it off, Obama is off on a campaign bus tour of Virginia and North Carolina. This is the only approach Barack knows; find another audience to punish with yet another repetitive speech. I might add he campaigns at great expense to the taxpayer.
Overall, his tactics divide the country in a period that cries out for national
cohesion and working together to solve problems.
Sadly, our president is either oblivious to the many big problems we face, or he doesn’t know what to do about them. What was it they said about that emperor who fiddled while Rome burned? In this case, Our Emperor is on a campaign bus tour while the whole world may burn.
The economies of the United Sates and the rest of the countries in the world have been clobbered by the worst downturn in decades. Indications are the situation may get worse. Thus far, no country seems remotely capable of finding a solution.
The U.S. government has a deficit spending problem that could lead America into a situation similar to Greece. The American political process is frozen solid and cannot solve this or any other problem.
The Arab Spring countries cry for leadership and advice as they face “the dog that caught the car” dilemma. Now what do we do, they plead?
Iran is a rogue country, supplying weapons to terrorists who kill American soldiers. They are close to developing a nuclear bomb. Arenas of the government apparently sponsored an assassination attempt on American soil. They are developing ominous relations with our Latin American neighbors.
The Israelis are increasingly threatened by their Arab neighbors. Peace seems even more distant.
North Korea is led by a nutcase dictator with a nuclear bomb. Who knows what he may do?
Meanwhile, Uganda, Yemen and Somalia are beds of terrorist activity and are in total disarray.
And, that’s just for starters. In summary, the entire world is a hodgepodge of major problems.
Not to fear, Obama is here
Each of the above issues has huge potential impact not only on America but also the rest of the world. Accordingly, one would expect the President of the United Sates to be working overtime on each item.
On the contrary, President Obama is in full campaign mode concentrating entirely on his reelection. Mind you, this is an election that is over a year away. While the world holds its collective breath that none of the above time bombs go off, our president plays with their future by attacking his many political problems. It’s hard to believe, but it is true.
Not only that, but Barack continues to cheapen the presidency by behaving like a cheap political hack. He blames everybody else for his failures, even criticizing his opponents by name. In fact, he goes even further by claiming that everything his administration has done was the proper thing to do. Whew!
Barack personally stirs up the class battle of rich versus the poor. He plays the race card over and over again. He blames Bush, and anyone else that sounds like an opponent.
His solution to our economic problems is to apply the principles of Marxist socialism. He sides with the Occupy Wall Street protesters. It doesn’t matter to Barack that the protesters don’t really know what their cause is other than a government handout. Oh yes, Barack signals his priorities by bemoaning the cancellation of the first two weeks of the NBA schedule, glumly proclaiming, “We need our basketball.”
To top it off, Obama is off on a campaign bus tour of Virginia and North Carolina. This is the only approach Barack knows; find another audience to punish with yet another repetitive speech. I might add he campaigns at great expense to the taxpayer.
Overall, his tactics divide the country in a period that cries out for national
cohesion and working together to solve problems.
Sadly, our president is either oblivious to the many big problems we face, or he doesn’t know what to do about them. What was it they said about that emperor who fiddled while Rome burned? In this case, Our Emperor is on a campaign bus tour while the whole world may burn.
Monday, October 10, 2011
The Wall Street Protesters
The Democrat reaction to the Wall Street protesters is downright amusing, if not hilarious. The Dems have long detested the Tea Party, while at the same time secretly envying their success. The liberals and the media have gone “all out” to discredit the movement, but with little impact. It distresses the liberals that the Tea Party message resonates so soundly with a large segment of the public.
Then, along come the Wall Street protesters. Obama quickly declares he “understands” their protest. That reaction is understandable because the protesters are following the Obama line of poking at evil in the American system. Nancy Pelosi says “God bless them.” Democrat congresswoman Jackie Speier wonders openly why none of the Wall Street bankers have gone to jail. In an amazing comparison, she cites the Enron executives who were tried and jailed. You have to conclude the Democrats are gleeful in finding a cause to embrace. This is their answer to the Tea Party. The protester’s message is fuzzy at best, but it is anti-capitalist and favors socialist notions of income distribution. That is a good enough match with the Democrat agenda.
On the other hand, the Tea Party speaks to traditional American values. They argue for reinstatement of the principles that made the country great. They note that the liberal philosophy of “entitlements for all” goes hand in hand with scary levels of deficit spending. They do all of this peacefully and without occupying public space for days. Yet, Obama describes them as extreme racists and religious fanatics who tote guns.
The Wall Street protesters say Wall Street bankers are America’s biggest problem. Apparently the banker’s sin is they are driven by a profit motive. Oh, and they pay their executives well. Obama, Karl Marx, Hugo Chavez and the protesters would all agree this is a typical capitalist injustice.
It is difficult to tell exactly what is troubling the protesters. That is made even more difficult by the addition of the Woodstock element that joined in for the free food and condoms. The only message I get is that they don’t have a job and want someone to fill their financial void. How they decided to descend on Wall Street is a mystery to me.
Had they checked around even a tiny bit, they would have been told the lack of action on their problem resides firmly at the White House. That’s where they should be camping out in protest.
The protesters are but a mild distraction compared to the deterioration of our national leadership. Obama ignores the many huge global and domestic problems in favor of making yet another unwanted speech. Shockingly, he agrees that the Wall Street companies are the source of our economic problems. His clueless sidekick, Joe Biden, sticks to the worn out line that it is all Bush’s fault. Obama further complains that Congress is so mean and nasty to him that he can’t perform his prescribed presidential duties. Barack believes he can solve world problems by “leading from behind.” Over and over in multiple ways, this administration inadvertently admits it is powerless to take any action to address our problems.
This dilemma is both sad and pitiful. Our great country deserves better!
Then, along come the Wall Street protesters. Obama quickly declares he “understands” their protest. That reaction is understandable because the protesters are following the Obama line of poking at evil in the American system. Nancy Pelosi says “God bless them.” Democrat congresswoman Jackie Speier wonders openly why none of the Wall Street bankers have gone to jail. In an amazing comparison, she cites the Enron executives who were tried and jailed. You have to conclude the Democrats are gleeful in finding a cause to embrace. This is their answer to the Tea Party. The protester’s message is fuzzy at best, but it is anti-capitalist and favors socialist notions of income distribution. That is a good enough match with the Democrat agenda.
On the other hand, the Tea Party speaks to traditional American values. They argue for reinstatement of the principles that made the country great. They note that the liberal philosophy of “entitlements for all” goes hand in hand with scary levels of deficit spending. They do all of this peacefully and without occupying public space for days. Yet, Obama describes them as extreme racists and religious fanatics who tote guns.
The Wall Street protesters say Wall Street bankers are America’s biggest problem. Apparently the banker’s sin is they are driven by a profit motive. Oh, and they pay their executives well. Obama, Karl Marx, Hugo Chavez and the protesters would all agree this is a typical capitalist injustice.
It is difficult to tell exactly what is troubling the protesters. That is made even more difficult by the addition of the Woodstock element that joined in for the free food and condoms. The only message I get is that they don’t have a job and want someone to fill their financial void. How they decided to descend on Wall Street is a mystery to me.
Had they checked around even a tiny bit, they would have been told the lack of action on their problem resides firmly at the White House. That’s where they should be camping out in protest.
The protesters are but a mild distraction compared to the deterioration of our national leadership. Obama ignores the many huge global and domestic problems in favor of making yet another unwanted speech. Shockingly, he agrees that the Wall Street companies are the source of our economic problems. His clueless sidekick, Joe Biden, sticks to the worn out line that it is all Bush’s fault. Obama further complains that Congress is so mean and nasty to him that he can’t perform his prescribed presidential duties. Barack believes he can solve world problems by “leading from behind.” Over and over in multiple ways, this administration inadvertently admits it is powerless to take any action to address our problems.
This dilemma is both sad and pitiful. Our great country deserves better!
Monday, August 22, 2011
Pray for a real leader to emerge
Only a few months ago our big problem was high unemployment. Obama took his usual “no problem for a stepper like me” approach and threw billions of dollars at the problem. Guess what, the level of unemployment stayed high. Even worse, a gloomy slow growth scenario gradually unfolded. The U.S. and the European Union began to fear a global financial crisis. Stock markets around the world plummeted. Many economists talk openly of a double dip recession, coupled with increased inflation. Suddenly, no citizen feels secure. It becomes easy to see eerie comparisons to the 1930s.
The rest of the world also has serious problems. The Arab Spring continues its struggle to take a breath of democracy. Syrian protesters are shot by the hundreds. Libya’s rebels are literally at war against Gaddhafi. Rockets are fired at Israel. Thousands starve in Somalia. The leaders of Iran and Venezuela act like crazed bullies desperately seeking recognition. Macho Putin reacts to Obama’s “reset” by calling America a “parasite.”
In the U.S., it is obvious to all (except maybe Nancy and Harry) that the free spending habits of the government have created a real debt crisis. Over the years, we have built an entitlement society that may warm liberal hearts, but we simply can’t afford. Besides that, it produces a “why work?” mentality among its beneficiaries. Many cities and states have huge deficits. Even a basic reality check says something drastic must be done! Yet, the American political system is paralyzed and cannot act.
So, the American people face a crisis of historical proportions. The country faced similar threatening scenarios in the mid -1860s, the 1930s, and in World War II. Under strong leadership our people rose to overcome the challenge. In fact, the country emerged even stronger. All the American people need is a leader who can marshal a national response.
Unfortunately, the country now faces these new threats without any sign of effective leadership.Our President blames Congress while mouthing cheap political noises. If he does occasionally take an action, it is designed to protect his dwindling base. And, of course, he talks and talks and talks long after all have learned that his words are completely meaningless. His latest farcical action was to have constructed a million dollar “rock star” bus to take he and his teleprompter on a political swing through the Midwest states. Then, to cap off his non-performing ways he goes on yet another “golf before country” vacation. Talk about “fiddling while Rome burns.”
Recently, Obama has been labeled a “joke,” a “loser”, “hopelessly over his head’, “worse than Jimmy Carter”. My favorite label is “intellectual wimp.” Even formerly loyal supporters find themselves wishing they had backed Hillary. Some call for a Democratic Primary to select a candidate for 2012. His approval ratings sink to new low levels. His endless words cast blame on others. They provide zero leadership. The problems persist without any sign of correction. Yet another political speech only feeds the problem.
One thing for sure, if the right leader emerges in 2012, the American people will respond as they always have to solve the problem. We should all hope and pray for that to happen. The need is desperate.
The rest of the world also has serious problems. The Arab Spring continues its struggle to take a breath of democracy. Syrian protesters are shot by the hundreds. Libya’s rebels are literally at war against Gaddhafi. Rockets are fired at Israel. Thousands starve in Somalia. The leaders of Iran and Venezuela act like crazed bullies desperately seeking recognition. Macho Putin reacts to Obama’s “reset” by calling America a “parasite.”
In the U.S., it is obvious to all (except maybe Nancy and Harry) that the free spending habits of the government have created a real debt crisis. Over the years, we have built an entitlement society that may warm liberal hearts, but we simply can’t afford. Besides that, it produces a “why work?” mentality among its beneficiaries. Many cities and states have huge deficits. Even a basic reality check says something drastic must be done! Yet, the American political system is paralyzed and cannot act.
So, the American people face a crisis of historical proportions. The country faced similar threatening scenarios in the mid -1860s, the 1930s, and in World War II. Under strong leadership our people rose to overcome the challenge. In fact, the country emerged even stronger. All the American people need is a leader who can marshal a national response.
Unfortunately, the country now faces these new threats without any sign of effective leadership.Our President blames Congress while mouthing cheap political noises. If he does occasionally take an action, it is designed to protect his dwindling base. And, of course, he talks and talks and talks long after all have learned that his words are completely meaningless. His latest farcical action was to have constructed a million dollar “rock star” bus to take he and his teleprompter on a political swing through the Midwest states. Then, to cap off his non-performing ways he goes on yet another “golf before country” vacation. Talk about “fiddling while Rome burns.”
Recently, Obama has been labeled a “joke,” a “loser”, “hopelessly over his head’, “worse than Jimmy Carter”. My favorite label is “intellectual wimp.” Even formerly loyal supporters find themselves wishing they had backed Hillary. Some call for a Democratic Primary to select a candidate for 2012. His approval ratings sink to new low levels. His endless words cast blame on others. They provide zero leadership. The problems persist without any sign of correction. Yet another political speech only feeds the problem.
One thing for sure, if the right leader emerges in 2012, the American people will respond as they always have to solve the problem. We should all hope and pray for that to happen. The need is desperate.
Monday, August 8, 2011
My Idea of a President
Like most people, I have a vision of acceptable Presidential behavior.
For starters, my President should display a minimum amount of “class.” He should make it clear he stands above the political norm. He would never openly employ cheap political tricks to make a point over the opposition. He would always remind us that he is acting in the best interests of the country, not his political party. In no case, would he ever, ever criticize the members of the opposition by name.
My President would display big servings of plain old “apple pie” Americanism. He would make it clear he believes our country is exceptional, and he will fight to defend all it stands for. My President would believe that we may have national misgivings, but they are far outweighed by our contributions to world society. Under my President’s leadership, the world would know they can rely on our moral compass in difficult situations.
While he goes about doing great things for the country, he would display a casual sense of humility. This is not about him. It is all about presiding over a great country as it fulfills its destiny. Our country is the exceptional entity, not him. He merely presides over it.
My President would not tell me every minute of every day how smart he is. If he were really smart, he would realize his job is not about “smarts.” Instead, My President would rely on character, courage, and a desire to continually project the strong moral foundation of America to the world.
My President would realize that this great country was built on creating an environment that allows anyone to succeed. Making citizens dependent on government handouts destroys that incentive and causes the national foundation to crumble. Punishing the successful is the flip side of that travesty. America is not Europe. Income redistribution is anathema to my President.
I only realize I have these Presidential expectations when they get violated. Sadly, Barack Obama fails every aspect of my Presidential test. Under this President, alarm bells have been ringing off the wall signaling levels of violation never reached before.
For starters, my President should display a minimum amount of “class.” He should make it clear he stands above the political norm. He would never openly employ cheap political tricks to make a point over the opposition. He would always remind us that he is acting in the best interests of the country, not his political party. In no case, would he ever, ever criticize the members of the opposition by name.
My President would display big servings of plain old “apple pie” Americanism. He would make it clear he believes our country is exceptional, and he will fight to defend all it stands for. My President would believe that we may have national misgivings, but they are far outweighed by our contributions to world society. Under my President’s leadership, the world would know they can rely on our moral compass in difficult situations.
While he goes about doing great things for the country, he would display a casual sense of humility. This is not about him. It is all about presiding over a great country as it fulfills its destiny. Our country is the exceptional entity, not him. He merely presides over it.
My President would not tell me every minute of every day how smart he is. If he were really smart, he would realize his job is not about “smarts.” Instead, My President would rely on character, courage, and a desire to continually project the strong moral foundation of America to the world.
My President would realize that this great country was built on creating an environment that allows anyone to succeed. Making citizens dependent on government handouts destroys that incentive and causes the national foundation to crumble. Punishing the successful is the flip side of that travesty. America is not Europe. Income redistribution is anathema to my President.
I only realize I have these Presidential expectations when they get violated. Sadly, Barack Obama fails every aspect of my Presidential test. Under this President, alarm bells have been ringing off the wall signaling levels of violation never reached before.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
America Desperately Needs a Leader
The distinguishing feature of the American character is the willingness to face and overcome challenges no matter how severe. There were the harsh days of colonial Jamestown. With brilliant foresight our forefathers formed our country in separation from England. Previous generations of American pioneers overcame many challenges to develop the western part of the country. The country survived a disruptive Civil War. My own parents suffered mightily in the Great Depression, but survived with no government aid and with their beliefs and principles intact.
In World War II our country mobilized rapidly after a surprise attack. It is hard to find a person, male or female, who did not actively contribute to the response. Our troops fought gallantly and unselfishly on two fronts of the war. This effort cast aside any doubt that the spirit underlying the United Sates was unequaled among the roster of nations. All the surviving Americans knew silently, but for sure, they were part of something special.
In summary, America and Americans have shown time after time they will come together to overcome any threat to our country. Today, we face a new and different challenge that threatens the survival of our way of life.
First, we learned we have been living in an unrealistic bubble of prosperity. The bursting of that bubble led to depressed economic activity with high unemployment levels. Housing values plummeted and the American dream of home ownership was threatened. For the first time Americans fear the next generation will not be as prosperous as this one.
We are no longer the world’s acknowledged super power, a role we inherited for the past 40 or 50 years. As a nation we are living beyond our means. The economies of other countries, especially China, have established a degree of equality with ours.
The American people have signaled they wish to address these issues. The last election showed their disgust with the existing political response. For example, despite the obvious need to control spending, our leaders tell us we need to spend even more.
There is no doubt the American people are willing to do whatever it takes to move the country into the future on a strong footing.. They are not afraid of sacrifice. Our governing system is so politically driven that it is paralyzed and ineffective. What the country needs is a strong leader to bring about the needed changes. Unfortunately, Barack Obama has shown he is not that leader. He is the very symbol of actions based purely on political objectives.
In this great country, is there not some person who will provide the leadership we so desperately need as our country faces yet another critical moment in our history? If he will just step forward, climb on his white horse and yell “charge,” the American people will respond to the challenge. Remember, they always have.
In World War II our country mobilized rapidly after a surprise attack. It is hard to find a person, male or female, who did not actively contribute to the response. Our troops fought gallantly and unselfishly on two fronts of the war. This effort cast aside any doubt that the spirit underlying the United Sates was unequaled among the roster of nations. All the surviving Americans knew silently, but for sure, they were part of something special.
In summary, America and Americans have shown time after time they will come together to overcome any threat to our country. Today, we face a new and different challenge that threatens the survival of our way of life.First, we learned we have been living in an unrealistic bubble of prosperity. The bursting of that bubble led to depressed economic activity with high unemployment levels. Housing values plummeted and the American dream of home ownership was threatened. For the first time Americans fear the next generation will not be as prosperous as this one.
We are no longer the world’s acknowledged super power, a role we inherited for the past 40 or 50 years. As a nation we are living beyond our means. The economies of other countries, especially China, have established a degree of equality with ours.
The American people have signaled they wish to address these issues. The last election showed their disgust with the existing political response. For example, despite the obvious need to control spending, our leaders tell us we need to spend even more.
There is no doubt the American people are willing to do whatever it takes to move the country into the future on a strong footing.. They are not afraid of sacrifice. Our governing system is so politically driven that it is paralyzed and ineffective. What the country needs is a strong leader to bring about the needed changes. Unfortunately, Barack Obama has shown he is not that leader. He is the very symbol of actions based purely on political objectives.
In this great country, is there not some person who will provide the leadership we so desperately need as our country faces yet another critical moment in our history? If he will just step forward, climb on his white horse and yell “charge,” the American people will respond to the challenge. Remember, they always have.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Will liberal policies lead to California bankruptcy?
At first, I was dismayed at the outcome of the recent California election with a Democratic sweep of the major offices. On reflection I think that is a good thing. Faced with huge budget deficits and massive unemployment solutions must come from an all-Democrat ruling group.
The signs aren’t promising, however. Californians continue to slumber on and ignore the huge problem of a looming fiscal reality. For example, the Financial Times recently published this item:
“Across the country radical solutions have been shot down by powerful public sector unions. For example, a referendum in San Francisco that would have raised public sector employee contributions was defeated this month. By 2013 that city will be spending as much on pension contributions as its police and fire departments and main public hospital combined, and it has set aside no cash at all for retiree health care promises.”
In other words liberal San Franciscans refused to allow economic reality to interfere with their sense of limitless entitlements for all, especially public employee unions.
Meg Whitman charged that Jerry Brown’s gubernatorial campaign was bought and paid for by these very same unions. It will be interesting to see how the geriatric Moonbeam will face up to his union supporters on retirement issues. The retread governor has pledged no new taxes without voter approval. With the anti-tax sentiment so prevalent today that equates to balancing the budget by cutting spending. Whoops! That would defy the ultra liberal sentiment of entitlements, income redistribution, and chasing environmental fantasies without regard to cost.
Will the Democrats who control every segment of California government allow the pressure of the huge state deficit to trump their costly liberal priorities? It will be an interesting next few years in the already tarnished Golden State.
The signs aren’t promising, however. Californians continue to slumber on and ignore the huge problem of a looming fiscal reality. For example, the Financial Times recently published this item:
“Across the country radical solutions have been shot down by powerful public sector unions. For example, a referendum in San Francisco that would have raised public sector employee contributions was defeated this month. By 2013 that city will be spending as much on pension contributions as its police and fire departments and main public hospital combined, and it has set aside no cash at all for retiree health care promises.”
In other words liberal San Franciscans refused to allow economic reality to interfere with their sense of limitless entitlements for all, especially public employee unions.
Meg Whitman charged that Jerry Brown’s gubernatorial campaign was bought and paid for by these very same unions. It will be interesting to see how the geriatric Moonbeam will face up to his union supporters on retirement issues. The retread governor has pledged no new taxes without voter approval. With the anti-tax sentiment so prevalent today that equates to balancing the budget by cutting spending. Whoops! That would defy the ultra liberal sentiment of entitlements, income redistribution, and chasing environmental fantasies without regard to cost.
Will the Democrats who control every segment of California government allow the pressure of the huge state deficit to trump their costly liberal priorities? It will be an interesting next few years in the already tarnished Golden State.
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