WedNEWSday
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December 31st, 2008
Rubin, $122 Billion, and Obama
The same day the media blasted us with the news of financier Bernard Madoff’s arrest for his “Ponzi scheme,” which cost investors $50 billion dollars, there was nothing but silence surrounding a lawsuit that was filed against former Clinton Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin. Rubin conducted his own “Ponzi scheme,” looting $122 billion from Citigroup shareholders. Jamie Rubin, Robert’s son, just so happens to be Obama’s largest fundraiser on Wall Street and one of his top advisers. In fact, Obama’s economic team is comprised of several Robert Rubin disciples.
Aside from the $122 billion share holders lost, Rubin personally pocketed over $115 million in pay from Citigroup and along withother insiders, cashed out stock worth $150 million. All this was happening while 75,000 Citigroup employees were losing their jobs. Now you and I have the honor of bailing out Citigroup to the tune of $306 billion (according to Bloomberg). The mainstream media outlets, who are obviously in the tank for Obama, did a great job keeping a lid on this outrageous pillaging. When Obama says “change” does he mean unprecedented corruption?
This from Pittsburgh Tribune Review - December 29th, 2008
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/columnists/reiland/s_604650.html
This from New York Post - December 4th, 2008
http://www.nypost.com/seven/12042008/business/ponzi_scheme_at_citi_142511.htm
Video from FreeIndependentNews
December 24th, 2008
Bank Bailout not Aboveboard
As taxpayers we had $700 billion of our money confiscated by the Federal government in what is now known as the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). If you want to know how this impacts your pocketbook we just need to make some simple calculations.
According to the Tax Foundation, for the 2006 fiscal year 135,660,228 federal income tax returns were filed. Of those, 32% or 43,362,718 qualified as “zero liability,” meaning that those individuals and/or families pay zero federal income tax yet still take advantage of various deductions and credits (meaning they actually get paid, as in “spreading the wealth around”). This leaves 92,297,510 who actually paid federal income taxes in 2006. If we divide the $700 billion by 92,297,510 we get $7,584.17 per taxpayer (roughly since these are 2006 numbers).
That’s $7,584.17 that I’m sure you and your family could use. It would cover a couple family vacations, you could put it towards your child’s college education, pay down your mortgage, put it into your IRA or 401k, etc. What’s disturbing is that Americans were opposed to the TARP but that did not matter to our government. For the average family $7,584.17 is a nice “chunk” of change. To the executives in the financial industry it is merely “chump” change.
Now, I am all for free markets and those markets justifying the pay of any one individual, including executive compensation. However, Benjamin Franklin once said, ”There is no kind of dishonesty into which otherwise good people more easily and frequently fall than that of defrauding the government.” Since said executives refuse to disclose how our money is being spent one has to wonder how much of it is going straight into their pocketbooks.
Video of John Stossel on ABC’s 20/20 - December 21, 2008
This from The Houston Chronicle - December 23rd, 2008
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/steffy/6179912.html
This from The Dallas Morning News - December 23rd, 2008
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/122308dnbusbailout.3c71db0.html
Bitterly Cold Despite “Global Warming”
Green Lake in Seattle was the sight of a miracle on Monday. Three ducks walked on water. Oh wait, that’s ice. It was either walk or spend Christmas stranded in the airport with thousands of other travelers. The ducks are not buying into the Global Warming hysteria either.
Many parts of the United States have seen 18 inches of snow and temperatures below -30 degrees F.
This from Vance Publishing’s CattleNetwork.com - December 23rd, 2008
http://www.cattlenetwork.com/Content.asp?ContentID=278645
Hollywood Guy Buys Guns to Fight Drugs from Mexico
Actor David Spade has donated $100,000 to the Phoenix Police Department. 50 AR-15 rifles will be purchased to help the department battle the growing influence of Mexican drug cartels in and around Phoenix.
This from FOXNews.com - December 23rd, 2008
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,471244,00.html
The New York Times: More Misinformation
First it was Jayson Blair in 2003 plagiarizing and contriving his stories which dealt a major blow to the credibility of the far-left New York Times. Now we have The New York Times taking another shortcut, failing to verify the source of a letter and thus publishing a fake email from Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe. The fake letter scoffed at the idea of Caroline Kennedy being handed the Senate seat vacated by Hillary Clinton.
The most interesting part of the letter states, “…that recently both Republicans and Democrats are drifting away from a truly democratic model…” The letter also called Kennedy’s bid for the Senate “surprising and not very democratic…” and “in very poor taste.”
The letter may not have originated from Delanoe but it is an accurate assessment of politics in the U.S. and the Kennedy situation. Certainly this won’t be the last time The New York Times embarrasses themselves.
This from Reuters UK - December 22nd, 2008
http://uk.reuters.com/article/autoNews/idUKTRE4BL4KN20081222
December 17th, 2008
Weighing the Impact of an “Obesity Tax”
This is perhaps the first time in my life where I would actually be in favor of a tax. Since taxes are not going to vanish any time soon, we might as well have taxes that make sense. With the constant “threat” of universal healthcare (meaning hardworking Americans like you and I will be on the hook for those in society who frequently overindulge) it only makes sense that individuals be held more accountable for their own health.
Statistics from the recent IHRSA (The International Health, Racquet, and Sportsclub Association)/ASD (American Sports Data Inc.) Obesity/Weight Control Report, published on the ASD website reveal America’s growing epidemic. They call the findings “alarming” and say the U.S. population is “dangerously overweight.”
The NCHS(Nation Center for Health Statistics) has been collecting and analyzing data on obesity in the United States for over 40 years. Here is what they have found.
– Between 1962 and 2000, the number of obese Americans grew from 13% to 31%
– 63% of Americans are overweight with a Body Mass Index (BMI) above 25.0
– 31% are obese with a BMI above 30.0
– Childhood obesity in the United States has more than tripled in the past 20 years
– The U.S. Surgeon General reports that obesity leads to 300,000 deaths per year
Keeping in mind that the current population of the Unites States is over 305 million people, these numbers are indeed staggering. How can people who perpetually overeat expect others to pick up the tab for their hip and knee replacements, their pharmaceuticals, and all their other medical expenses that surely will accompany such a lifestyle?
You and I should not pay for any of this. Their poor choices and lack of discipline should not have a negative impact on our families’ financial futures. Hopefully we see more legislation like this in the future, where individuals will shoulder the majority of the burden for their own indiscretions.
Although NY Governor David Paterson (D) (pictured below) has proposed an absurd number of new taxes, the “obesity tax” is one that will hold people personally accountable, something that many of us welcome given that our personal finances are on the line.
This from The Financial Times - December 17th, 2008
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/30ccfeaa-cbdb-11dd-ba02-000077b07658.html
Irony at its Best: Anti-Kidnap Specialist Kidnapped
This is why I won’t be traveling to Mexico anytime soon. Thank God for the Travel Channel.
This from Newsmax - December 15th, 2008
http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/mexico_kidnapping/2008/12/15/162079.html
Caroline Kennedy vs. Sarah Palin
Liberals really crack me up. All we heard from them prior to the November 4th election (and for some time after as well) was how unqualified Alaska Governor Sarah Palin was (even though she had more executive level experience under her belt than Barack Obama). Now we hear that Caroline Kennedy (pictured above with Barack Obama) has reached out to a number of prominent New York Democrats to express her interest in Hillary Clinton’s vacated Senate seat.
What’s amusing here is that Caroline Kennedy has not served one day in public office. That’s ZERO experience, ZILCH, NADA. Certainly, you won’t hear any objections from the liberal, left-wing media. I presume that just the name Kennedy alone makes her qualified.
The media has been fawning over the prospect for nearly two weeks now. As if our Federal Government isn’t already a mockery.
This from The Indianapolis Star - December 10th, 2007
http://www.indystar.com/article/20081210/OPINION/812100324/1002/OPINION
December, 10th, 2008
Grave Situation in Greece
Civil unrest rages on as citizens there continue to lose faith in a corrupt government. The country’s economy is in shambles with roughly 20% of the population living below the poverty line and the youngest members of the workforce (those ages 15-24) not able to find employment (19% unemployment). A teenaged student being gunned down by police didn’t help matters.
Could we be seeing this on our own soil soon?
(video from The Associated Press)
December 10th, 2008 - This from Bloomberg.com
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601085&sid=aCk1Xm2jD.y0&refer=europe
Blagojevich Busted
Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich (D) (pictured above) and his chief of staff were arrested by the feds for trying to auction off the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama. US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who will prosecute the case, called it a “political corruption crime spree.” This would be shocking news if it came from anywhere other than the state of Illinois, which has a history of such malfeasance.
December 9th, 2008 - This from FOXNews.com
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2008/12/09/report-illinois-governor-taken-federal-custody/
U.S. Puts the Pressure on Pakistan
With the recent Mumbai massacre, it is apparent that Pakistan needs to reign in the lawlessness near its border with Afghanistan. President Bush urged Pakistan to take a tougher stance on terrorists in the region. President-elect Obama will need to be committed to his words and follow suit. Allowing terrorists to further destabilize relations between nuclear neighbors Pakistan and India would have devastating consequences.
December 9th, 2008 - This from The Wall Street Journal
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/12/09/pressure-grows-on-obama-over-pakistan/
December 3rd, 2008
Obama Cozying up to Cuba
Obama plans to eliminate family travel restrictions and cash remittances to Cuba shortly after taking office on January 20th. In addition, Obama does not rule out lifting the embargo that has been in place for nearly 50 years, since Cuba fell to communism. Like they say, birds of a feather flock together.
December 2nd, 2008 - This from Townhall.com:
http://townhall.com/news/business/2008/12/02/ap_analysis_obama_free_to_change_us-cuba_policy
20,000 Troops to be Deployed within our Own Borders
Is martial law on its way? The truth is it wouldn’t be to protect us. It would be to protect the Federal Government from us. I pray that Glenn is wrong.
December 1st, 2008 - This from GlennBeck.com
http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/18737/?ck=1
Gun Control Works, for the “Bad Guys”
Most U.S. citizens are not aware that the Supreme Court as well as many lower courts have ruled time and again that police are not required to protect an individual. This means that you are the only person responsible for ensuring your own safety.
As our freedoms are being stripped, we also face an imminent rise in crime due to the horrid economic conditions. Guns are flying out the doors of gun shops at a record pace. One can only contemplate how tragic situations might end differently with a few more armed “good guys” around.
December 2nd, 2008 - This from FOXNews.com
http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/12/02/jlott_guncontrol/
