American Politics during the Obama Presidency

[QUOTE=Nuevo Espanol]8 minutes of clips from 2004 hearing on Regulation of Freddie & Fannie Mae.

[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4A0RuXhnQA[/url]

Don't stop there. You investigate further and decide who is innocent.

Don't blindly cling to stereotypes you are feed daily.

Best wishes to all.

Nuevo[/QUOTE]EXACTLY! That clip should be required viewing for anyone who thinks the government can efficiently run or regulate anything, or that social legislation doesn't come with negative and costly consequences. Anyone who thinks that the housing mess -- or the last two years of economic malaise -- should be laid at George Bush's feet ought to be forced to watch that video before uttering a syllable.

God help us now that these people have seen fit to stick their noses into health care. Phew! Is this going to be a mess? [Yes, that's rhetorical.]

Mister Walleye,

I get into BA in 3 weeks. I look forward to that beer and your napkin sketches if your in town.

Cheers

[QUOTE=Gato Hunter]Mister Walleye,

I get into BA in 3 weeks. I look forward to that beer and your napkin sketches if your in town.

Cheers[/QUOTE]Although I may need the napkins to wipe the drool off my chin.

Oh my the way how is that box working out BP?

[QUOTE=Gato Hunter]Oh my the way how is that box working out BP?[/QUOTE]A 100 ton box made of steel and concrete to perform lowering it miles into the ocean trying to land it on the head of a pin.

That's why they need my solution.

Or perhaps it is about filing every business transaction with the IRS so that they can tax you to death. The "health care law" requires every business to file a 1099 for every transaction (or series of transactions with the same vendor) totaling $600 or more. That means, if you use $600 of gas from Mobile during the year, you have to get their tin and file a 1099. New laptop? 1099. Landscaper cutting lawn at office? 1099. Home Depot for office improvements? 1099. 3 trips to the same amp for relief from biz stress? 1099.

[url]http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/2010/04/26/costly-irs-mandate-slipped-into-health-bill/[/url]

As one who had a significant short position in the equities markets thinking that the so called ''economic recovery'' was a hoax - I am more and more impressed with Obama. He must be doing something right.

As far as the Health Care legislation goes - we had to do something. Health care in the United States is a hoax. We could spend every cent of our GNP on health care and it would not extend anybodies life expectancy by even one day.

It is time we drew a line in the sand. Cut health care expenditures in half which would be in line with other countries. Tell the whiners to take their silly ass colds and sprained ankles down the street to perchance find somebody who gives a shit.

For crying out loud, Cubans, who might spend 25 cents a year on health care, have a longer life expectancy that we do in the United States.

I am afraid I have lost you.

Please don't take this as criticism (we are all bathed in this propaganda daily from birth) As pointed out by some of my friends here, I have too much time on my hands and I am bored. However, I do not consider my efforts to share my perspective as either proselytizing or a waste of time, rather, it is more of a service to the community.

[QUOTE=El Alamo]As one who had a significant short position in the stock exchanges with this idea the so called ''economic recovery'' was a hoax - I am more and more impressed with Obama. He must be doing something right.[/QUOTE]The recovery is in spite of the govt (and all their job-killing legislation) not because of it. It is a tribute to the free market (for now) American economy that it can come back in the face of new crushing taxes, regulation and incentives for people not to go back to work. The stock market is a leading economic indicator, however, the broader question for the recovery is jobs, which this administration and congress seem intent to destroy. This is truth, not hyperbole (apologies to you libs for using big words)

Before you jump up and claim I want a regulation-free economy, "let me be clear" there is a need for basic regulation and strict enforcement of the laws. That said, many industries in the US face incredible (in many cases unnecessary) regulatory hurdles that their foreign competitors do not. If you add regulation, you add cost. If you raise taxes, you raise cost. The administration and congress have added numerous disincentives for US companies to add employees. So instead of adding a new employee at point "x" in the recovery, companies will wait until point "why" or maybe point "z" so as to be able to rationalize that extra cost of adding that employee. Many companies will chose not to add that employee.

When the economy goes to sh*t, companies (particularly publicly traded ones or those with debt) will immediately look to shed variable costs (I. E. Those costs that can be changed in the near-term as opposed to fixed costs like long-term leases, etc) in order to maintain profitability (good thing) and competitiveness (another good thing) Normally, the biggest variable cost is payroll. What is often lost in the media is that large and small companies need to make profits to stay alive. Further, companies with debt need to comply with the covenants (a series of rules and measures that are aimed at ensuring the safety of the lenders money) associated with the debt. Often, debt covenants will include ratios of debt service to EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) free cash flow or other measure of profitability. If you are not in compliance with the covenants, there are penalties (like late charges on your credit cards) which make the debt more expensive (or even make all the principal and interest due immediately) and further impact the company at a time of economic turmoil. Therefore, many times management has little if any choice to swing the axe.

So this is how it works:

1) economy goes to hell in a hand basket.

2) companies shed huge amounts of workers (drastically reducing costs)

3) companies chug along with smaller workforce and realize greater profitability.

4) improved profitability attracts investors.

5) more buyers of stock (increased demand) in the face of finite supply drives the price of stock up.

6) good stock performance makes everyone feel good. Management thinks "why f*ck up a good thing by adding to head count?" - company keeps chugging with lower headcount, profitability continues to improve.

7) improved profitability attracts more investors.

8) more buyers of stock (increased demand) in the face of finite supply drives the price of stock up.

9) at the point when it becomes clear that growth is inhibited by not adding to head count, management will start to hire.

10) increased costs eat into profit margins, profitability plateaus or slightly declines (margin not necessarily in nominal numbers)

11) lower trajectory of profitability brings fewer buyers to the stock.

12) fewer buyers and perhaps a few sellers, in the face of finite supply, the stock trades sideways or in a band.

[quote=]As far as the Health Care legislation goes - we had to do something.[/QUOTE]Why? Is destroying it better than working with an imperfect solution?

[quote=]It is time we drew a line in the sand. Cut health care expenditures in half which would be in line with other countries.[/QUOTE]Why? If we allow the free market to reign and allow companies to profit in this sector, we can continue to have the best health care in the world and we can spend more of GDP on health care than other countries because we chose to do so. The amount of GDP spent on health care is a BS statistic which is totally meaningless. We spend more of GDP on defense than anyone else. Should we stop that too?

[quote=]Tell the whiners to take their silly ass colds and sprained ankles down the street to perchance find somebody who gives a shit.[/QUOTE]I quite agree, if I am paying for their health care. If they are paying out of their own pockets, let them go, they are helping the economy recovery.

[quote=]For crying out loud, Cubans, who might spend 25 cents a year on health care, have a longer life expectancy that we do in the United States.[/QUOTE]This really hurts. I know that you are not a hopeless liberal. Don't fall for the propaganda. Health care in Cuba is woefully inadequate. Comparing the US life expectancy numbers to most other countries is apples to oranges. In the US, we count every live birth no matter the circumstances (say born at 24 weeks gestation) When that baby doesn't make it (I. E. Death at 0 years old) that screws up the statistics. I don't hear anyone proposing that we ban neonatal care in order to increase our life expectancy.

I can attest to the reduction in staff to curtail costs. Every and I do mean every one of my clients is or have laid off from 10% to 50% of their workforce to lower costs. They are also cutting 401k company contributions; reducing, shifting cost to the employee or totally cutting healthcare coverage due to recent hikes in coverage costs ahead of ObamaCare; and are actively seeking every dime they can save in operational costs.

Here in Houston, things are about to get a lot worse with the shifting of the military truck manufacturing contract from Texas (a red state) to Ohio (a blue state) and the killing off a major portion of NASA and shifting work from Texas (a red state) to Florida (a blue state) The market going up and down is not affecting jobs here unless it is to just reinforce management's tactic to hunker down and wait and see.

Even my international clients I sub for are cutting back and consolidating which has bitten me in the butt personally!

As a side line, Greece is first in line, next is Portugal then Spain. Their populations are rioting because there is nothing left to sustain their "social program spending" but they want it and don't care. We maybe next, just look at all the protests over Arizona's immigration law and they only want to enforce the laws that are on the Federal books at the state level since the Feds won't. - Give me mine and screw everyone else is how all these folks think.

[QUOTE=Doppelganger]shifting of the military truck manufacturing contract from Texas (a red state) to Ohio (a blue state) and the killing off a major portion of Nasa[/QUOTE]If you are in a red state, you ain't gettin' nuttin. Look at the response to the flooding in Tennessee and looming potential disaster on the coast of AL. At least with Katrina, the problems with response were human error. Here, there aren't responses because the constituents are not members of an Obama constituency.

[quote=] and shifting work from Texas (a red state) to Florida (a blue state)[/QUOTE]Gotta buy them votes in this swing state. "Shoot we might even embrace Crist (that's Charlie not Jesus)"

[quote=] The market going up and down is not affecting jobs here unless it is to just reinforce management's tactic to hunker down and wait and see.[/QUOTE]Not unless the NYSE opens a new exchange in TX.

[quote=]Even my international clients I sub for are cutting back and consolidating which has bitten me in the butt personally! [/QUOTE]Tell me about it. I gotta stop wearing these pork-chop underpants.

[quote=]As a side line, Greece is first in line, next is Portugal then Spain.[/QUOTE]Then California, then the USA.

[quote=] Their populations are rioting[/QUOTE]A small portion of the population is rioting. These miscreants are primarily govt, union layabouts (in the US think SEIU) who are pissed that they might actually have to work for a living and that what they get paid might be relative to the work that they do.

[quote=]just look at all the protests over Arizona's immigration law and they only want to enforce the laws that are on the Federal books at the state level since the Feds won't[/QUOTE]I find it hilarious that all these brilliant media types (including Obama) came out hard against AZ's law and vowed to repeal it (because 'everyone' is against it) or that it was unconstitutional. I doubt one of them read the law. If they read it, then they were lying in their public comments. That said, I was laughing when the group organizing the ballot referendum against the law called it quits, the other day. Apparently, there isn't much interest among AZ voters to lift a finger to obstruct the rule of law (which this law seeks to reinstate)

There is nothing racist or anti-anything (other than anti-lawbreaker) about protecting the sovereignty of the US.

Miami Bob: I thank WW everyday. He has offered me sage advice and particularly good inside info on the ladies. My comments were directed publicly to WW in jest and to motivate him to be more proactive in getting his ass to BsAs for some good times.

I do disagree with his politics but I have many friends who share his beliefs that I have a spirited discourse with almost constantly in fun and to enlighten them as to their misguide perception of reality. Jajaja.

I agree that only a small number of the folks are rioting in Greece and those are the ones feeling the pinch but they do get a lot of publicity, don't they. Last poll I saw on immigration reform was 70+% favor the Az law and lets face it most of those folks out protesting it and waving the Mexican flags are illegals - and as with Greece they get one heck of a lot of press from the main stream media so they appear as more than they are but it is funny the media seems to miss all the violence.

One question - where the hell is ICE at these demonstrations? Could get a good start on the new program right there!

[QUOTE=Doppelganger]I agree that only a small number of the folks are rioting in Greece and those are the ones feeling the pinch but they do get a lot of publicity don't they. Last poll I saw on immigration reform was 70+% favor the Az law and lets face it most of those folks out protesting it and waving the Mexican flags are illegals - and as with Greece they get one heck of a lot of press from the main stream media so they appear as more than they are but it is funny the media seems to miss all the violence.

One question - where the hell is ICE at these demonstrations? Could get a good start on the new program right there![/QUOTE]In the little styrofoam coolers the protesters bring with them

Here are three more examples of the erosion of personal freedom under Obama's move towards dictatorship.

As I previously mentioned, all corporate expenditures greater than $600 will require filing a 1099.

Also, the financial regulation bill (being pushed in the Senate by the criminal Chris Dodd) includes these two new agencies:

•The Office of Financial Research. This supposedly would predict risk in the system by collecting massive amounts of new financial data, such as patterns of credit card use.

•The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. It would collect data, especially on consumer transactions.

If anyone doubts that this administration and congress want to control everything about your life, this should help to remove those doubts.

"As I previously mentioned, all corporate expenditures greater than $600 will require filing a 1099."

They already do.

"•The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. It would collect data, especially on consumer transactions."

The stores already have this data, that's why they want you to have a "Safeway" card so they can track your purchases and control what coupons you receive on the back of your receipt. Companies pay big money for this kind of targeted marketing. The same data is just being used by the government for a different reason. If you don't want to be tracked, pay cash. Anonymity of purchases went out the door a long time ago.

As an aside, collecting information is not inherently good or evil, it is how the data is used that is good or evil. I certainly don't trust the government to do anything but find more creative ways to tax me. However, in the right hands it can be used to do great things.

Sysco234