PIED TYPE
Economy
It’s time to bust the unions
I have great respect for teachers. I really do. Especially those grade school and high school teachers who, in addition to teaching, have to act as baby sitters and disciplinarians for disinterested students who would rather be someplace else. That said, I think Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker should fire the state’s teachers and bust their … Continue reading
Worrywarts, don’t read this
Depressed about the economy? Concerned about education in the US? Then you don’t want to check out this chart from the New York Times. It’s a comparison of some key statistics (unemployment rate, prison population, level of democracy, life expectancy, etc.) from the International Monetary Fund’s “advanced economy” countries. Australia, anyone?
Cut heating assistance now? Seriously?
I strongly support cutting federal spending. Average folks know when they’re in financial straits, the first thing they need to do is tighten their belts and cut spending. I’m also well aware that the minute the government starts budget cutting, the entities feeling the cuts are going to object loudly. That said, I still strongly … Continue reading
Another consumer rant
We’re into midsummer now and I’m still trying to judge the full impact of a rate increase from my power company, Xcel Energy. All their assurances that their new “tiered” rate system (the more you use, the higher your rate per kwh) for summer was “budget neutral” didn’t matter. It might be budget neutral for … Continue reading
Summer news snooze
The Mosque at Ground Zero The “mosque at Ground Zero” isn’t. It isn’t a mosque and it isn’t at Ground Zero. Or at least that’s what I’ve heard. Whether it’s a mosque or a Muslim cultural center or whatever, a map in one report clearly showed the proposed structure is three blocks from Ground Zero. … Continue reading
Let’s un-retire Gen. Honore
Retired Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré did a CNN interview on June 14, a day before Pres. Obama gave his pathetic Oval Office address. He said the kinds of things I wanted to hear from Obama, and didn’t. As I’ve written before, Honoré is the man I would put in charge of the oil spill … Continue reading
BP leak not bad enough to stop Shell in Alaska
Shell Oil today received permission from U.S. federal court to go ahead with their plans to drill five exploratory wells off the Alaska coasts. According to The Huffington Post: Shell’s Chukchi exploration plan concluded that a large oil spill, such as a release from a blowout, would be rare. MMS agreed and said the probability … Continue reading
Closing the barn door after the oil’s out
Most of what I know about offshore drilling, I’ve learned in the last 10 days or so, thanks to BP (British Petroleum) and the news media. And I’ve already posted several times about BP and their current oil “spill” (more like a wide-open, gushing tap) in the Gulf of Mexico. I have several questions for … Continue reading
Offshore drilling: Reaping the whirlwind
BP’s collapsed, leaking oil rig was a disaster waiting to happen –and there are 4,000 more active drilling platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. Continue reading
Putting a price on dreams
I suppose one day President Obama might seem like a genius — if the U.S. space program succeeds in landing men on Mars in the 2030s. If we still have a space program then. In the meantime, I’d much prefer he didn’t mess with NASA. Not with NASA’s plans, or projects, or jobs, or budget … Continue reading
Finally, more nuke power
Yesterday President Obama announced federal loan guarantees of $8.3 billion to build two nuclear power plants in Georgia. It’s about time. The rest of the world seems to appreciate the value of nuclear power (the French get 80% of their electricity from nuclear plants) and I’ve been wondering when we’d finally get back on the … Continue reading
Unemployment figures are so misleading
I have issues with unemployment figures. These days we hear about unemployment almost every day, but we don’t hear much about how those figures are compiled. And that’s a real shame because those figures, currently so depressing, can be extremely misleading. As I recall, the latest number being thrown around is something in the range … Continue reading
Closing the barn door after the money’s out
When it comes to high finance, I’m a dunce, so it figures I don’t understand the details of big banking, bailouts, and bonuses, but … Pres. Obama is saying now, finally, he’s going to get all that bailout money back by levying a fee on those bailed-out banks. He figures if they can afford to … Continue reading
America, move your money!
Move Your Money out of the too-big-to-fail, bailed-out-but-we-still-won’t-give-you-a-loan-and-we’re-raising-your-rates banks and into the small local banks that have been truckin’ along all this time, supporting our communities, giving us loans, and treating us like the neighbors we are. This is a movement launched by Arianna Huffington, whom you may or may not care for, that makes … Continue reading
Colorado minimum wage to drop
As if there hasn’t already been enough bad news this year, there’s this little bit of additional local gloom: Colorado is about to become the first state to lower its minimum wage since the minimum wage became law in 1938. The three cent drop is coming because the state’s minimum wage is tied to inflation … Continue reading
Here we go again with the credit cards
Sure enough, the news channels were right. Letters have showed up from the credit card companies announcing all sorts of changes to our terms before new federal regs hit ‘em early next year and seriously cramp their style. How badly am I going to get screwed, I wondered, as I started opening the mail. Well, … Continue reading
Zing!! How does it feel, BoA?
Once upon a time you dressed so fine You threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn’t you? – from “Like a Rolling Stone,” Bob Dylan Hey there, Citigroup. How’s it goin’, BoA? What’s that you say? The treasury that gave you all that bailout money last year has abruptly, unexpectedly changed the terms … Continue reading
Do it right the first time
I’ve been watching the Sunday morning talk shows, and naturally health care reform is the favorite topic. Ideas swirling today: Doctor Shortage On Andersen Cooper, they got around to the shortage of primary care physicians. Sanjay Gupta noted that even in Massachusetts, where something like 97% of the people now have health care coverage, there … Continue reading
Stick a fork in GM
General Motors declared bankruptcy today. In the past I’d have said it was the end of an era, but I know now that bankruptcy is not necessarily The End. I haven’t followed the details of all the recent GM talk so maybe my questions have already been answered out there somewhere. I’m wondering why we … Continue reading
Just so’s ya know
Just saw an ad on TV for Ally Bank. Huh? Who would be starting up a new bank in our current lousy economic environment? A few keystrokes later, I found out. GMAC. Ain’t “rebranding” a hoot? GM’s name is Mudd these days, so by all means, get rid of it! Especially when you need to … Continue reading
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