Whew! Some traumatic week that we have been through. The Senate and the House with Presidential agreement accepts a deal (probably pre-arranged) that creates a “super legislature of 12 members to propose “up or down” spending cuts or tax increases. This mini-Politburo allows Congress to do what it does best: shift blame and duck responsibility. The whole debt-ceiling fiasco has demonstrated that most of the old timers and many of the “Tea Party” House members lack courage and integrity. There were, however, a few who held firm and may have had an incremental influence on the outcome. Their intransigence may have forced the leadership to implement the super legislative ruse rather than boldly vote to raise the debt ceiling and taxes.
Because the government did not seriously or honestly address the excessive spending and the increasing debt, Standard and Poor’s lowered the U.S. debt quality rating from AAA to AA. Watch carefully in the next few weeks because interest rates may begin to creep upward since the FED has been artificially forcing them lower. China issued a statement that condemned our government and its wasteful practices. It’s never a good sign when the communists think you are consuming too much of your nation’s GDP.
We had a wonderful week at the Wood County Fair. Bowling Green City Council write-in candidate, Nathan Eberly…E-B-E-R-L-Y, the chair of the Libertarian Party of Wood County did a great job of organizing the tent, and LPWC members stepped up to host it. Met a lot of radio listeners and Littlestuff readers during our scheduled times. It was comforting to observe that my readers and listeners aren’t too crazy….though we may be driving them that way.
It was a pleasure for me to work at the Ron Paul booth at the Ohio State Fair on Thursday. What a difference a year makes. The response this year was dramatically better than last year as more and more people (following the debt ceiling fiasco) realize that Dr. Paul is NOT the wacky old uncle. They understand that he has been right since before “right” was cool. The younger folks who are politically astute are attracted to his candidacy, but I was impressed by how many 60-somethings were driven to support him because of the congressional ineptitude that was so obvious in recent weeks.
Another reminder for you about our radio program that airs every Tuesday and Wednesday evening from 6:00pm to 7:00pm on 1370 WSPD. www.wspd.com ---we are streamed---. We view all things local, regional, statewide, national and global through the prism of liberty. We also have podcasts of each program that are usually posted within 24-48 hours of the live broadcast. The name of the show is “Eye on Toledo.”
Enjoyed my Mother’s family reunion Saturday. We are blessed that Mother and her seven siblings are still with us, and six of the eight spouses are living. The food was plentiful and tasty, and it was great to see some of my cousins.
Yesterday’s (Friday’s) column was about “Crisis Management,” and we added an addendum to our FaceBook page: Remember that politicians are middle managers for the community, state or nation. They are hirelings…we hire them to oversee the day to day functions of government. We the People are the CEO’s, the COO’s and the CFO’s of this great American enterprise. We have a fiduciary responsibility to fire the middle managers if they squander our resources and violate our policies (the Constitution). If the politicians consistently govern against our will and we fail to replace them, we are the ones at fault. It requires that we the people undergo a dramatic attitudinal change from governed beneficiary to responsible stakeholder. Our efforts to restore the nation will be futile until the citizenry understands that ownership of the nation means that WE assume responsibility for its performance.
Monday’s column will address “baseline budgeting.” It is the primary fiscal impetus behind our precarious financial situation. Wednesday we will examine the political concept of “voting from cover” wherein your/our elected servants can appear to vote as we wish but are ready, willing and able to underwrite big government if their votes are “needed.” Sham and scam artists are not representing the people who pay, but they do protect those who receive.
"In the end, more than freedom, they wanted security. They wanted a comfortable life, and they lost it all - security, comfort and freedom. When the Athenians finally wanted not to give to society but for society to give to them, when the freedom they wished for most was freedom from responsibility, then Athens ceased to be free and was never free again." ~Edward Gibbon
ReplyDelete