I Shopped at a Walmart Once - in 2001

We were traveling and had forgotten toothpaste and it was across the street from the motel. Don't mean to start WWIII, but I just can't put my head (or my debit card) around shopping at a store which has such great economies of scale that they can mandate pricing and business practices for everyone else.

I know all the arguments for and against, but now it's become a matter of looking for a parking space and walking a half a mile to the store and then another half a mile or more in the store and then back. Even on days I have that much energy, I don't want to waste that much time. Anyway,

Now that Walmart has climbed onto Obama's healthcare bandwagon I do believe that makes one more place where they would have an unfair advantage against smaller chains and individual stores. Don't kid yourself, there's no way they would do this unless it enhanced their bottom line. Mandating the government insurance does not give the individual purchaser nor the private insurer an opportunity to cut their own deals and do the cost/benefit needed for individuals to tailor policies to their own needs and wants. One more freedom bites the dust.

IDEA; It seems there are news stories every day about the deplorable condition of Michigan's roads. How about this: Let the State forgo their windfall profit when gas fluctuates toward $3 and up. Put a floor on the amount that goes into the general fund at $2, $2.25 or wherever they decide and when it goes over that, the sales tax should be shifted to the DOT for road construction ONLY. Maybe some bridge repair, but for Pete's sake, nothing for highway beautification or rest area upgrades.

Just heard that Obama wants to mandate that all sellers of homes shall now spend whatever it takes to make the house "green" such as weatherizing and other energy saving projects and it needs to be done before the house can be sold. Another way to stifle individual choices. Such as, making a deal with a buyer to cut a few hundred dollars off the price to a guy who is handy and would like to put some sweat equity into his new home. Original and creative thinking could accomplish the same thing, but Obama doesn't trust the American public to make their own decisions.

One last thing-we have a new building going up with stimulus money that will be of great benefit to many families both in convenience and economy. Of course, Mark Schauer made the announcement within a couple of days of stories in the local paper about the latest loss of 200 jobs and a plant in our community. Do you think they wait to make these announcements to distract the public from the bad news on the economic front? Just a though--timing is everything.

For tonight-
God bless.........