Mackinac Center for Public Policy

The best thing about newspapers and the Mackinac Center is that a good deal of information is supplied using paper and ink. This makes it easy to put it aside until you have time to kick back in the recliner and read it when you have time. (Also, your email box doesn't get really, really full waiting for you to pay attention to it and either delete it after reading or putting it in a folder, etc.)

Received a Mackinac Center publication about Property Rights and it's chock full of abuses by DEQ restrictions and other governmental entities. It's really scary to hear that the DEQ now considers that social concerns and who has the right to make more money than someone else on a particular piece of land is a part of their mandate.

They also look at zoning and planning in their "mission." The owner of a McDonald's in East Lansing is apparently being threatened by being labelled as a brownfield and some social engineering in East Lansing may be the beneficiary.

The Governor has vetoed via line item the post of environmental ombudsman. Sure looks like they need some way to rein in this bureaucracy gone wild. Horror stories abound. Keep your eyes open. You never know where they will strike next.

Capped the day by attending "Late Night Catechism" at the local college this evening. Really enjoyed the constant giggles. Take a break--if we don't we'll all go a little nuts.

God bless..............

Model T vs SUV - Obama says Model T Wins on Mileage

No joke! He said "a model T gets better mileage than an SUV." Gee, ya think?

1-A model T had to be cranked--no starter, no battery, less weight.........
2-No automatic transmission--again, less weight........
3-Curtains not windows--less and less weight........
4-Top speed about 40 mph (20 hp engine) vs 100+ mph (260 hp)...........
5-Wooden wheel components.........
6-Tires closer to bicycle tires than radials--less friction..........
7-No air conditioning..........
8-Forget about catalytic converters and clean air.......
9-And really forget about carrying luggage, cupholders and comfort!!!!!!!

PS-Don't forget the water jug for the over-heated engine; take along the inner tube patch kit and the bicycle tire pump; and if possible take along a mechanically inclined friend with a tool kit.

So let's look at some more of his judgment calls:

1-We really need Geithner--he's so smart he's the only one who can solve our economic problems. So, what's he waiting for? He can't even pick a support staff. Why don't they call someone from Nike? AND JUST DO IT!!!

2-You guys need to pass the stimulus package right this minute! So they did. So why did he wait three days and then take a trip on Air Force I to go to Denver to sign it?

3-And what happened to the pledge to give everyone 5 days to study a bill before passage?

4-Make the Teamsters happy by stopping Mexican truckers at the border whereby the Mexicans slap on tariffs which are putting a whole bunch of American farmers and other workers out of business and adding to the unemployment lines.

Will this never end?

Seriously, I was in a waiting room yesterday and watched a baby who must have been about 7-8 months old. Usually I just think "Cute baby" and go back to my book. Today I attended a funeral where there were 27 grandkids mostly in pre K and grade schools. My thought process was the same. "Christmas morning has to be a riot at their house." Both times, my second thought was: "You little guys have your whole lives ahead of you. I wonder where life will take you. And I wonder what kind of problems you will face because of what's happening in our country today." I never used to give that a thought. This has been the land of opportunity, but I'm afraid that may be changing. This really is the generation whose kids probably won't be as successful (in the worldly sense) as their parents. The only way out of this mess is for us to keep working?

This is a little depressing. Think I'll quit.

God bless, as always.......

A is for Acorn, B is for Barney, C is for Commerce or corn for ethanol,

It probably wouldn't take too long to do the ABC's as a list of outrageous Washington activity, would it?

We can start with ACORN--you know the "community organization" group which was the only job on Obama's resume for awhile. Lawsuits against several of their units for fraud and corruption abound but, gee, who cares? We don't want to politicize the census so we'll give the job to ACORN because they are already organized............
You make up the rest---

Next is Barney Frank. What kind of gall does a guy have to have to sit there with a straight face and toss out accusations at AIG when he did as much or more in covering up the activities of Fannie and Freddie and then lie to the public as to what great shape they were in just weeks before the bottom fell out. He's a real piece of work.

We'll touch on Commerce first--does anyone want to place odds on the influence the new Secretary might have on keeping the census takers honest and apolitical? Not on your life!

As for Corn ethanol, I thought that had been put to bed when it was realized that without government subsidies coupled with the fact that it has a corrosive effect on engines. Some people never give up as we noted yesterday that auto dealers and some automakers (Ford's CEO) figure that $4 fuel is necessary to revive the industry.

NOW TELL ME! Do all of you who keep track of Mark Schauer remember that he claimed to have read the stimulus bill before he voted on it? Well he did. Now tell me this. Since everyone else in DC who had a vote claim not to have read the language that guaranteed the AIG bonuses, on whose head falls the responsibility (blame, if you will) for not warning the White House of the fallout? Why, Schauer's, of course. So, shouldn't he 'fess up and tell the rest of the world that he is oh, so sorry? And how can he make up for it? How about resign?

The Prez is going to be on Leno's show Thursday evening. My question: is he going to be paid scale like the other guests? Does Leno pay travel expenses? Or are the expenses coming out of his campaign funds? And shouldn't the Town Hall meetings he has ad nauseum also come out of the campaign fund? He just can't seem to get out of campaign mode. He keeps running and running and running, just like the Energizer Bunny.

Heard that the ACLU is trying to keep folks who work with Hospice from using the word (name) of God in public. Well, since the internet is public I figure they might come down on bloggers one of these days, so I don't want to miss a chance to ask God for his blessings on you every time we meet.

See you tomorrow.
God bless.............

$7 to $9 Gasoline??

It appears that the owner of AutoNation, the biggest car dealer in the country, is of the opinion that since the CAFE standards are in place and getting more stringent that he still can't sell high mileage, small cars because gas is so "cheap." He says that in order for car sales to get back to making money we will have to tax gasoline enough to make people want to buy small rather than SUVs or muscle cars. He apparently uses the European high prices as the example we need to emulate. So think on that for awhile.

And then wonder why Michelle and Barak are so intent on currying favor with the armed services and their families. And if anyone knows the real story behind his trying to change the insurance for wounded troops from the VA to private carrier or at least something that smacks of controlling costs at the expense of the guys and gals putting their lives on the line for us.

And check out a new book, "Dead Aid," which demonstrates how counter-productive it is to give constant aid in Africa. No growth and constant poverty no matter how much money is thrown at the problem. And it's not just due to the corruption. It's also a matter of no motivation to be self sufficient. There's a lot more to it, of course, but that's enough to get your curiosity up. Certainly it should be a lesson on what not to do and which we should be careful of starting--a nanny state. We're well on the road, at least theoretically it is sounding very persuasive to a lot of people. As soon as 51% take more than they give, it's a done deal, right?

See you tomorrow-

God bless.........

Mean Old Democrats!

Mr. Gibbs never seems to miss an opportunity to insult Republicans, does he? That crack about Rush being busy and sending Cheney in his place went over like a lead balloon when we heard it on the same segment when we also heard about Mrs. Cheney being admitted to a hospital. And they want someone to reach across the aisle.

Looks like even the people who have representation are having tea parties.

The costs of green seem to be going up and up and up. Read about a 109 ton 18 wheeler which can carry a 47 ton boom to get to the transformers on the really big windmills. More gazillions of dollars and guess who will get the bill? (Eighteen 4.5 ft wide tires!)

To get to the real business of the day we need to lay a little foundation. Of my kids there were two U of M grads, one started at Alma and finished at Eastern, and the other graduated from Western. Then that one rec'd Masters from State, two from Oklahoma and one from Stanford with one wife at U of M and one at Central Michigan.
So you can see that it all depends on who is playing at the time. (I do sorta resent the WSJ saying that U of M was over-seeded and State under-seeded, but them's the breaks.)

So for now, I say Go Blue, Go Green. The rest of you guys can have heart attacks.

God bless and have fun watching.........

Geraldo Rivera-Literally Incredible or Uncredible?

Just can't look or listen to this guy without being reminded of the time when he was covering the Mideast War and was giving a report from a real "danger zone." You could hear gunshots and explosions in the background and he even ducked a couple of times. But a funny thing happened on the way to my living room.

They forgot to turn off the camera and as the camera pulled back the audience could see that Geraldo was standing on a bluff high above and quite a distance from the road where the action was taking place.

Since that time I have put absolutely no credibility in anything he has reported on whether it was a war story or as is the case now, gossip about Anna Nicole. He just sounds like a little old lady hanging on the garden fence swapping gossip with his next door neighbor. And he is usually more than a little vindictive.

Along with his many marriages and stabs at different religions, he's a real piece of work. Perhaps he's just shopping around, but I hope he finds a home soon. Thank goodness we have a forgiving God--we all need that but some of us need it more than others.

It's just that I have a real problem with folks like commentators acting like journalists and politicians who have the opportunity to influence millions of people and lead by bad example. I am reminded of the passage that says something like "it is better to be cast into the millpond with a stone around one's neck than to cause scandal to the least of the children." As they say, to whom much has been given, much is expected.

See you tomorrow--God bless......

Public Employees Oughta be Ashamed!

Is there anyone out there who can do the math or a websearch to get the numbers I need to make a case against public service employees?

I'm thinking like this: The largest group of union members is now to be found with folks whose salaries are paid through taxes. Teachers and others who depend on millages to keep the institution open have delegated their responsibilities.

The teachers who are in failing schools (whose union leadership's only concern is throwing more money at a problem and the heck with teaching kids) and the papaer pushers and talking heads plus clerical staff from the U.S. Capitol on down to the guy who gives you a receipt for your overtime parking ticket are what I'm talking about.

The statistics will show the salary range in various professions, but what they don't show is the thousands to millions of people who are taxed to pay those salaries. How many of those people have a union to fight back against the millions of dollars confiscated from them to pay for the union to influence legislators at all levels to tax them at a higher rate to pay the union members' salaries? None. It just seems to me a lot like "pleading the fifth." I don't want my own money used to tax me more. Does that make any sense in any universe?

This card check nonsense has to be stopped. It is un-American to take away a secret ballot and it is un-American to use binding arbitration against you and make you pay for the privilege. And it is especially un-American when those unions have bought and paid for the politicians who are touting their positions!

Oh, and by the way, if yesterday it sounded as thought I were speaking softly about the wind turbine business, that was not my intent. Just showing their side of the story. You can still see that adding in the cost of borrowing or using capital and paying or losing interest plus maintenance plus the initial cost and cost of installation in a low to even medium windy locale would be cost prohibitive.

And one more thing: The subsidies involved are stealing money from people who can ill afford it or disagree with it as is the cost of public service ads on the radio or television as part of the Greening of Michigan (and I'm sure many other states as well.)

I sound a little witchy this morning, but darn it! some things need to be said.

God bless.........

ps-Exception on public service employees: public safety--cops and firefighters. They need all the help they can get.