Well, why not. If the Michigan idea catches on, and each politician gets just one dollar from someone who is on public assistance, shouldn't they have to be forced to join a union like the Michigan day care providers?
Most recent take over of private industry by the unions, bureaucrats and politicians: the air and rail industries led to the slaughter by the National Mediation Board by the two new Obama appointees who wrote a rule indicating that union votes will be detrmined by a simple majority of those voting, not the entire membership of the Pilots and Flight Attendants. This was precipitated because Delta was not unionized and Northwest was so that merger needed to be "taken care of" for the unions.
Without a hearing or ivitation for preliminary views, the Obama pair drafted the AFL-CIO demand and published it in the Federal Register. There is a 60 day window for comments after which they will vote to confirm their action. This is unprecedented in over 75 years during which many times there was a Democrat majority. No one has acted in such manner before.
Now we have GM and Chrysler run by unions, all government employees from local to national are union members, if Michigan has its way as we said last night it will soon include everyone who takes even a dollar from anyone on public assistance. Doctors, lawyers, volunteer organizations--why not politicians? Can't you just see a union meeting with all those politicians fighting for control of that body?
SEIU is international. Wonder who will be next....
Do you suppose Oprah is considering a run for office? Would she be willing to start with Congress or would she make the leap for President right away? Heck, she has a lot more business and managerial experience than Obama had and she already has a built in fan club to do her bidding.
Is this the end of last week or the beginning of this week? Which is worse?
God bless............
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
So You Wanna Join a Union?
Well, you're not going to have much choice if the Michigan Department of Human Services gets their way. They have their foot in the door as we speak and it's going to be downhill from here unless the new Mackinac Center Legal Foundation can stop them.
How can that be??? Easy. The DHS says that anyone who spends public assistance money at a Day Care Center puts the owners and employees in the position of benefiting from government funding. Therefore the 40,000 day care providers across the state have "recently been unionized, many of them against their will..." They consider these people government employees being paid by government funds and therefore subject to forced unionization.
So let's go through the logical steps: Doctors? Lawyers? Landlords? Churches? Drug stores? Consignment shops? Goodwill, Salvation Army, St. Vincent dePaul? Automobile salesmen or even a deal between individuals? Folks who have garage sales? Pretty soon everyone in the whole darn state!!! Fill in the blank_______.
The Mackinac Center is starting a Legal Foundation in order to take legal action to try to stop this. At the present time there is an anonymous donor who will give fifty cents for each dollar contributed to get this program off the ground. I'm asking my kids to make a contribution instead of buying me a Christmas gift. The address if you can help out is: Mackinac Center for Public Policy, Attn. Joe Lehman, 140 W. Main St., P. O. Box 568, Midland, MI 48640-9943.
Have a great Sunday--
God bless...........
How can that be??? Easy. The DHS says that anyone who spends public assistance money at a Day Care Center puts the owners and employees in the position of benefiting from government funding. Therefore the 40,000 day care providers across the state have "recently been unionized, many of them against their will..." They consider these people government employees being paid by government funds and therefore subject to forced unionization.
So let's go through the logical steps: Doctors? Lawyers? Landlords? Churches? Drug stores? Consignment shops? Goodwill, Salvation Army, St. Vincent dePaul? Automobile salesmen or even a deal between individuals? Folks who have garage sales? Pretty soon everyone in the whole darn state!!! Fill in the blank_______.
The Mackinac Center is starting a Legal Foundation in order to take legal action to try to stop this. At the present time there is an anonymous donor who will give fifty cents for each dollar contributed to get this program off the ground. I'm asking my kids to make a contribution instead of buying me a Christmas gift. The address if you can help out is: Mackinac Center for Public Policy, Attn. Joe Lehman, 140 W. Main St., P. O. Box 568, Midland, MI 48640-9943.
Have a great Sunday--
God bless...........
Friday, November 20, 2009
Just a Coupla Things-
#1-Heard yesterday that a judge ruled in favor of some folks who are suing the Army Engineers figuring the damage from Katrina was caused by the canals for shipping designed and built by the Engineer Corps. That's all well and good, but since quite a few years have passed since that horrific storm and its ensuing mess and life changing events a lot of FEMA money has been spent to make those folks whole.
My take is this: Any lawsuit resulting in damages and payment by the government for the Engineers should be reduced by the amounts paid by FEMA. As in any court, folks should not expect to profit from that kind of action. Also, there will be many, many more lawsuits now that the precedent has been set. We've already spent a ton of money on an area where the Mayor let school buses sit in parking lots that could have carried people out of the danger zone. Let's not add insult to injury.
#2-I am tired of hearing that it's constitutional to require people to buy insurance because they are required to buy automobile insurance. Whoa! No one is required to buy a car. If they decide to own a vehicle there is am implied acceptance of the need for insurance. Health insurance which is required by the government, however, is an entirely different matter. Buying a car is not mandatory. Buying health insurance under the plans submitted not only require it, folks will be penalized by fines and/or jail time if they don't. That's gotta be the biggest apples/oranges case ever.
Have a good weekend--
God Bless...............
My take is this: Any lawsuit resulting in damages and payment by the government for the Engineers should be reduced by the amounts paid by FEMA. As in any court, folks should not expect to profit from that kind of action. Also, there will be many, many more lawsuits now that the precedent has been set. We've already spent a ton of money on an area where the Mayor let school buses sit in parking lots that could have carried people out of the danger zone. Let's not add insult to injury.
#2-I am tired of hearing that it's constitutional to require people to buy insurance because they are required to buy automobile insurance. Whoa! No one is required to buy a car. If they decide to own a vehicle there is am implied acceptance of the need for insurance. Health insurance which is required by the government, however, is an entirely different matter. Buying a car is not mandatory. Buying health insurance under the plans submitted not only require it, folks will be penalized by fines and/or jail time if they don't. That's gotta be the biggest apples/oranges case ever.
Have a good weekend--
God Bless...............
Thursday, November 19, 2009
A Difficult Thanksgiving in the Offing
This is going to be a very difficult holiday this year. Of course, we will be deeply thankful for our family, friends, health and a job if we have one, but it is also a time for very serious introspection. It's beginning to feel like there is someone very close who is terminally ill and by next week we will be enveloped in that feeling of devastation when there is a death in the family. Our country is on life support.
It will be doubly difficult to survive the feelings of loss of freedoms and an uncertain future. Why?
The First Amendment is under attack. The ACLU and atheists in general continue their unrelenting assault on our freedom of religion. It seems to be getting worse every year. A climate of fear permeates our schools so our kids are growing up thinking their belief systems are something to be ashamed of and if defended they will be made to feel like criminals.
The freedom of speech which has been the shining beacon of this country when others have been silenced is being targeted by our own government when employees of the EPA are not allowed to voice their opinions even though they identified themselves as speaking for themselves only and not the department or the administration.
Net neutrality is in the process of attempting to neutralize the conservative voices on the airwaves or internet simply because the opposing viewpoint is not popular enough to generate revenue to support them. They already have NPR and other units supported by public funds, but they want to get rid of the opposing voices completely. Commercial viability doesn't interest them--they just want to get rid of the opposition.
The health care bills put forth by the Democrats are going to destroy a way of life for so many of us. Shouldn't they be able to take care of the waste and fraud on the one hand and take care of the 20 million truly needy folks without the means to get care on the other? Surely they can do that without taxing companies and individuals to the point of more job loss and prolonging the recession.
How can anyone who should be representing their constituents instead represent the PACs and huge money machines they owe for their elections sleep at night? America will be bankrupt and carrying trillions and trillions of dollars of debt for as long as we can imagine. Have you no shame, Mr. Schauer? $24 trillion by 2020 plus at least an equal amount in unfunded liabilities will make this less than a third world country and all the socialists will be happy. How can that be? What is wrong with this entire picture?
Pray, pray, pray--
God bless.............
It will be doubly difficult to survive the feelings of loss of freedoms and an uncertain future. Why?
The First Amendment is under attack. The ACLU and atheists in general continue their unrelenting assault on our freedom of religion. It seems to be getting worse every year. A climate of fear permeates our schools so our kids are growing up thinking their belief systems are something to be ashamed of and if defended they will be made to feel like criminals.
The freedom of speech which has been the shining beacon of this country when others have been silenced is being targeted by our own government when employees of the EPA are not allowed to voice their opinions even though they identified themselves as speaking for themselves only and not the department or the administration.
Net neutrality is in the process of attempting to neutralize the conservative voices on the airwaves or internet simply because the opposing viewpoint is not popular enough to generate revenue to support them. They already have NPR and other units supported by public funds, but they want to get rid of the opposing voices completely. Commercial viability doesn't interest them--they just want to get rid of the opposition.
The health care bills put forth by the Democrats are going to destroy a way of life for so many of us. Shouldn't they be able to take care of the waste and fraud on the one hand and take care of the 20 million truly needy folks without the means to get care on the other? Surely they can do that without taxing companies and individuals to the point of more job loss and prolonging the recession.
How can anyone who should be representing their constituents instead represent the PACs and huge money machines they owe for their elections sleep at night? America will be bankrupt and carrying trillions and trillions of dollars of debt for as long as we can imagine. Have you no shame, Mr. Schauer? $24 trillion by 2020 plus at least an equal amount in unfunded liabilities will make this less than a third world country and all the socialists will be happy. How can that be? What is wrong with this entire picture?
Pray, pray, pray--
God bless.............
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Obama said: "No one is more disapppointed than I at Unemployment Numbers" - Oh, yeah?!
That man has to be a lot more careful when he speaks without a speech writer's words on a teleprompter. Worked at a local food pantry today and I can tell you that everyone I served is more disappointed than the President. Now multiply that by whatever factor necessary to represent the millions still out of work.
After watching the first six hours of the WW II newly found film with one hour remaining on the History Channel this week I can't help wondering whether the President and First Lady have been able to garner just a little pride in this country. Didn't hear any comments after their trip to Europe for the D-Day commemoration. Also haven't heard anything since the events surrounding Veteran's Day last week.
Did hear a story from a journalist who visited the grave of a friend at Arlington and who described the view as a "Garden of Stones." Very poetic and heart rending. He also said that Obama came over to him, said a few words and left by telling him something like "even a journalist has a right to grieve." What do you suppose he meant by that?
All of this traveling around and visiting the big wigs of the world while Holder is floating the most God-awful trial balloon ever. If he tries to convince the public that it was all done on his own and the Prez knew nothing about it, someone other than Joe Wilson is going to rise up and call them liars.
Last but not least, with the national debt growing exponentially and expected to double in 5 years and triple in 10 years, as Greg O'Connor is known to say, who is going to "Stop the madness!" And they aren't even counting the unfunded liability from Social Security which stood at $9 trillion back in 2002. Don't forget to add that in. Good grief!
See you tomorrow-
God bless.............
After watching the first six hours of the WW II newly found film with one hour remaining on the History Channel this week I can't help wondering whether the President and First Lady have been able to garner just a little pride in this country. Didn't hear any comments after their trip to Europe for the D-Day commemoration. Also haven't heard anything since the events surrounding Veteran's Day last week.
Did hear a story from a journalist who visited the grave of a friend at Arlington and who described the view as a "Garden of Stones." Very poetic and heart rending. He also said that Obama came over to him, said a few words and left by telling him something like "even a journalist has a right to grieve." What do you suppose he meant by that?
All of this traveling around and visiting the big wigs of the world while Holder is floating the most God-awful trial balloon ever. If he tries to convince the public that it was all done on his own and the Prez knew nothing about it, someone other than Joe Wilson is going to rise up and call them liars.
Last but not least, with the national debt growing exponentially and expected to double in 5 years and triple in 10 years, as Greg O'Connor is known to say, who is going to "Stop the madness!" And they aren't even counting the unfunded liability from Social Security which stood at $9 trillion back in 2002. Don't forget to add that in. Good grief!
See you tomorrow-
God bless.............
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Automobiles, Education and Nothing Makes Sense Any More
Sunday we addressed some basic problems starting with education.
Now it seems as though we're being served up another curve ball.
Up front I admit that there is always the problem that we are talking about friends and neighbors all across the state when we criticize the auto companies. In Jackson we even have to be careful about criticizing Consumers Energy. But darn it! Sometimes you just have to speak out.
Personal opinion: never really cottoned up to Chrysler products. Don't know why, just didn't. Dad always drove Fords, but husband's first job was with GM so that was the preferred brand for many, many years. After leaving GM we did throw a couple of Fords into the mix. Absolutely loved that Focus! It could read my mind...
Now we had pretty much decided to go with Ford in the future since we didn't want to buy a product made and controlled by the government and union members. But now the union has control in a different area so I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Guess what? The Ford Foundation is going to give $100 million to "transform secondary education." Long story short, they think the way to do that is to give their first grant to the "new American Federation of Teachers Innovation Fund." It's not going to any of the successful and innovative charter schools, vouchers, merit pay or even KIPP, Knowledge is Power Program. This will certainly help ensure that teachers from the worst to the best will all keep their jobs. They think testing is a "blunt" and inadequate tool to gauge student learning.
Unbelievable!
It's a shame that the only way the public can speak to companies whose public policy appears to be disagreeable to a customer is to ignore their product and just leave it on the shelf or the showroom. Only problem? How do I still Buy American? Foreign cars may be built here but the profits go back to the country of origin.
Woe is me--
As always, God bless..........
Now it seems as though we're being served up another curve ball.
Up front I admit that there is always the problem that we are talking about friends and neighbors all across the state when we criticize the auto companies. In Jackson we even have to be careful about criticizing Consumers Energy. But darn it! Sometimes you just have to speak out.
Personal opinion: never really cottoned up to Chrysler products. Don't know why, just didn't. Dad always drove Fords, but husband's first job was with GM so that was the preferred brand for many, many years. After leaving GM we did throw a couple of Fords into the mix. Absolutely loved that Focus! It could read my mind...
Now we had pretty much decided to go with Ford in the future since we didn't want to buy a product made and controlled by the government and union members. But now the union has control in a different area so I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Guess what? The Ford Foundation is going to give $100 million to "transform secondary education." Long story short, they think the way to do that is to give their first grant to the "new American Federation of Teachers Innovation Fund." It's not going to any of the successful and innovative charter schools, vouchers, merit pay or even KIPP, Knowledge is Power Program. This will certainly help ensure that teachers from the worst to the best will all keep their jobs. They think testing is a "blunt" and inadequate tool to gauge student learning.
Unbelievable!
It's a shame that the only way the public can speak to companies whose public policy appears to be disagreeable to a customer is to ignore their product and just leave it on the shelf or the showroom. Only problem? How do I still Buy American? Foreign cars may be built here but the profits go back to the country of origin.
Woe is me--
As always, God bless..........
Monday, November 16, 2009
Random Thoughts---
Following up on last night's education topic-
Watched Off the Record this week and William Mayes is the epitome of a bureaucrat who either can't or won't answer a question directly. Except to excoriate Mike Bishop. Must be some bad blood there for some reason. He talked about how everyone blames everyone else and proceeded to prove it by blaming everyone else.
We all know that most people live up to expectations, especially children. Maybe no one expects much of Mr. Mayes......
Anyway, what kind of leadership waits for someone else to start the parade?
Candidate Obama promised that everyone's health costs would go down by $2500. Heard that lately? Hardly, since new numbers came out today from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services which were in the astronomical range. So now we have the $897 billion figure which kept it below a trillion plus the $210 billion set aside to pay doctors and today we can add $289 billion which the Dems had hoped to hide by pushing the bill through before the figures came out. Now how about the promise that he wouldn't sign a bill that added to the deficit? That should be quite a dance.
Arguments abound on what to call the Ft. Hood killer. Since some want to call him crazy and others want to define him as a terrorist, how about a compromise or splitting the difference by calling him a psycho-terrorist?
A new mini series started tonight on the History channel with film not seen before on WW II. Worth your while to at least tape it and run through it later. Makes one wonder if we would be able to marshal the forces necessary to rise up against that kind of enemy today. I'm sure we would have the manpower to do it--just look at the young men and women we have in a volunteer force, but I'm not at all sure what the leadership in Washington would do. How long would it take to make a military decision? And how long to debate funding levels? And with our small industrial and manufacturing capability, could we even generate the needs of the military?
Makes you wonder--
God bless.........
Watched Off the Record this week and William Mayes is the epitome of a bureaucrat who either can't or won't answer a question directly. Except to excoriate Mike Bishop. Must be some bad blood there for some reason. He talked about how everyone blames everyone else and proceeded to prove it by blaming everyone else.
We all know that most people live up to expectations, especially children. Maybe no one expects much of Mr. Mayes......
Anyway, what kind of leadership waits for someone else to start the parade?
Candidate Obama promised that everyone's health costs would go down by $2500. Heard that lately? Hardly, since new numbers came out today from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services which were in the astronomical range. So now we have the $897 billion figure which kept it below a trillion plus the $210 billion set aside to pay doctors and today we can add $289 billion which the Dems had hoped to hide by pushing the bill through before the figures came out. Now how about the promise that he wouldn't sign a bill that added to the deficit? That should be quite a dance.
Arguments abound on what to call the Ft. Hood killer. Since some want to call him crazy and others want to define him as a terrorist, how about a compromise or splitting the difference by calling him a psycho-terrorist?
A new mini series started tonight on the History channel with film not seen before on WW II. Worth your while to at least tape it and run through it later. Makes one wonder if we would be able to marshal the forces necessary to rise up against that kind of enemy today. I'm sure we would have the manpower to do it--just look at the young men and women we have in a volunteer force, but I'm not at all sure what the leadership in Washington would do. How long would it take to make a military decision? And how long to debate funding levels? And with our small industrial and manufacturing capability, could we even generate the needs of the military?
Makes you wonder--
God bless.........
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