Thursday, September 6, 2012
Hi. A couple of days ago, a wrote a piece that gave my advice to a friend who is a liberal when it comes to social issues, but who believes we need a fiscal conservative in The White House. Her dilemma has to do with compromising her social concerns in return for getting us out of our current economic and financial mess. I did my best to assure her that it wasn’t a matter of one or the other, but of setting priorities.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
A friend of mine and I talked over the holiday weekend. While she’s not at all happy with President Obama, she’s concerned about the Republican Party’s and Mitt Romney’s stands on social issues. She wonders about the politics of President Romney’s appointments to the Supreme Court, about his is being pro-life when she’s pro-choice, and about gay rights on which they disagree. Like so many people out there, she’s a socially liberal individual who understands the importance of electing a fiscal conservative, but isn’t sure she can compromise the one in order to do the latter.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
If you watch TV, you’ve probably seen a commercial the Obama campaign is running featuring Bill Clinton. Here’s the link to the video if you need it. Let’s read through the text of the 30 second ad together, including my comments after each section. The ad copy is in italics and breaks between paragraphs are my own. Here goes…
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Those of you who have read yesterday’s article (“Bill Clinton: Economic policy genius or just lucky?”) may be saying to yourself, “Okay, he may not have created millions of jobs, but at least he balanced the budget!” Sorry to disappoint you, again. He never did, but he came close.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
I don’t know about you, but I’m soooo tired of hearing the President Obama and other Democrats boast about how many zillions of jobs Bill Clinton created when he was President. Give me a break. The man was anything but God’s gift to the Presidency. Bill Clinton just happened to be in the right place at the right time.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
The great American Middle Class is shrinking? Are we each, individually getting smaller? No, although there are some days lately when it feels like it. We’re losing income and wealth. While the precise definition of “Middle Class” is a bit fuzzy, what is clear is that this protracted recession is hurting everyone, some more than others, but everyone. And the effects for many of us are serious and long-lasting, the kind that take years, maybe even a generation or more, to reverse.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
The next time the President or anyone running for high office drops a big number, would someone please ask him or her, “How do you know?” It’s a simple, entirely reasonable question. “How do you know?”
Sunday, August 13, 2012
Hi. You don’t dare start “Part 4” of anything without a summary. Like they say at the beginning of new episodes when the show’s storyline is complicated, “Previously on Next Contestant, …”
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Fiscal policy is the use of government spending and taxation to influence the economy. Increases in government spending can create jobs that are needed to produce the goods and services the government buys, and then some through what are called “multiplier effects.” Reducing tax rates, to businesses and people, gives them more disposable income to spend. The more goods and services they buy, the more people that will be needed to make those things. That’s it in a nutshell.
Friday, July 26, 2012
I’m a registered Independent, an equal opportunity critic of both parties. When I was growing up, I was taught that the distinction between Republicans and Democrats was that the Republicans were pro-business, while the Democrats were pro-labor.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Fifty-four minutes? Really?? In President Obama’s defense, maybe he was auditioning for a teaching position at the community college by giving a lecture in failed public policy.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
It’s only fair. President Obama wants us to focus on Mitt Romney’s history at Bain Capital, and the media is on that like white on rice – an expression which made more sense before my wife told me that brown rice is better for you, no political metaphor intended.