Kevin Colby: News, culture, political blog

The Feds have given $1 million of your tax dollars for San Francisco to study “congestion pricing” options.  In other words .. the government would charge you a fee to drive in certain parts of the city, actually it’s more like a “Stealth Tax “. $1 million may not seem like a big deal to you, but just think about how many times government uses a million for something as stupid as this hundreds of times over, it adds up people.

Using $1 million in federal funds, the San Francisco County Transportation Authority is studying various “congestion pricing” options. If approved, such pricing would make San Francisco the first American city to charge cars a fee to enter certain neighborhoods at certain times.

The feds, states and city government will find any means to somehow “tax” us.  All government has to do is quit foolish spending, like spending on social programs and actually giving the freedom back to people so they can actually try to live on their own instead of sucking off taxpayers for their survival.  Plus government always over spends on EVERYTHING that it pays for.  Things like New Yankee Stadium, which the city of New York is going to ask, err, tell  it’s taxpayers to pick up an extra $450 million on the project after the Yankees themselves just paid almost $400 million in contracts to THREE FREAKING PLAYERS!

Congestion pricing generally intends to nudge drivers out of their vehicles and onto buses, subways and bicycles by pushing up the cost of driving into certain parts of a city during peak commuter hours. The fees help generate money to improve public transportation.

But there has to be another reason why they are doing this:

San Francisco’s mayor, Gavin Newsom, called congestion pricing “the single greatest step we can take to protect our environment and improve our quality of life.”

Of course!  The old global warming hoax is at it again!  Not only does the government want to start charging a carbon tax, but now they are thinking about charging you for driving your vehicle into heavily congested areas.  Leave it to government to come up with such ignorant ideas.  Read the full story.

Interesting articles from Clark Howard’s website:

Bally Total Fitness goes bust again

Bally Total Fitness is going bankrupt for the second time in little more than a year.

Clark has long trashed the health club over their suspect business practices. Bally’s is known to use high-pressure sales to get you to buy a membership. Once they have a contract, they do what’s called “moving paper.”  Read the full story.

PayPal experimenting with student account

Clark’s college sophomore daughter recently called him in need of $440 for an emergency car repair. His immediate concern was how to get her the money as soon as possible.  Read the full story.

On New Year’s Eve day, the Treasury Department released their response to the questions posed by the Congressional Oversight Panel over how they have spent $350 billion in bailout funds.

Some interesting articles to read:

I am so glad that I live right here in America.  I live in the state of Florida and I don’t have to think about Georgia firing bombs and rockets into my backyard.

This whole thing over there in Arab World, between Israel, Gaza, Palestine and so on and so on, is just a bunch of freaking garbage.

First of all, these people are such religious freaks and they think that they are the center of the universe.  They believe that their land is “Holy”…right.  These people are not civilized, they are animals.  They have to walk out there door everyday thinking “Is my ass gonna get blown up today?”.  Just like an animal out in the wild.  Animals have to worry about another predator eatin’ their ass.  What the hell kind of life is that?

What I’m about to say may offend alot of you, but  I don’t care because I’m tired of this shit.  I hope these bastards over there all murder each other, I really do.

I’m gonna tell you something right now, if you are Catholic, Muslim, Buddhist or whatever your lame ass belief is, you can take that bible, koran, etc. and turn that son’ bitch sideways and stick it straight up your candy ass!

President-elect Barack Obama will meet with congressional leaders on Monday to talk with Republicans and some Democrats who are worried that his economic stimulus plan is too costly and too rushed.

Obama will talk with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to discuss his close to $1 trillion economic stimulus plan.  And then the three of them are expected to meet with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio).

“A trillion-dollar spending bill would be the largest spending bill in the history of our country at a time when our national debt is already the largest in history,” McConnell said in a statement this week. “As a result, it will require tough scrutiny and oversight.”

The package is expected to contain funding for states, with a focus on infrastructure projects, and tax cuts. It is also likely to include an effort to expand food stamp and unemployment benefits, and Obama’s economic team is looking at ways to help families keep their health insurance coverage when the breadwinner is out of work.

The infrastructure spending breaks into several categories. Beyond roads and bridges, spending is expected to fund energy conservation projects, improving the electric grid, as well as some military construction.

Obama has also said he would like to see more investments in health information technology as well as broadband for schools.

In an e-mail sent to House Democrats this week, Pelosi said lawmakers will move rapidly on a stimulus package after Congress reconvenes on Jan. 6.

Taxpayers for Common Sense has something to say about this expensive stimulus bill:

When the new Congress is sworn in next week, they will begin work on another economic stimulus bill aimed at turning our economy around.  Although experts across the political spectrum argue a massive stimulus package is appropriate, there is less agreement on exactly what the stimulus should look like.   The stakes – and the reported $750 billion price tag – are high. And considering we have racked up a $10.5 trillion debt, we can’t afford for this package to be wasteful and ineffective.

As a starting point, the stimulus package must be transparent. That starts with giving taxpayers plenty of time to review the legislation before its final passage. This will allow for a vigorous public debate to flesh out the ideas before they are implemented. We recognize time is also a commodity, but with stakes this high, we can’t afford to have haste make waste.    And transparency can’t end with the consideration of the bill – it needs to be built in to the way the money is distributed and spent.   Each state or entity should be required to report on a regular basis which projects received stimulus money, specifically how that money is being spent, and the direct benefits of the spending. This information should be updated weekly and made available on the internet so that all taxpayers can see where their dollars are going.  Read the full story.

Interesting article by Herman Cain:

Obama’s Big Mistake: ‘Deficits don’t matter’

President-elect Barack Obama has made a big mistake that, as usual, the mainstream media has given him a pass on by not making a big deal about it.

It’s not his cabinet nominations, which the mainstream media are all gushy about. It’s not whether he or any of his staff can be linked to the sale of his Illinois Senate seat by “caught red-handed but I didn’t do it” Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

And it is certainly not who Obama has chosen to pray at his inauguration. It’s his inauguration for peace sake!

“We can’t worry, short-term, about the deficit” is what Obama stated two weeks ago on Meet The Press. Deficits don’t matter.  Read the full story.

INTRODUCTION

The voice of “we the people” has been hijacked by partisan politics, government bureaucrats, and the influence of money on elections and legislation. To take backour government, we must be able to un-elect members of Congress on a timely basis, and dramatically influence their decisions while they are in office.

Because of the proliferation of biased media reporting, gullible voters, and too many in Congress who willingly and intentionally make deceptive and misleading statements about proposed legislation, “we the people” must be able to provide succinct and intelligent feedback to Congress frequently and persistently. We can then hold them accountable intelligently at election time, which is our only leverage for holding their feet to the fire.

We don’t need all 306 million citizens to be successful. We only need 100,000 voters per Congressional district for them to “see the light”.

“We the people” can and will take back our government and the strategic direction of this Nation. It is our right and responsibility.

This is NOT a republican, democrat, libertarian, conservative, liberal, or progressives movement. This is a “we the people” movement.

MISSION

Take Back Our Government (TBOG)

STRATEGY

Create a technologically empowered citizen’s activist movement to put “heat” on Congress and the President on “KEY” actions.

TACTICS

1. Create a rapid response network of citizens
   Email, phone calling post, ready to send post cards
2. Organize citizens by Congressional districts (435)
   100,000 activists per district
3. Issue C.A.I.N. Alerts on key initiatives moving through Congress relating to HITM key issues

KEY ISSUES (NEET)

National Security, Economy, Energy Independence, Tsunami Spending,
Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness

NATIONAL SECURITY

Our highest national priority

A strong military – Defense spending should be used more effectively, but never cut below 4% of GDP.

The fight against Islamic Fascism is global. Fight it wherever it is a threat to the United States of America. Let our intelligence agencies do their jobs.

ECONOMY

No new or higher taxes

Replace the current income tax with the Fair Tax.

In the interim, make the current tax rates permanent

ENERGY INDEPENDENCE

Maximize the use of all our natural resources in the USA

Don’t go broke just to go “green”

Major oil producing countries are not our friends

TSUNAMI SPENDING

Federal spending is out of control (Tsunami)

Cap all federal spending indefinitely (Restructure Medicare/Medicaid)

Restructure Social Security with personal retirement accounts

LIFE, LIBERTY and the PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

Defend the Constitution and all of its Amendments

MEMBERSHIP

Your name, email address, phone number, mailing address (optional)

This information will not be sold or used for marketing, promotional or advertising purposes. Your mailing address is not needed unless you prefer to respond to your congressman only by post card.

There is NO membership fee. A little bit of your time is all that’s required. This movement is supported by individuals not looking for a tax deduction.

C.A.I.N. Alerts

Citizen Activists Informed Network Alerts will be sent out periodically requesting you to respond to your congressman about a specific issue or legislation. The Alerts will be sent out by email and or phone. You will receive it by phone only if you are using the post card option.

We will keep the Alerts simple, which is the exact opposite of the legislative process. The Alerts will be activated at critical times in the legislative process, and on HITM key issues or related pieces.

Few legislative proposals move through Congress “clean”. They are usually a hodgepodge of proposals attached to major proposals using a procedural mechanism called earmarks. “We the people” never hear about most of these until after the fact, because they can not be easily explained in a media sound-bite.

This is why bad laws continue to get passed and federal spending has only an upward momentum.

To prepare for the Alerts you must do some homework. The common sense strategic principles on each key issue shown above are a start. Credible links to organizations which provide ongoing analysis of issues and related aspects are listed on the left of this page under “Intelligent Thinkers Allies”. You are encouraged to study their content from time to time.

In other words, check “stupid” at the door, because you just might learn something.

JOIN Hermanator’s Intelligent Thinkers Movement (HITM)

You must know your nine digit postal zip code. Those 9-digits can be found on incoming mail to your home or business. This information will allow you to correctly identify your U.S. Representative and Senators. JOIN NOW!

Just wishing everyone a happy and prosperous New Year!

Both President Bush and Barack Obama are pursuing corporate fascist policies.  The Bush administration has spent close to a trillion dollars to keep the managers of big companies in the driver’s seat.  Meanwhile, Obama advisers are saying that if the federal government invests billions of dollars in businesses, it should get some influence on company policies regarding foreclosures, lending, executive compensation, environmental effects and product lines.  Instead of a free-market policy of letting the market determine winners and losers.  We all have heard the term used by Republicans and Democrats the term “too big to fail”.  People, there is no such thing as a company that is “too big to fail”.  As a matter of fact a majority of Americans were against these bailouts and guess what?  These dickheads that we’ve elected gave us the middle finger and did whatever the hell they felt like doing

A free market is a market in which property rights are voluntarily exchanged at a price arranged completely by the mutual consent of sellers and buyers. By definition, buyers and sellers do not coerce each other, in the sense that they obtain each other’s property without the use of physical force, threat of physical force, or fraud, or COERCED by a third party (SUCH AS GOVERNMENT via transfer payments).  In economics, a transfer payment (or government transfer or simply transfer) is a redistribution of income in the market system. These payments are considered to be nonexhaustive because they do not directly absorb resources or create output. Examples of certain transfer payments include welfare (financial aid), social security, and government subsidies for certain businesses (firms).  Hmmm…Now doesn’t that sound pretty “F’ing” familiar?

For the first time, the government is supporting mortgages and consumer borrowing — up to $800 billion worth. As critics complain that banks have lured consumers into mountains of unaffordable debt, the government is seeking to shore up credit cards, auto loans and other consumer debt.

Obama himself wants to extend the government’s new programs to support specific companies, including the major car manufacturers, bailing them out at a cost that would begin at $25 billion.

In all these cases the government is seeking to support existing businesses. That isn’t laissez-faire. It isn’t what free-market advocates support. But it is what Bush is doing and Obama wants to continue.

Historically, corporatism refers to a political or economic system in which power is held by civic assemblies that represent economic, industrial, agrarian, social, cultural, and/or professional groups. These civic assemblies are known as corporations (not the same as the legally incorporated business entities known as corporations, though some are such). Corporations are unelected bodies with an internal hierarchy; their purpose is to exert control over the social and economic life of their respective areas. Thus, for example, a steel corporation would be a cartel composed of all the business leaders in the steel industry, coming together to discuss a common policy on prices and wages. When the political and economic power of a country rests in the hands of such groups, then a corporatist system is in place.

In a few short months, the Bush administration has turned the focus of our economy to corporatism. Every day brings another story about businessmen seeking their profits in Washington, not the marketplace:

• Life insurance companies are seeking to buy savings and loan institutions in order to qualify for a piece of the $700 billion bailout fund.
• Realtors and homebuilders are asking for mortgage subsidies, tax credits and interest-rate “buydowns” to stimulate demand for their product.
• Recently “the health insurance industry said” — a pretty corporatist phrase right there — that it would support regulations requiring insurers to accept all customers, regardless of illness or disability, as long as Congress would require every American to buy insurance.
• After Congress turned down a bailout for the car companies, the firms are asking the Bush administration to fund them on its own authority.

So politicians would be making important corporate decisions, which means less attention to meeting consumer demands and more emphasis on satisfying outside interest groups.

Here is something that will freak you out.  In Italian Fascism, this non-elected form of state officializing of every interest into the state was professed to better circumvent the marginalization of singular interests (as would allegedly happen by the unilateral end condition inherent in the democratic voting process). Corporatism would instead better recognize or ‘incorporate’ every divergent interest as it stands alone into the state organically, according to its supporters, thus being the inspiration behind their use of the term totalitarian, perceivable to them as not meaning a coercive system but described distinctly as without coercion in the 1932 Doctrine of Fascism as thus;

[The state] is not simply a mechanism which limits the sphere of the supposed liberties of the individual… Neither has the Fascist conception of authority anything in common with that of a police ridden State… Far from crushing the individual, the Fascist State multiplies his energies, just as in a regiment a soldier is not diminished but multiplied by the number of his fellow soldiers.

This prospect in Italian fascist corporatism claimed to be the direct heir of Georges Sorel’s anarcho-syndicalism, wherein each interest was to form as its own entity with separate organizing parameters according to their own standards, only however within the corporative model of Italian fascism each was supposed to be incorporated through the auspices and organizing ability of a statist construct. This was by their reasoning the only possible way to achieve such a function, i.e. when resolved in the capability of an indissoluble state.

That’s corporatism for you: Big, established corporations get taxpayers’ money as long as any dissenting scientific or political opinions are suppressed.

Socialism is dead in China and Russia, they have pursued economic freedom and are succeeding.

The real choice Americans face is whether we want a free market or a corporate state.

Please email this article to friends and relatives, we must educate our fellow Americans what we are in for.