Keep your Hordes of Leeches

Last week I came home from work to be met by someone going from door to door asking for money. Right now most of us probably don't want anybody to ask for money, but this was particularly irritating because I have been forced to give money to this group for years for nothing in return.

I bought my first house in 1992. I lived there for 10 years. Property taxes were about $2500, and the bulk of that money is for schools. When I left that house I had one child that was a year and a half old, so I never got any of the use of the $20,000 or so they took from me.

We have been in our current house for over 5 years paying similar amounts of money. I do have one child of school age, but I don't intend to ever turn them over to the state to be educated, so I still see no benefit.

We get no credit for schooling our own children. We get no break from paying to educate other people's children. We have to pay for their education and pay again for everything our kids need.

So you can imagine how pleased I was that the local school, so short of my money, sent around students to go door to door to beg for more money for "supplies". How could I even think of withholding anything from a child? I haven't. I have paid tens of thousands of dollars to prop up their failing system. They won't even let me write off the cost of buying my kids a pencil, much less pay for it.

Just because something is "for the children" does not mean it is good.

The Second American Revolution

We The People Stimulus Package

The End of Our Money System?

Video from Glenn Beck 3/09/09

Bonuses for Failure

Everyone is upset about AIG. They are paying bonuses of $165M, some of which are going to the same executives responsible for the problems they are in. The argument is: why should they get paid extra for doing a bad job? A good question.

But the bonuses were pre-negotiated, so they are obligated to pay them (or owe double under Connecticut law). The government was no only aware of those bonuses when they handed out the bailout money, but they actually wrote a clause into the bailout that the bonuses could be paid. But now that people are mad, the government is outraged and "surprised" about those very bonuses.

Nobody likes to reward failure. Many people feel cheated because these bonuses are being paid because we kept the AIG afloat with $170B of bailout money. But wait, I thought I just said nobody likes to reward failure. So if it is wrong for AIG to reward failed employees with cash, why is it right for the government to reward AIG with cash -- over 1000 times more cash than the bonuses everyone is mad about.

As a rewarder of failure, no one can hold a candle to the government. Over the last six months, they have dumped trillions of dollars of our money into companies that screwed up. And now they want us to be angry over $165M. Methinks they dost protest too much.

So if you are angry over the AIG bonuses, at least be intellectually honest and be 1000 times angrier over the AIG bailout.

Economics for Kids 101

I took the kids to McDonalds a few days ago after one of my daughter's evening classes. There was a TV on in the corner with no sound. It was on CNN and was showing lots of pictures of the stock market, dollar signs, and to all too familiar downward pointing charts we have all come to love in recent months.

She asked me what they were talking about. Specifically they were discussing Obama's proposed mortgage bailout. To say I am not in favor of bailing out deadbeats that don't pay their bills would be an understatement. I said "They are talking about how to help people that can't pay for their house." I nearly lost my grip trying to hold back my tounge, but what else do you say to a six year old.

That answer, however, was not enough for her. "What do you mean?" Okay, I tried to let it go, but she insisted. So I'll tell her what is really going on. But how do I do that for a young person. "See that hamburger you are eating. What if you had saved your money and bought that hamburger, so now you get to eat it. Now what if somebody else came in who didn't save their money. Should you have to buy them a hamburger?" (I admit the analogy is not perfect, especially since I bought the burger she was eating, but the principle was sound) Unlike our leaders that seem to be forever pondering these "complex" decisions, she immediately and simply replied "No."

"Well, that's what they are trying do with houses. We paid for our house. Now other people can't pay for their house, so the government is trying to make us pay for their house." Her jaw dropped. She obviously got it. Like many in this country, she seemed to like Obama during the election cycle. I've got to admit, they guy has charm. I tried to not say anything to her against the man, especially since he is now the President. I say that so you understand I had not primed her with a bunch of Obama-bashing. "Obama did that?", she asked, accusingly. "That is what he is trying to do." I said.

And with that my six year old solved the problem: "He should be kicked out."

Government officials try to make things complicated. Often it is anything but. Just apply the same simple rules we teach our kids when they play with each other. Treat each other right. Share (if and when you want to). And don't take other people's stuff!

How Much Wood?

I was taking my daughter to her karate class. She was already wearing her uniform and she brought her belt along. As I was tying it on she realized she forgot something...her "woodchucks".

Stimulate This

Notice to all retailers: Just because you have something on sale does NOT mean you have a "stimulus package". Don't try to be cute; just have a sale like a normal person.