We know there are more important issues. Here are a few examples:
Unbalanced budget of the United States of America
By 2030, the optimistic projections say that the USA will be broke and our debt payments will be making foreign countries happy. Watch I.O.U.S.A. [here]. It is worth your time to see what some people think our country needs to do to avoid the decay of the USA.Financial Blabs of Trillion Dollar Proportions
At the same time, we have federal and state governments that have little accountability. The political parties, voters, and increasingly, the press rarely follow through when really bad decisions are made or when decisions are made to benefit special friends instead of the general public.
Watch the full version of Frontline here. Watching it is worth the punchline about the Obama administration and our hope for a change in the accountability of our leaders.
National Security
At the same time, we have serious national security threats and we will have our friends, neighbors, and children being sent off to fight insurgencies for many years ahead (if we still have capacity to fund the military).
Watch the documentary called Obama's war that has changed people's mind about our challenges in Afghanistan.Water Resources at Risk
Initially, plans were to cap the radioactive tailings in place because of the high costs of moving them away from the river. After "naysayers" pointed out that no one had noted that the tailings pile lay on the outside bend of the Colorado River (see photo above) where natural processes could eventually erode away not only the cap but the tailings themselves, possibly sending them into a water supply for much of the West, the government decided to move the whole pile away from the river [source].The Local Stuff
There are huge challenges that dwarf our local issues and many of those issues will define our futures more than locally made decisions. The presence of bigger challenges does not excuse us from reviewing local decisions. Many of those local decisions still have significant impacts to our quality of life, even if they are in the background of more serious challenges.We should expect our local government to lead by example.
Buy Gold.
ReplyDeleteThe last big recession, (and deficit), was cleaned-up with Clinton. This time the people involved seem smarter, more ambitious and competent.
ReplyDeleteThis is not the end of the world but it is a deep recession and the economy is improving.
Or you can go see 2012 and listen to Rush or something.
Good selection of videos JP.
ReplyDeleteAnon309 should watch them before commenting. Clinton did not clean up the problem. Watch the first video.
What do you mean this time people seem smarter? They are the same people. Watch the second video.
The current economic situation is nothing like the last one.
ReplyDeleteThe bailouts and stimulus dwarf the last big recession.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.propublica.org/ion/stimulus
http://bailout.propublica.org/
If a politician was to be honest and do the right thing every time they would be booted out quick or quit. One need only look at the last City Council meeting to see that Dan, Jerome and Teresa voted to allow parks where children play to become toxic waste sites from dog waste and urine. They were so afraid of the crazy dog lovers voting against them they caved and now we all suffer. Maggie's already loony and fits in with them perfectly.
ReplyDeleteSame thing with public employees and their wages, benefits and retirement. Don't make waves, give them what they want or at the next election they will campaign against you. One need only look at Oceanside to see another city coming apart from special interest groups. Why else would City employees and the firefighters love the spineless group we have now.
At the State level it is much worse with spending 50% more than revenues coming in. Liberals in power, the state with a majority of liberal voters and still they can't tax us enough. Hasn't anybody noticed, the fiscally conservative have cut back and in doing so pay less taxes. Raise taxes and they will pay even less.
The UC students protesting the tuition increases are the same ones who voted in these liberal spenders.
Environmental wackos who have stopped the flow of water from the Sacramento Delta to points south supposedly to save the Delta Smelt are liars. This is just a ploy to stop development in Southern California and to keep the Central Valley unplanted and as arid as possible. Their thinking is if there is no food or water people will not be born or they could die and that is good for the planet.
Where is the media? Looking for a handout from the government. Newspapers are folding right and left, TV networks are losing advertising dollars everyday, think they will investigate the same government they seek bailouts from?
The feds borrow trillions from China, use it to bail out fat cat friends who they hope will keep them in power and have promised so much to so many that the only protest of the sane and working class is to stop working and paying taxes. They won't be able to borrow much more and their house of cards will tumble. Government will be shut down. Those who know the sweat of labor will survive, those who live off others will perish. I refuse to work so the lazy and corrupt can live off my labor. Those wanting the government to provide more and more when they produce nothing will justly rot in hell.
When business pollutes or breaks the law, make them pay. They would, if not for a glut of attorneys and the corrupt judicial system. Lawyers, all scum.
When will we have a good president who looks out for the long term benefit of the nation and not just the next election cycle.
Patroit--
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure you mean to comment as a Patriot. Nice try.
What your comment amounts to is another classic rant about all the "lazy and corrupt" that live to mooch off you. This is nothing more than a figment of your imagination. To be sure, there are liars and cheats taking advantage of welfare. But the vast majority of welfare recipients are people that would just as soon be working alongside you to provide for themselves.
I'm happy to be able to pay taxes to provide a social safety net.
Yes, our country is in deep shit. But it isn't all about the economy. Much of it has to do with attitudes like yours.
What do I give a shit? I am a baby boomer. I have worked this system until its about to pop. Its really not a big deal......I only have between 15 and 30 years to live before the whole ball of shit that my generations has caused will come barreling down like a satanic fire ball for those stupid enough to still be American tax paying citizens.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the assets in the country that my fore fathers were so cautious to preserve and protect. I am so glad me and my other baby booma friends were the ones that can leverage all these good solid assets for our gain. Remember 60 is the new 30! Can anyone say free drugs when I was a bit younger, free education, free healthcare, free workfare (I mean working for the government or education which is sudo-government), free welfare (I mean social security), and I never have to pay back my debt! Shocka!!!! Lets go shopping!!!! America is the land of leverage……. That is unless you’re my granddaughter. But screw it…. I never really liked your dad anyway.
Unfortunately we have the epitome of baby boomer mentality on council who gave all of staff premium pensions when they get to retire! That’s right retiring at 90% of their highest paid years.
Once again, WHO cares? I made mine. Fuck the future of America…….. I am a Baby Booma!!!!
I agree. I am baby booma.....
ReplyDeleteI will sell all our gold. Sell our park land.... send your children to war. All so I have the easiest and best life I can while I am alive.
Whatever crybabies. the debt will carry us for at least another 20 years. Hell we have the CA coast we can sell off.
I am baby booma hear me roar!!!!
God support Baby boomas.... the others can fend for themselves. We are the choosen generation anyway. My boyfriend in 9 grade told me so and he is an Oracle.
ReplyDeleteGod bless Baby Boomas!!!
Patroit-Amen brother!!
ReplyDeleteA.J.-If you think paying more in taxes is better for everyone, lead by example. Go pay more than you owe. YOU CAN pay more than you owe, just tell the Franchise tax board or the IRS you want to give them more than required. THEY WILL take your money. BUT YOU WON'T, liberals like you never do. Every liberal I know votes tax hikes on everyone, then runs and hides behind loop holes or just simply cheating.
One of the most liberal people I know is also, lazy and corrupt.
Nice try AJ, you are wrong and you know it, you're just too lazy and corrupt to admit it.
Talk is cheat, and your opinion SUCKS!!!
All I know is I do not respect the sellouts of this country. I know there were generations died to preserve the future freedom of this country. But the last 30 years have been complete sell outs. Maybe it was the entire heroin they took in their teens and 20s. Maybe it was just the classic second generation coming off an intense 2nd world war, but man the Baby Boomer generation are losers.
ReplyDeleteDon't try and call me off a wave while you ol' fart on your 12 foot tanker gets a little rush, you can learn how to surf or stay out of the water. You and all your non patriotic boomers suck!!! thanks screwing up the surf and for sinking your kids and the future generation of America.
Stupid decisions our elected leaders made right here in Encinitas:
ReplyDeleteBought the Hall property and indemnified the seller for the toxic waste clean up.
Bought the Mossy dealership overpaying by at least a million dollars and spending another million to remodel it.
Keeps building Fire Stations that are mansions with spas, gourmet kitchens, movie rooms and private sleeping suites.
Keeps giving raises and benefit increases to staff and firefighters whenever asked.
Allows public parks to become toxic dumps from dog waste.
There's more but I have to go to work to pay taxes to for these low lifes.
The world needs more roundabouts and our problems are solved.
ReplyDeleteThe Patroit is correct--
ReplyDeleteYou say "talk is cheat", and I think you mean talk is cheap. Maybe you and the Patroit are the same person?
Taxes suck, for sure, but I pay all mine. It seems like a lot too. But I do it thinking that the things my taxes pay for are making my city, state and country a better place to live. However, many of the people that run our governments are lyin', thievin' bastards, so we get what we vote for, so to speak.
I do contribute cash to church and charities now and then. Does that count for walking the walk of liberalism?
Bonjour, www.theleucadiablog.com!
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Pacific View- what is sad is that the school district will sell a piece of history to cover a small loss- and i don't hear any Leaucadians going to the meeting Dec.2 at ocean Knoll to take back our a slice of the past
ReplyDeleteThese issues are far too big for Baby Boomers to even think about.
ReplyDeleteThey will stick with the only game they know, go shopping on credit and keep their heads in the sand.
Oh yeah, and put some bumpersticker on their car about Hope. Classic losers.
Its the future generations that will need to clean up their grandparants crap and man did they crap on us.
What is needed.
1. Leave Iraq and Afganistan now. Not in 4 years.... leave both within 1 month. The only difference in when we leave will be how many American lives will be killed and how much further into Debt we dig ourselves.
2. Quite trying to play god to the world. No giving money away which we don't have.
3. No Social benefits to illegal aliens. We cannot support the world.
4. Cut Social security.
5. Cut medicare.
6. Tar and feather all the existing politicians.
7. Have each level of Government declare bankruptcy including the FEDS. Tell our Debtors including china and the middle east. Sorry, I guess us baby boomers really cannot run a country. Our future generations will likely be more responsible. This will also eliminate all the corrupt pensions that were put in place by the baby boomer politicians.
8. Put more of our resources on educating the future generations in the sciences. This is how countries prosper.
8 easy steps and the USA will again be on a solid foundation.
One thing for sure, the people leading this country will lead it right into collapse faster than you know.
What a change, America used to be great.... now the most notable thing about America is how big our bellies and Debt has grown in such a relatively short time.
I want more news on the Swamis contest.
ReplyDeleteNow if someone could take the time to explain that deficits aren't causing unemployment and recession, that would be very helpful. Unfortunately, the owners of America have spent a lot of money persuading people that their problems are all caused by government spending and taxing rich people and in order to get the economy moving again the government needs to pull in its belt and cut taxes. It's going to take a lot to deprogram them.
ReplyDelete"At the same time, we have serious national security threats and we will have our friends, neighbors, and children being sent off to fight insurgencies for many years ahead (if we still have capacity to fund the military)."
ReplyDeleteRiiight. Nice to see crystal clear the real meaning of "fiscal conservatism," which really means "spend money on what I want to spend money on."
Why is money spent on healthcare or infrastructure "socialism," but paying multi-million dollar CEO salaries, plus regular salaries, retirement and healthcare for employees of military contractors not?
Why are right-leaning politicians chicken-shit? Oh Noe! Terrorists in our prisons! Oh Noe! Terrorists tried in a court of law! Oh Noe! Terrorists provided habeus corpus! Oh Noe! "Terrorists" "insurgents" "Al Queda" "Taliban" aka the same friggin' Afghans the Soviets fought are defending their tribal territory! They gonna kill us! Oh Noe!
The US spends more $ on defense then the rest of the world COMBINED! 'Cause we hafta!! Evil lurks behind every corner! Oh Noe! I'm scairt!
And Mr Patroit who likely cheers on this nonsense, whines about tax rates that have steadily declined!?!?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_tax_in_the_United_States#History_of_top_rates.5B20.5D
"After eight years -- some of those years in which we did not have, I think, either the resources or the strategy to get the job done -- it is my intention to finish the job," Obama told reporters.
ReplyDeleteTax rates have not declined for me.
ReplyDeleteI pay more percentage wise each year that the year before. I make less each year so as not to pay anymore than necessary. When I go to the store and see able bodied men and women using food stamps, EBT, welfare to feed their fat selves and the checker tells me that there are thousands of them here in Encinitas and literally millions more in cities like Vista, Oceanside and Escondido, let alone San Diego and points south I want to tell all tax payers who find this to be un American to revolt by the only legal means left us, that is to stop working. Let liberals pick up the slack. I want to get what the freeloaders get for nothing. Free health care, free food, free housing, a position at the public trough that offers dignity, (firefighters and public employees, local, state and federal).
Its pretty telling how liberals never saw a tax they didn't like as long as it was on someone else.
Notice how liberals don't donate to humanitarian causes, like obama giving less than 2% for the last 10 years, Biden giving a total of $369 a year the last 10 years. If you think these are good people, you are f---ed up.
Nothing wrong with big business paying big taxes, but they pay off all politicians regardless of party and we get left holding the bag of tax increases.
Don't get me wrong the Republican Party is just as guilty as the donkey party in this mess.
We just don't have good people running for office because of the grief they and their families will suffer at the hands of special interest groups.
Bring back all US soldiers from foreign lands, Iraq, Afghanistan, Germany, Korea, Japan, the Philippines or wherever and let them fend for themselves. If China, Russia or some stupid jerk country cause havoc, bomb them like Clinton did the Serbs.
Get our county in order before we try to export our values.
Also enforce our borders against illegal entry and deport those who are here illegally. Get rid of all foreigners who so much as jaywalk as they sure don't care about the laws of our great country.
To all baby boomer whingers. THE USA produces nothing, consumes everything, and has the weapons to make sure this balance is maintained....for awhile. This policy was started under Reagan, who was definately not a baby boomer. We used to be powerful and successful because of our exports. But American companies realized greater profit margins by exporting manufacturing. Why be thankful for a 1 to 1 return, when you can get a 10 to 1 return and put flat screen TVs in every room so you never have to talk to your kids. It's not the baby boomers who are to blame, it's the greedy bastards who treat public service as a ticket to ride. Those greedy bastards have had a helluva ride in the last 15 years...and we keep electing them. WTF. Look around your home, do you have more than one TV? Why? Is it so painful to watch a family program together? Are you so impaired you can't pick up a book, read a magazine, knit a sweater, play a song, build a bookcase, help out at the homeless shelter, invent a recipe, weed your garden, write a letter to an old friend, clean your bathroom with a toothbrush? The real problem here is isolation, loneliness and apathy and the drugs of choice are TVs, Ipods, reality shows, computer games, radio lunatic shows, etc. Get off your duff and move.
ReplyDeleteDoes the fun ever start around here?
ReplyDeleteI am a realist. The truth is fun. The lasts two posts were perfect.
ReplyDeleteAs to the baby boomers and jackass's that keep electing the incumbant republicrats. Keep repeating there is "Hope" and stick your head back in the sand.
I for one am going to quite my job and work on the the public tit, minimize my tax base, and take every government hand out possible.
Its the new way to act and encourage everyone too do it. The faster this whole thing collaspes, the faster we can get back to a country that follows our great country's constitution.
Geeze, you would think more people would have read "Animal Farm". But I guess people really aren't reading anymore in school.
JP and or Kevin- This is the best post ever.
ReplyDeleteI know people can not even think about issues like this, so I am glad to see you posted a post about the Flu.... or some other none event the Associate Press would post.
I bet in a few days we will see another one about cobbles, because we know people hate to think about issues that dramatically affect their future.
Ignorance is bliss. And baby boomers are the most ignorant group out there.
Can't we all just CO-E*!ST!! (all those silly symbols of religion).
ReplyDeleteLets just hope for the best and cry and say..... dam I had no idea, when we are sitting in 5 years asking how things got so bad.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry status quo is all that will be done until the chinese quite buying our debt.... then all shit breaks down and your hope is gone.
I think Mr Rogers started it all when he said: "You can be anything you want to be" and "There's nobody in the world just like you"
ReplyDeleteYup. Silly clueless baby boomers. Thanks for ruining America.
ReplyDeleteAll this doom and gloom about our failure as the dominant nation in the world is shortsighted. This country is now, and will remain, the most free and successful nation on Earth for the next 100 years.
ReplyDeleteAll these problems in one way or another will be overcome. There simply exists such great momentum in this country, that we can't be beat.
This country controls the oceans of the world, and will for a very long time. No one even comes close by a factor of 10. We have the largest military, and in the future will also control space without competition.
This country creates the technology that will power the rest of the world for a long time into the future.
Factors that will shape our future and that of the rest of the world, include a reduced regional population, lower birth rates, new energy possibilities, reshaping of the world power.
Don't think this cannot happen. 60 years ago, would any of you expected Germany or Japan to be world leaders? Could you have predicted the computer, or the internet?
We need to think a little bigger. For instance, after the Boomers are gone, this country and many others are going to be begging for labor. We won't have enough people to power the progress we'll be seeing.
I won't go on, except to say that we are not going to fail, we are not "going down the tubes". The US is, and will remain the most progressive, free and desirable place on this planet.
Left Coast you are such the typical baby boomer its pathetic. Go stick your head back in the sand. Support AARP, free Healthcare for all citizens of the world, and social security paid for by future generations.
ReplyDeleteTo easily address a few of your comments.
"All this doom and gloom about our failure as the dominant nation in the world is shortsighted. This country is now, and will remain, the most free and successful nation on Earth for the next 100 years."
Like all great civilizations America has peaked just like England did 300 years ago. The trend all look terrible for America. I know, you voted for Obama and have "Hope".... Phssssss.
"All these problems in one way or another will be overcome. There simply exists such great momentum in this country, that we can't be beat."
The momentum is downward. You better bury your head back in the sand quick. I know you will get social security payments, but my kids and grandkids will not.
This country controls the oceans of the world, and will for a very long time. No one even comes close by a factor of 10. We have the largest military, and in the future will also control space without competition.
Not. Military strength follows economic strength. Just look at England and USSR before their collapse.
I have friends that are fighter pilots in the Navy. They say if China ever roles, The pacific fleet is merely a speed bump. They don't think our military is that superior to the Chinese. You better reevaluate your facts.
"This country creates the technology that will power the rest of the world for a long time into the future."
Tense should be "created". Japan, Korea, India, and even china are starting to beat our technology. Our schools are falling behind in the sciences and with that our technology will fall behind.
Your comment sounds like something you might have said in 1970s. Since then the USA politicians have shown they are willing to sell out the future just for an easier living for the next 5 years. Just like GM. The only difference is we will not the the ones bailing out the USA when we are near collapse. It will be china and the Arabs. Not the best masters I could ask for.
Left Coast and his Republicrat freinds are the problem.
ReplyDeleteActually, much of America's progress in technology was gained at the expense of other countries...many citizens left after WWI and WWII to come to America creating a brain drain in their native countries. Now those countries with natural resources, which America has sold cheap to forgeiners so we are depleted, can afford to educate their people at the best schools, who then get jobs in those countries. We are educating a bunch of dumbies...just check the statistics. A country is only as powerful as the next generation.
ReplyDelete