France is #1! France is #1!

Dear Flaco,

So, Obama has decided that he is going to make a stand on this whole National Health Care thing.  He feels that America is not providing for her citizens and that many are going uncared for.  In fact, the number 47 million has been tossed around.  As in, there are 47 million uninsured people in the United States.

Can you help me clear up some confusion I have?

1. How many of those 47 million are not even citizens?
2. How many of those 47 million are kids now covered under S-CHIP?
3. How many of those 47 million are people that make more than 300% of the FPL [poverty level] and choose not to purchase insurance?
4. How many of those 47 million people have the ability to obtain insurance under existing government programs?

And then, when you are done obtaining –wait for it—–FACTS, please help me in determining how financially secure the French system is right now.

In advance –  Thanks,

-pino

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Socialism and Other Added Treats

Dear Flaco,

So, after all of the huffing and puffing of the election, after all the plays and the jabs and the dust has cleared.  And when you have finally started to forget that I called Obama a Socialist–we are about to become a majority owner of GM.  I wonder what Socialism means?  Let’s check:

Dictionary.com –

A theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole.

Wikipedia – 

Socialism refers to any one of various economic theories of economic organization advocating state or cooperative ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods, and a society characterized by equal opportunities/means for all individuals with a more egalitarian method of compensation.

Merriam – Webster –

Any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods.

Alright, so, now that we’ve gotten THAT out of the way, I wonder, is this what you had in mind when you elected Obama as President?  Did you really want him to nationalize the banking industry, and the car industry, and the insurance industry and then the healthcare industry?  I wonder, did it bother you at the time that the man would drop 1.8 trillion in debt on us?  Or that he would, dare I say it, Raise taxes in a feeble effort to pay down that debt?  Yeah, see, now that the liberals are looking at the debt they have created, they are really Really trying to figure it out.

The answer?  A National Sales Tax!  How awesome is that?

Oh Flaco, my naive dumb liberal friend.  You have really put us in a fine mess this time!

Love,

-pino

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The Cost of Money

Dear Flaco,

All things have value.  A baseball card, a hammer.  Minutes on a cell phone.  Your time, my time.  And the weird one; money.  Money has value.  It can be bought, sold and even invested so as to make more of it.  And when there is more of it then there used to be, we say that we are creating wealth.  When there is less of it than there used to be, pay attention here Obama lover, we say that we are destroying wealth.

Now, if you can, just for a second, pretend that we stopped building stuff.  Doing stuff.  Making things.  Changing them from what they are now to what they could be.  That is, we just trade money for things that already are.  We have zero wealth growth.  All the money that was is the money that is.  And that, my skinny friend, is no good.  What we like better is for the pool of money to grow.  We want there to be MORE of it than there used to be.  This is a good thing and is what we mean when we say the economy is growing.

So, check it out.  There are people who are kinda bad with money; me.  And then there are people who are good with money; my wife.  And then there are people who are good at BUILDING money; yea ol’ entrepreneur.  This is the guy that takes random stuff that cost him $x and turns it into something that he can sell for $x+y dollars.  When y is large enough for him continue sacrificing time and risk, he will continue to generate y.  And when y is either small or negative, our hero will decide to shutter his shop and go back to work.  So, through natural selection, the strong vibrant businesses will succeed.  And the better the business, the better that success signa, will be—he will have made more money.

The government.  Now the government does 1 of 2 things.  It either takes money and spends it, often foolishly.  Or, or, and this may be the worst of the two, it tries to make money by setting up it’s own shop.  But when it does this, it legislates it’s own competition out the door.  There is no competition, so there can be no y signals to let us know if the government is doing a good or bad job.

So, one the one hand, we have people who have more y than other people; because the are good at growing y.  And then we have the government who either wastes y or prevents other people from having the shot at presenting more y than Uncle Sam.

Now, here is why we wanna reduce taxes on the rich:

1. If we tax the amount of y enough, at some point the shop keeper will tip.  What’s left after taxes is not worth the risk of opening his business.  And so he closes.  Or, doesn’t open to begin with.
2. If the shop keeper is able to make y as a function of x, then by reducing his supply of money, he isn’t able to make the amount of y he should have.
   1. If you can make 10% profit and have 1000 bucks, you end with $1,100.  But if good ‘ol Unc’ takes 300 first, you only start with $700.  You now make $770.  So the State cost the state 30 dollars.
3. The more you give to the government, the more the government wastes.  Either by foolish spending.  Or worse, by destroying the value by trying to go into business itself.

So you see my foolish foolish friend, this has NOTHING to do with setting up a system where by the rich just continue to exploit the poor.  You libtards may think that’s how it works because that’s how it looks, or perhaps more accurately, that’s how it feels.

When you are down by 1 with 2.3 seconds left, you give the ball to Jordan everytime.  EVERY single time.  Why?  Because he has demonstrated that he knows how to make shots.  I, on the other had, demonstrated very early on that I don’t know how to make shots.  The same is true about money.

Does it suck that there are Jordans out there when it comes to making money and we are’nt one of ’em?  Maybe-sure.  But by trying to “level the playing field” we just jack it all up instead.

Love,

-pino

p.s. by the way, even when it’s Jordan making all the points, the rest of the team still gets a ring.  And so it is here in America.  Only in America can it be said that the poorest among us have cell phones, dvd players and air conditioning.

But hey, if I suck at basketball, so should you!

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?; or better said..Really…?

Mr. “Social Liberal”,

So, I need to letcha in on a little secret.

Tell me…

As a conservative, it’s not my goal to make the rich richer or keep the poor poorer.

Which is why tax cuts for rich benefit EVERYONE!

I don’t think it’s okay to ignore those in need, ignore those who require help.

EXCEPT Universal Health Care.

I really really wanna make the world a better place for as many people as possible.  And really, that means that I want the world to be better for more people tomorrow than it was for people yesterday.

Like Global Warming?

HOAX!

F#$%ing LIBERAL HOAX!

LESS GOVERNMENT!

LESS TAXES!

So.  Quick Reality Check.  Whats the difference between The Government and Big Business?

We as Americans; can pick a new leader for our government, and are (honestly) stuck with our corporate leaders.  They are protected by their boards.  A corporate board is as slow and; as much or more so (it’s easier to hide the money),  influenced as any house or senate,  on replacing an inefficient leader.

At least, in business, you expect them to be corrupt.

P.S.   Both are corrupt.

So what to do…..?

Educate my soft mushy Liberal Mind.

If I elected you,  what would pino do?

xoxo billy

P.S.  I’m not so much for the stimulus package.  I understand the intentions … but I do believe that things gotta sort themself out.

But,  I’ll also say that we can’t just turn a blind eye….

SO and HOWEVER,

Somethings got to be done…

Everyone who is now unemployed is now claiming unemployment (at the least).  State Budgets are under plan and they are cutting major things, i.e. education, police, transportation projects, etc….  So who’s the real victim?

The amount of $ the government is pouring out will increase.  (For at least a year.)  Mass jobs are getting cut and it will continue for at least this year and probably next year too.

The average home-owner has seen their home value (and 401k plan) plummet.  And Social Security has no more cash in 2041.

And per a previous discussion you hinted toward let it fall and bottom out.  Pretty easy to say…..  since you have a job.

And Big Business a shown what an awesome job they do unchecked…. (like banks…  dumbass  … xoxo)

If I elected you,  what would pino do?

I’ll let molly know…

NOTHING.

PALIN/LIMBAUGH 2012!!!!!!!!!!!

I ALSO LIKE TO GO TO THE DENTIST!!!!!!!!

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I’m starting to be a HUGE Palin fan…

Dude,

She’s (Palin’s) a gem….

i.e.

(You wrote) However, giving me a story of  one girl doesn’t change cold hard facts:

1. Health or medical care is limited
2. We need/want more of it than can be supplied
3. It must be rationed
4. When that rationing method is price, it leads to lower prices and more availability

O.K.  then…Palin style…

(I’m gonna Palin my way all over the place….)

Now we’ll warp back to Climate Change/Global Warming…

Energy Sources (are limited)

1.     A. Our current sources of power are limited; ……

B. And Green Technology (wind,solar,water,etc…) .. it  isn’t infinite….   but it is way closer…

C. We’re gonna run out of gas and coal.  And those affect our environment negatively.

D. We could ration our own prices for gas/power….

(We need/want more of it than can be supplied….)

2.     See above…

(It must be rationed …)

3.     Yes.

But Really….

(Now we’re back to Republican vs. Democrat…)

(When that rationing method is price, it leads to lower prices and more availability…)

4.     So when everyone wants to buy a mustang… dude….

Do  the prices get lower?

Or Higher for more profit?

So…

for an example…

One (i.e. A Republican) might think… (and you wrote…) When that rationing method is price, it leads to lower prices and more availability

One (i.e. A Democrat) would think …..    that when something is rationed by price ….      and it’s in demand (i.e. like health care) ..

the prices can be increased.   And who gets hurt by those increases?

(Go Palin!  I’m all over the place and it’s O.K.  Back to Health Care…)

I.E.  MOLLY

So…(Palin/Limbaugh 2012)

If your f#$%ing dying …. what price is too much?

If your in constant pain… what price is too much?

If a loved one (i.e. your parent, spouse or child) is in need of help…. what price is too much?

So.

(You wrote) Serious.  Stop sending me this minor league business.  Give me facts.

Serious. If you can’t look at something with your heart and soul, why would I worry about your … facts(mind)?

Because it takes all three, Pino.

(And Texted) My Friend ………when did you stray from the path?

As soon as I realized your path was a dead end.

Humbly Flaco.

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More Narrow Thinking Liberals

Dear Flaco,

Awesome.

So, when experts in 1988 claim that the temperate in 2008 is going to be .5 C higher, we should just never check up on them, right?  We should just say, WOW!  And then faint.  Wake up and elect Obama.  God forbid that people would actually capture the prediction, then, ya know, record the actual temperature, and then – SHOCKER – compare them to see if this expert knows what the fuck he is talking about?

Nah.  Let’s elect Obama instead.

Truth and facts never enter the liberal mind!

And now Molly.  Tragic story.  Really is.  And I feel bad for a 22 year old kid tryin’ to make it saddled with 9 large in debt.

Specific, here is some advice.

However, giving me a story of one girl doesn’t change cold hard facts:

1. Health or medical care is limited
2. We need/want more of it than can be supplied
3. It must be rationed
4. When that rationing method is price, it leads to lower prices and more availability

Serious.  Stop sending me this minor league business.  Give me facts.

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Brrrrr It’s Hot Outside!!!

Dear Flaco,

I bumped into this tonight.

Insight into Global Warming Cooling

Link provided by Carie Diem

Regards,

-pino

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C’mon…

Dude,

Sad story indeed, but tell the whole thing (p.s. you can read it from pino’s link)

but some highlights of a sad (partially told) story..

(i.e. alarmists left out the italics)

From the same article…

Minimum wage increased, and health care costs skyrocketed. The women couldn’t increase the price of the bows without losing sales.

They cut back where they could, but in October, they told workers they were closing the plant and contracting the work out to a factory in Mexico.

Barb, who is 61 now, said it was a terrible day, but she had no choice.

“We fought it for a very long time, probably longer than we should have,” she said. “I’m the last one to say every man for himself, but when it comes to am I going to stay in business or not, who wouldn’t make that choice?”

They were able to salvage 22 jobs locally, mostly in marketing, sales and accounting. But for many of the workers, Thursday was their last day.

 

So, a small business, laid off 228 people.  Crappy.  Really. 

 

But according to your logic she ACT(ed) Locally, and THOUGHT Globally.

 

But she managed to stay in business and that’s a good thing. 

(You’ve got long hair.  And Wee Ones sell barrettes.)

 

So when a major company like AT&T outsources jobs to stay competitive without any interference from the government who do you blame?

 

Who?

 

xoxo flaco.

 

 

 

 
 

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Wonderful World of Minimum Wage

Dear Flaco,

Interesting take on the whole Global Warming thing.  I’ll get to it, I promise.  But in the meantime, check out this story from the STLtoday.com.  The online edition of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

A young mother who hand-painted barrettes to tame her daughter’s unruly locks, turned the hair accessories into a $6 million dollar business.

Barb said she always tried to take care of her employees — she never paid much more than minimum wage, but she provided them with good benefits, including health insurance and a 401(k) plan.

The workers, mostly women, were really more like family, she said. They enjoyed lavish Christmas parties, a monthly snack day, where employees brought in things to munch on, birthday celebrations and year-end bonuses.

To outsiders, the company seemed healthy. In 2007, it had $6 million in sales and sold 2 million hair bows. It employed 100 full-time employees and 150 piece workers, including some in outstate Missouri.

But Wee Ones was in the red, and labor costs were the reason, Barb and Betsy say.

Minimum wage increased, and health care costs skyrocketed. The women couldn’t increase the price of the bows without losing sales.

“We fought it for a very long time, probably longer than we should have,” she said. “I’m the last one to say every man for himself, but when it comes to am I going to stay in business or not, who wouldn’t make that choice?”

The company gave the workers liberal leave to go on job interviews and offered job training and help with filing for unemployment, but most of the workers stayed with Wee Ones until the end.

Some would say that’s a sign of the tough economic conditions, but workers like Marilyn Bockhoff, 54, of St. Peters said they just wanted to hang onto a good thing as long as they can.

So, here is government in action.  An otherwise successful company; one that could compete AND provide their employee with benefits was forced to restructure.  It wasn’t the market place, it wasn’t poor business decisions and it wasn’t disgruntled employees.  It was the government’s attempt to regulate the workplace.  Several hundred people out of work.

Do you think those people would rather be unemployed but with minimum wage increased or employed making what they used to make?  I think I know the answer.

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How Expensive is this Hoax Going to Be?

Dear Flaco,

I trust that you are doing well.  That you are enjoying life on the left coast.  As we continue to struggle with housing prices, unemployment and the economy in general, there are some things that we are finding to be rather enjoyable.  Of the few, I would list the current price for a gallon of gas the most enjoyable and the most significant.  Having been just north of $4, I literally smile and chuckle as I fuel up for the cheap [serious, this gas is cheap].  And this is good news, not just for me on a personal level, but for all of us.  Cheaper fuel means cheaper goods, at least to a degree.

But now we are hearing that the Democratic controlled lawmakers are considering taxing gasoline; perhaps not insignificantly.  Add this cost to the already imbedded artficial cost of “Global Warming” and you have perhaps the single larget cause of global hunger.  It seems there’s no end to the lengths people are willing to go to “fix” something that really isn’t broken.

So, the Democrats are considering taxing gasoline until we we choke because they fear Global Warming; the end of the world as we know it.  And when asked why they think that we are facing “The End of the World as We Know it”, they shrug and point to The Oracle of Delphi, Al Gore.  When asked to present data, they can’t.  In fact, when asked to present a trend that shows we are warming, they can’t.

For example:

• The world is cooling.  2008 is the coldest of the century.
• Sea ice levels continue to grow.  The arctic is growing,or at least no longer shrinking.
• More and more, the “experts” supporting Global Warming are thinning.
• The data used to support Global Warming is more and more coming into question.

As I have mention time and time again, we should make sure that whatever we do in our lives and to our planet, we should do well; we should be good stewards.  On the other hand, there is no reason whatsoever to feel that we need to undertake expensive and dangerous policies to prevent a catastrophy that is a fairy tale.

How expensive is this story going to be?

Regards,

-pino

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