The Poor Getting Poorer

I frequently hear people say, "The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer."

It's pretty obvious that the rich are getting richer. We live in a country that makes that possible (maybe that will change in the next few years). But are the poor really getting poorer?



Hmm...the bottom quintile has averaged 3.9% growth. Not exactly getting poorer.

According to the US Census Bureau, the number of households making $25,000 to $75,000 has decreased from 48.2% to 44.3%. The number of households making less than $25,000 decreased from 28.7% to 25.2% while the number of households making more than $75,000 increased from 23.2% to 30.4%.

Sounds a lot like the poor are actually getting richer.

Obama's Dog and Pony Show

Yesterday, Obama hosted a National Discussion on Health Care Reform where he was supposed to address questions that Americans had about his upcoming health care reform policies.

Of the 7 questions asked, 4 were hand picked by the White House and the other 3 were from liberal groups that proudly and openly support Obama (Healthcare for America Now, Organizing for America, and Service Employees International Union).

Even Helen Thomas, a liberal White House reporter who has been through several administrations said, "The point is the control from here. We have never had that in the White House. And we have had some control but not this control. I mean I'm amazed, I'm amazed at you people who call for openness and transparency...It's very shocking."

Why is Obama hand picking softball questions? What happened to transparency? Why won't Obama answer tough questions and real concerns that people have instead of controlling everything that gets asked?

Cap and Trade

Obama is mastering the art of talking out of both sides of his mouth.

When Obama was interviewed by the San Fransisco Chronicle in January of 2008, he said:

“You know, when I was asked earlier about the issue of coal, uh, you know, under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket. Even regardless of what I say about whether coal is good or bad. Because I'm capping greenhouse gases, coal power plants, you know, natural gas, you name it -- whatever the plants were, whatever the industry was, uh, they would have to retrofit their operations. That will cost money. They will pass that money on to consumers.”

He also said, "So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can; it's just that it will bankrupt them because they're going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that's being emitted."

So he's already admitted that electricity rates are going to skyrocket under his plan and it will cause loss of jobs, and yet now that he's trying to pass this terrible policy he's saying, "Don't believe the misinformation out there that suggests there is somehow a contradiction between investing in clean energy and economic growth."

Hmm...you mean that misinformation that came out of your mouth last year?

Luckily, only people who make more than $250,000 per year use electricity so they're the only ones who will be paying for this. Oh wait...

Health Care

I have a few quick thoughts on Obama's proposed health care overhaul.

1. The current proposal is supposed to cost somewhere between $1 trillion and $1.6 trillion over the next 10 years (yeah, right) and will take the currently 50 million uninsured Americans down to 37 million uninsured Americans (um, that's not insuring every American, Obamateur). That math would mean every person they insure will cost the government $123,000 over the next 10 years. Are we putting these people in gold plated hospital beds and hiring Britney Spears to be their personal nurse?

2. Part of the plan to pay for the health care overhaul is to make cuts to medicaid and medicare. Does this sound completely idiotic to anybody else? The government can't afford the entitlement programs that they already have, but they are going to start taking away money (and therefore, benefits) from the programs already designed to help the elderly and poor receive health care.

3. But the thing that really gets my leg tingling is the part of the plan where Obama says we might start taxing employer provided benefits. Hmm...why does that plan sound familiar? Oh yeah, that's the plan McCain proposed during the campaign that Obama mocked.

Outsourcing and Illegals

I recently had a conversation with a couple of liberal friends and the hypocrisy of the discussion was staggering.

The conversation started with illegal immigration and, of course, quickly progressed to them claiming that, “Americans won’t do the jobs that illegals will,” (apparently exploiting the poor is tolerable if they are here illegally).

I told them that the employers should be raising their wage until Americans are willing to do those jobs and we would have to deal with the subsequent rise in prices for that good or service (liberals have a hard time grasping the concept of supply and demand, but that’s a whole other discussion).

They kept saying that people wouldn’t be willing to pay higher prices, so I brought up outsourcing.

American companies outsource to raise their profit margins and provide cheaper prices for us, the consumers. But according to my liberal friends, outsourcing = pure evil.

So it’s unethical for businesses to legally ship American jobs overseas so that we can enjoy Walmart prices, but it is perfectly acceptable for businesses to illegally hire immigrants and pay them a pittance because we want to save a couple bucks on oranges?

You guys are going to have to pick one or the other, though I don’t expect that you will. Liberals tend to think they can have their cake and eat it, too.

Healthcare Hypocrisy

Last month, the Obama administration proposed a plan to cut veteran’s health care benefits. The plan would ask that private insurance companies foot part of the bill for veterans who were wounded in combat. The plan was expected to save $540 million.

Out of the other side of his mouth, Obama goes on and on about how we need a universal health care plan and has already pledged a down payment of $634 billion towards the government mandated health insurance, which will surely include people who are here illegally.

Now, it should be noted that the veteran’s health care cut has been put on hold (if not completely eliminated) because people were so outraged by it. But am I the only one who sees something disturbingly wrong with Obama’s thinking?

Obama pretends to be fighting for health care coverage for all, but then turns around and tries to take away benefits from the people who arguably deserve health care more than any other group of Americans? Not to mention the amount he was trying to save by taking away coverage from our heroes was peanuts compared to the coverage he wants to provide to illegals.

Seriously, disgusting.

Tax Cheat Timothy Geithner

Obama hasn't even been in office for 100 days, but he's already decided he has the power to fire America's CEOs.

When Katie Couric asked our fabulous tax cheat Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner if he would leave the option open to fire other CEOs, he replied, "Of course."

And here I thought Obama would try to ease into the dictatorship. I guess I was wrong.