How Government Programs HURT the Poor

You are a factory worker  in New Jersey who was laid off.  Or maybe you are an immigrant from the Dominican Republic.

You have a car. You get it inspected.  You get your Chauffeur's License.

Can you open a business in New York City?

NO.

New York City places severe restrictions on who can own a taxi company,

Today, it cost about $1 million to enter the taxi business in New York,

Who can afford this?

How does this help the poor?:

Government restrictions like this are why the poor and middle class are no longer upwardly mobile.

The Democrats Doesn't Have a Mandate to Spend, the GOP Has a Mandate to Reform

While driving today, I heard a great interview with Rand Paul.

He has it exactly right.

This was not a blow out election.  It wasn't even close to a blow out.

It was 51% versus 48%.  1% went to an ex-GOP governor (Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Party candidate) who wanted even less government than Romney.

The far left are trying to claim some kind of mandate for more government, when they have none.

Over the last couple of election cycles, the Republican party has elected some great people, like Rand Paul, Mike Lee, and Marco Rubio.  They have also nominated some complete morons, like the Witch of Delaware and the Rape kooks in Illinois and Missouri.

Obama's reelection team did a great job using the very few GOP losers to paint the entire GOP in a negative light.

Hat's off to the Obama team for being able to elevate someone who sat is Reverend Wright's church for 20 years listening to Wright "damn America" as the "moderate" in this election. It is truly the largest triumph of propaganda  versus reality in several decades.  From a skills perspective, they are the best.   With regards to the future of America...  not so good...

Yes, the GOP establishment are dumber than dirt in understanding how to talk to Asians and Latinos.  The GOP's lack of basic outreach to many people who are natural allies has enabled the left to claim that the GOP are full of racists.

I am married to an Asian woman.  My mom was also an immigrant, from Germany.

I understand that most immigrants come here to fulfill their dreams.  Unfortunately, the ranks of GOP voters are filled with people who just don't understand this.

Even though close to a majority of American's now collect government checks, the American values of individual liberty and responsibility still ring true to our hearts.  Yes, some people are content to let the government take of them, but most people hate being in this situation.

Romney just didn't get this, and that was a big part of the problem.

In spite of the GOP's idiocy, it was still basically a 51% / 49%.  That is not a mandate to destroy America.

The Stupid Party Ready to Strike Again

News outlets are reporting that GOP Senator Saxby Chambliss is ready to cave into Democrats and go along with their tax increases.

As predicted, the Republicans will agree to immediate specific tax increases in exchange for some unspecific promises for some unspecified spending cuts at some undetermined future date.   Of course, the spending cuts will never materialize.

The GOP has done it before.  They will do it again.

This is why the GOP is known as the Stupid Party.

A new Generation and Gun Control

Daddy / daughter lunch with my 16 yo today.

Marissa told me that she has to write an essay on gun control from a pro or con position for her "history" class.

She, on her own, has already picked the Second Amendment position.

She has a very left-wing "progressive" (regressive / illiberal) history teacher. But, Marissa told me that she is not afraid to state her opinion.

I was surprised to learn how much research she has already done and how solid her arguments already are. I was impressed.

I am so proud of all of my girls.

There is hope in America...

More Thanksgiving Memories

I once spent Thanksgiving weekend in Quebec City working on a proposal with a partner (DMR) when I was with IBM.

What a beautiful city, but bad, greasy Chinese Buffet is not my idea of a good Thanksgiving dinner.

Thanksgiving Memories

When I was I kid, my dad owned a gas station.

I started pumping gas (before self-serve) during the 1973 Arab oil embargo.

From 13 to 18 I worked every Thanksgiving, every Christmas Eve, every Christmas Day, every New Years Eve, every New Years Day, etc.

I loved working all of the holidays, because I got to meet the some of the most interesting people -- all of whom were scrambling to get

 to somewhere...

My mom used to bring me a paper plate, covered in aluminum foil with 

whatever they had for dinner, so I could eat.

I wouldn't change this experience for anything in the world.

It made me who I am today.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Yes, It's All About the Math

Over the last few weeks, people from the guests on "Morning Joe" (and Joe himself) to the "Center for American Progress" have been claiming that the mounting budget deficits are all about the "math".

Of course, they are right.  Unfortunately, many of these folks don't seem to understand the real math.

Here is the real budget math, from the White House Office of Management and Budget. (All numbers are expressed in terms of percentage of GDP):

Truman through Bush I:
- Federal Spending: 19.5%
- Tax Receipts: 17.7%

Clinton:
- Federal Spending: 19.8%
- Tax Receipts: 19.0% (20.5% in 2000 -- this was the .com bubble that the balanced budget)

Bush II
- Federal Spending: 19.6%
- Tax Receipts: 17.6%

Obama
- Federal Spending: 24.4%
- Tax Receipts: 15.4%

As much as I dislike George W Bush, the numbers show that his spending and taxes were right at the post WWII average.  (I wanted lower spending and taxes.)

But, who is the real outlier here?  It's Barack Obama.  His average annual spending is 25% above the post WWII average (because of growing government transfer programs) and 13% below the historic average for revenue (because of the sluggish economy).

I am a total numbers guy. The numbers from the White House Office of Management and Budget paint a very clear picture.  Government spending is the problem.

This is called real math.