DON'T BUY A PIG IN POKE--NO MORE ACCEPTANCE OF ILLUSORY PROMISES FROM DEMOCRATS

Republicans are about to buy "a pig in a poke" based upon an illusory promise by Democrats to agree to cut spending over 10 years in the future in exchange for a huge raise in the debt ceiling now.  According to one online dictionary of idioms, a "pig in a poke" is "something acquired without inspection and which may therefore be worthless." 

Another online dictionary states that an illusory promise is: "A statement that appears to assure a performance and form a contract but, when scrutinized, leaves to the speaker the choice of performance or non-performance, which means that the speaker does not legally bind himself or herself to act." 

The Boehner bill is up for approval today by the House of Representatives.  In exchange for an immediate $900 billion raise in the debt ceiling, there is a promise by the Democrooks to reduce the debt by $850 Billion over 10 years.  (This is subject to pending revisions by Boehner to meet Congressional Budget Office criticisms.)  For a "quick and dirty" summary of the Boehner bill go here.

We've already seen how worthless Democrat promises of compromise have been in the past 40 years.  In the last Congress, the rule of thumb was that Democrats ran roughshod over Republicans and resorted to bribery and corruption to pass unwanted legislation like ObamaCare.  But with the Boehner Bill, our spendthrift President gets to spend a trillion dollars now in exchange for illusory cuts in the budget that might not happen over the next 10 years. 

Why does Obama get all of his debt ceiling raise at once and the American people have to wait for spending cuts dribbled out over 10 years?  Take a chance Republicans.  It's doubtful that the major credit agencies will downgrade the U.S. credit rating on August 2.  Too many nations are holding a bag U.S. financial paper.  No one wants a worldwide financial disaster over the Adolescent-in-Chief's bluff and irresponsibilty. 

Obama and the Democrats are the ultimate criminal syndicate with their lies and theft of public taxpayer funds.  It's time to stop these gangsters--NOW!  Take Obama's stolen credit card away.  Save America!

MEH, THE NFL IS BACK.



At a time when unemployment is running over 9% (17% actual if you count the underemployed and those that have given up looking for work); football players and team owners were, until yesterday, haggling over the split of the $9 billion in revenue that the NFL generates annually.  To the average unemployed individual it seemed to be a rather petty dispute between callous millionaires and billionaires. 

In San Diego, the wealthy Spanos family is still trying to find a way to have the taxpayers subsidize a new stadium with taxpayer cash and city land for their Chargers business.  Their quest has been made more difficult by Governor Jerry "Retread" Brown's impound of all local community redevelopment funds to help satisfy the Sacramento's insatiable appetite for spending.  Unless an owner builds his or her own stadium or the team is located in a prosperous state like Texas, it will be at least ten years before any sports stadium is financed with public funds. 

All this brings to mind the real purpose of local government, which is to provide basic municipal services like streets, fire protection, police, and infrastructure.  Local governments are not venture capital banks.  Few politicians have the requisite skills to run a simple lemonade stand.   And truth be told, most politicians have no real marketable job skills.  Elective office is often the best job that most of them will ever have.  And the NFL owners are just another bunch of potential campaign contributors that, with a well placed contribution might benefit financially using other people's money, i.e., taxpayer money. 

Keep your eye on the bouncing ball!

I loved the game when it was common for players to take "real jobs" in the off season.  That was in the Golden Age of Pro Football in the 1960s.  A couple of players worked at the department store where I worked at as a sales clerk forty years ago.  Other players sold cars, insurance, houses or worked at banks.  They were for the most part regular guys and not the prima donnas of today's game.  The game lost its luster for me when the NFL reinstated Michael Vick, dog torturer and gambling ring impresario. 

Nobody denies that Michael Vick has a right to make a living, but there are some misdeeds that should foreclose one from making a living in certain professions.  Thieves rarely get to work at banks or any job that requires honesty.  The animal cruelty aside, running a gambling ring should be evidence of a character flaw that is incompatible with the so-called integrity of the NFL.

No doubt I'll watch a couple of football games this year.  But it just doesn't have the same magic that it held for me many years ago when I was able to eat my tuna sandwich next to a real NFL player in the store lunchroom.



They don't make them like that anymore--

the 32 cent postage stamp OR Jim Thorpe.