Census Schmensus

If you haven't filled out the Census for reasons that include mistrusting the government, please consider trashing the form. I live in a Blue State. Because of irresponsible politics, we pay high welfare costs for Red State residents who makes lower salaries than we do. If those of you in a Red State destroy your Census form, that will mean one, two or more fewer people who might be able to get more money out of me sometime in the future. Go for it.

If you reside in a Blue State, and you resist providing stats for the Census, you're probably a Tea Partier, Libertarian or Republican. The fewer of you counted for representation in state and federal government, the better. No need to get out your guns to harass a Census worker, as threatened by CNN spouter Erik Erikson. Just don't answer the door. Of course, I can't say what happens to those who don't fill out the form. I mailed mine in two weeks ago so I'm not concerned. Still, I hope there's a way you can legally figure out how to keep from doing what the big, bad U.S. government asks of you.

That said, I want you to know how much I respect you for refusing any government assistance of any kind, be it Social Security, Mediare, Medicaid, VA benefits, FHA home loan, etc. More power to you because it will leave more for me in the future. You also might want to stay off the public highways because you won't be counted toward future needs in that area either, consequently depriving your area from road repairs and installations. More for me and my Blue State. Hey, this hating the government stuff could be good for me in many areas. Thank you.

Easy Money: Limited Government

Just heard the Republican response to President Obama's State of the Union speech. Governor McDonnell of Virginia again pushed the Republican mantra of limited government, running away from big government, whether it's state or federal.

I agree with McDonnell. And I think the first place to start with limiting government is to eliminate the governorship of Virginia. Any politician pushing for limiting and eliminating government should look no further than his own office to delete from the political landscape. None of the governors -- or congressmen, for that matter -- is necessary. Who would miss any of them, either party?

What a great way to cut the budgets of state and federal government. In my state, the small legislature meets only every other year. We think that's enough for them to do harm to us. If they didn't show up for their jobs, we'd all be better off.

You've only been in office 11 days, Gov. McDonnell, but that's enough. See ya.

Civil Disobedience

Bailout BS is right.

Thoreau wrote:

All machines have their friction; and possibly this does enough good to counter-balance the evil. At any rate, it is a great evil to make a stir about it. But when the friction comes to have its machine, and oppression and robbery are organized, I say, let us not have such a machine any longer.

Washington is saying to itself, "Kick this GM CEO out because he hasn't turned his sorry corporation around." In an economy like this, who has?! One of the pundits this morning called him the sacrificial lamb; that's exactly what he is, and I'm sure he knows it.

Imagine if we could use this method on the politicians in office. "You haven't turned this sorry problem around, so you're out -- starting MONDAY."

The foreclosure rate has spiked yet again, layoffs are continuing unabated, and even a cursory glance of the classifieds or the online job listings reveals in seconds that practically nobody is actually hiring. Public anger is profound and seemingly intractable.

In Civil Disobedience, the author also wisely noted the following:

I meet this American government, or its representative, the State government, directly, and face to face, once a year -- no more -- in the person of its tax-gatherer; this is the only mode in which a man situated as I am necessarily meets it.

Imagine the joy of being able to live out a year of one's life and having to interact with the State only once -- at tax time! Of course, things have sure changed since Thoreau's era. Our days are chock-a-block with dull, frustrating, unjust interaction with the long tentacles of the government. Just now, we're losing our jobs in droves, losing our homes, losing the money we've been saving for retirement. And what are they using our taxes for? A growing number of private-sector companies to stay in business -- regardless of whether we have any direct business with those companies or not. I don't want an American car. I haven't driven an American car since the first car I ever drove (a Buick Skylark). I just don't want a car from GM, or Ford, or Chrysler. It's my choice because it's my money. And I don't want to be forced to prop up, with my money, another company. That goes for all the government subsidies and corporate welfare plans of the past fifty years or more, too.

I'm just about inclined to do what I think Thoreau recommended: Stop paying taxes. As he discovered, the friction has overtaken the machine, and the mechanism is utterly out of control.

Bailout BS

Clive, I don't understand. The latest news about all of these bailouts is that GM's CEO Rick Wagoner is resigning as part of an agreement for the government (taxpayers) to give the car company even more billions. What will his resignation accomplish? Surely, this one man didn't cause all of the problems and a new CEO can't come up with the solutions needed to keep them in business. No matter who's in charge, GM will be back for more billions as long as anyone is willing to hand them out.

Now, Clive, I'm not an expert in economics, but there's something really slimy and disgusting about all of these bailouts. I can't believe that continuing to provide welfare for corporations will help the rest of us and not just the chosen few. We've been doing that for decades and look where we are now. What's your take on all of this?

Cash and Carry

Neel Kashkari, Geithner's assistant at Treasury, is a Bush holdover and former Goldman Sachs honcho. As No. 2 man in the money department, he's in charge of handing out cash to the already rich via the so-called bank rescue plan that buys up toxic assets. Yes, he must check with Obama or Geithner before he sends the pallets of money to Wall Street. Still, I think Kashkari should be fired even before Geithner. Why? He's not doing the job for which he was hired.

Kashkari's sole requirement these days is to come up with solutions to myriad money problems and what does he do? Nothing other than give out cash (bailouts) to banks -- and his Wall Street friends -- to do with as they wish. What kind of intellect and experience does it take to underperform in such a way? I'll hand out cash for half of his salary, only $100,000 a year. I could call in the trucks to pick up the bucks. I even know someone at UPS so I might get discounts. President Obama, call me.