Who won?

        Well the first presidential debate is history and now the question is WHO WON? If you ask me it was like watching Dancing With The Stars. There was a lot of fancy foot work going on. Both candidates showed their expertise on doing the Hustle and the Minute Waltz when questioned about the bail out.

       On foreign policy the candidates resorted to the Obama Mambo and the MC Cain Two Step.Step 1, Obama was accused of not admitting the surge was working and Obama stating the war was wrong from the beginning.Step 2, McCain stated that Obama was willing to sit down and talk with terrorist supporting countries like Iran and Obama stated that not talking to these countries hasn't worked for the last 8 years and that terrorist groups have gotten stronger.

     In the end neither candidate said anything new and when it came to doing the Jerk I'd say it was a tie.

             

IT'S ONLY MONEY, RIGHT?

        About a year ago I wrote a letter to the Journal about voters approving bond issues and that they contribute to the financial problems of the state. Well the other day I received my handy dandy Voters Information Handbook, as many of you did, and last  night I got a look at it. I couldn't believe what I was reading. The transportation bond, $86,866,140 interest $64,610, 579. That's not all hold on Cost of issuance 348,860, interest $259,444. TOTAL, Principle $87,215,000, interest $64,861,023, Total cost,$152,076,023.

         Even with matching federal fund we only come out about $20,000,000 ahead but we pay for this thing for the next 20 years. I f you think about it We're paying $152,076,023 to get $20,000,000. MAKE SENSE TO ME.

        Now lets see where the money will go. $80,000,000 will be used to match federal highway funds to provide direct funding for improvements to the state highways,rods and bridges. These improvements better be good because we'll be paying for them for the next 20 years.

       $3,570,000 will be used to match AVAILABLE matching funds to provide funding for a commuter rail and $2,645,000 will be used purchase new buses or to rehabilitate existing buses.

        If you read down there is a section titled USEFUL LIFE. Here is the kicker. The Dept of transportation estimates that the useful life of these improvements is 10 to 30 years which means we probably be voting on an other Bond before this one is paid for to do the some of the same improvements. The commuter rail use full life is 20 to 30 years, not much better.

       Here's the real kicker, they want over $7,000,000, That's if they get matching funds to fix or buy buses who's useful life is only 10 to 12 years which we'll be paying for for 20 years. This means we'll still be paying for these buses even after they've been scraped and turned into soup cans. Makes sense to me.

       The other they want is for open space and recreational development. ONLY $2,500.000 for which we'll pay, when all is said an done, only $4,359,000 BUT WHAT THE HELL IT'S ONLY MONEY, RIGHT?       

A real hero

         Well it's that time again. I haven't written about the medal of honor winner in awhile but seeing as the Republican party are calling their guy a hero I thought I'd remind you of what a real hero is. His name was SGT PAUL RAY SMITH. He died at Bagdad Airport in 2000 when he jumped on top of a tank and used the machine gun to cover the men so they could get to safety. He lost his life doing this. His son accepted the medal of honor for him in April of 2003. He was a hero, all though he has been forgotten.   

NOT SURPRISED

        Plan makes it worse. was the title of my letter to the editor on May 6Th so I wasn't surprised to see the article in this mornings Journal, Sept 22nd, in fact I kind of expected it, about the states pension system Looking at ways to stop costs from soaring. In my letter I stated where's the savings, forcing state workers into retirement? The governor was just shifting the burden.

       Did the Governor realize that a reduction in the work force of  3500, which was expected by changing the requirements to retire and layoffs, would mean a reduction of $750,000 a month to the pension system if each paid only a hundred dollars bi weekly.    

       Was this part of the governors plan to force a change to the retirement system? Was reducing the state work force part of his plan to privatize? I think so but who suffers? Everyone, from the guy who waits in line at the registry for hours because they are short handed to the patients at the state hospitals.Congratulations Governor, your plan is working. 

      

      

        

Look who crying now

         Well look who crying for the government to step in an fix the financial problems. You got it, the same people who want government to stay out of their business. they don't want government setting regulations on how they can run their business but now the greedy bastards want trillions of dollars to straighten out the mess they created and who going to pay? That's right the same people that pay 20% interest on their credit cards. The same people who's home are in forclouser, that's who.

        While people are loosing their homes the CEO's of these companies are getting millions. Where's the justice? I guess it's the good old American way, the rich get rich and the poor get poorer.

       I am so tired of hearing these presidential candidates putting out the same old crap that we get every election like we're a bunch of MORON BOBBLE HEAD DOLLS, shaking our head believing everything they say and then they play the who said what like don't pick on Palin because she's a woman with her thanks but no thanks to the bridge to nowhere but we'll keep the money-anyways game, which is what it really is. A game to get people so disgusted in the whole election process that they won't vote which makes it easier for them to elected. 

      When are we the people of the United State going to tell these politicians We're not as dumb as you think we are, then maybe again we are cause we keep electing these same people who think we're as dumb as a rock. Of course if you ask anyone after the election nobody voted for the guy or they won't admit to it cause they don't want people to think their as dumb as the politicians think they are.

Job application

        How stupid are we or how stupid do they think we are is a better question. I don't know about you but I am getting tired of both political parties insulting my intelligence with their attempts to draw our attention attention away from the real issues with ridiculous things like Obama's statement about putting lipstick on a pig. Why would anyone think he was talking about Governor Palin? I would think it was more of an insult to the pigs of America.

        Both candidates got up at their conventions and promised us every thing from health care to wining the war on terror, the old apple pie in the sky speeches that we've been listening to for years but they never tell us how they will fulfill these promises. The one  thing these candidates are afraid of is a direct question. When asked they talk at length all around the question but never actually answer the question but they think we are stupid enough to think they did. Maybe what we need is a questioneer they have to fill out and answer these direct questions in writing and then put their name on it and be held accountable. You know an application for the job of president of the United States where they can list their qualifications. 

       

                                            

                                              

                                               

                                             

                                             

Go look

               Ever wonder where old shoes go when they're worn out, out of style or just not used any more because they have been replaced by a new and improved pair. Yesterday while moving our bed across the hall to my late mother in laws place I discovered about 20 pairs of shoes under the bed.Some of which I haven't seen in years.

              I wonder how they got there. Maybe they where the cause of some of those strange noises I heard in the middle of the night. You know the little thump, the sound of foot steps that I thought was  the kids coming in late might have been that old pair of sneakers that just seem to disappear. You know the ones you thought my wife threw out. 

            I bet if you go look you'll find that pair of Disco boots or that old pair of sandals you wore back when your hair was much longer. You may even find that old worn out pair of running shoes that will bring back memories of that mid age crisis.

            Yea, little did you know all those memories were hidden under your bed waiting to be discovered. Go look you might be pleasantly surprised.

            

OZ

           Well after listening to Mc Cain and Obama I'm convinced that the American people think that they live in the land of OZ. I mean here you have thousands of people at this convention all hollering and cheering while their presidential hopeful is promising things that he knows is impossible to achieve,yet the cheering goes on.

           Way back when in the land of OZ, a presidential hope full promised two cars in every garage a chicken in every pot. It took a while but it did come true and now we're at the point where the two cars and the house are being foreclosed on an the chicken turned into Mac and Cheese but our presidential hopefuls keep promising the same old things like health care, education, cheep energy,prosperity and victory in the war on terror, a relatively new promise add after President Bush took control.

          Just once I would like to hear a presidential hopeful get up and say My fellow Americans, our country is in a world S!#@% and I haven't got a clue on what to do about it but I'm willing to take the job anyways. Tell the truth for once. If he(or she) does good and things get better he'll be a hero and if things get worse, if that's possible, we'll know he was telling the truth about not having a clue. At least he was honest.  

          Anyways back in the world of OZ where we have about 8 weeks to make up our minds on who will become the Great Wizard who will live in the great castle and grant our every wish and like in the land of OZ we the little people have become dependent on the Great Wizard for our every need.Unlike OZ we have yet to discover that the solution to our problems lies not in the wizard but in the people who live in OZ . 

40 years makes a big difference

        What a  difference 40 years makes. Here we have John Mc Cain running for president and considered a war hero by some of the same people who would have called him a baby killer back in the sixties. Being a prisoner of war turned him from what a lot Vietnam vets were called,baby killers, to a hero when he was released at the end of the war.

       During the last election John Kerry was attacked by the swift boat people saying his boat fired into villages killing Innocent women and children but at the same time their hero John Mc Cain was attacking them from the air. Lucky for him, he got shot down so instead of becoming an admiral like his father and grand father he may become president.