Fiorina also bucked the populist tide against lavish corporate salaries by denouncing President Obama’s effort to cap annual pay at $500,000 for leaders of banks taking federal bailout money.

Now this is hypocrisy.  “When somebody makes $40 million a year for failure, we cannot defend that,” Fiorina said. “On the other hand, I believe the solution should be, every CEO‘s pay should be put up for shareholder vote each and every year. Let the shareholders decide.”  This quote was in the Los Angeles Times.

N
n00b Newbie
N1 Nice one
NBD

Z
ZZZZ Sleeping (or bored)

Good luck !!

Earmarks in government are the add-on items by representatives and senators for the projects they want in their district or state.  The President’s Office of Management and Budget has defined this term in similar words.  Let’s face it, some of these expenditure are payments to election contributors, some are fanciful programs that a representative thinks will improve his chances for re-election, and some are just plain payoffs for bribes.  There are also some really good programs that need federal support because the cost is too high for local governments to afford.

Examples of worthwhile earmarks are pubic transportation systems, museums, parks, and airport improvements.  To make these expenditures acceptable they are called infrastructure allocations.  Rebuilding the I35 bridge near Minneapolis or the Oakland Bay Bridge over San Francisco Bay would be examples of infrastructure projects that most people would support.

 As best as I can determine earmarks amount to 1 to 2 percent of the Federal budget.  Listening to John McCain during the campaign you probably thought they were a major part of government payouts.  They do attract lots of attention.  They are a wonderful diversion from real issues.    

What a shock!  We need lots of money to run for political office but the people with the money want to be rewarded for their contributions!  The funniest part of this system of American politics is that most people are surprised by all of this.

It’s really a bribe.  We call it Pay to Play because it sounds so much nicer.  New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson is just one of many who have been accused of participating in this activity.  Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is being charged with trying to sell a senate seat.  The former mayor of Los Angeles was accused of Pay to Play activities in his run for office and his campaign to keep the San Fernando Valley from separating from the city.  These three people have not been found guilty of any crime.

When it’s a crime then it’s usually called a bribe.   Randy “Duke” Cunningham, the former congressman from the 50th Congressional District for California was found guilty of taking $2.4 million in bribes. Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska was found guilty of failing to report gifts that most of us would call bribes.  Massachusetts State Senator Diane Wilkerson and Louisiana Congressman William Jefferson are two others being charged with accepting bribes.

Campaigns are won with lots of money.  The process goes something like this. “If you will donate money to my campaign I might be able to help you with a city contract.”  Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California has been accused of supporting business interests that supported his campaign.  This is no surprise to me.  It has always been this way.  It’s the American way!
Posted in Uncategorized ]]> http://onlanguage.wordpress.com/2009/01/04/pay-to-play/feed/ 0 coastcontact http://onlanguage.wordpress.com/2008/12/31/cynical/ http://onlanguage.wordpress.com/2008/12/31/cynical/#comments Wed, 31 Dec 2008 06:06:58 +0000 coastcontact http://onlanguage.wordpress.com/?p=59 Continue reading →]]> Many of us are suspicious of the motives of other people.  This is particularly true about our view of politicians. Many of us tend to believe that our boss, entertainers, and most politicians have an ulterior motive for their decisions and their words.  In many cases that is true.  When I call you cynical I believe you are on of those suspicious people.

We have every reason to be cynical.  So many people have lied to us about many things.  After all former president Bill Clinton said, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms Lewinsky.”  By most interpretations the president lied.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich of Illinois appointed former state Attorney General Roland Burris to Barack Obama’s former Senate seat and wants everyone to believe that he has no special motive in that selection.

 
The Big Three auto makers have asked the U.S. government for a bailout loan of $34 million.  They are having a difficult time competing with foreign cars manufacturers.  We ought to be cynical about their ability to resolve their competitive issues without asking for more money.  I am most definitely suspicious about their performance.  Weren’t the CEO of those companies acting cynically (a synonym for contemptuous) when they flew to Washington in separate private jets?

 I hold a cynical view of entertainers who appear on the tabloid television shows like “Access Hollywood” and “Entertainment Tonight” and plead for their privacy.  If they really want to keep their lives private they would by not appear on those shows.  There are many who rarely or never appear.  Paris Hilton clearly wanted publicity. 

Should we be cynical of most people because we think they have an objective in doing what they do?  No!  There are some people who do for others simply because they feel a moral imperative or they are just plain kind.

A ponzi scheme has also been called a pyramid scheme.  In fact the first item I see when Googling the words ponzi scheme are “pyramid scheme.” The most prevalent that I am familiar with are the multi-level marketing businesses.  Those entering at the top floor convince their friends to buy in to the sales plan. They buy “sales kits” that are filled with product.  Those friends then sell their friends to buy in to the sales plan.  This process goes on and on.  Each person receives a commission for everyone in his network that sells participation.  The problem is that there is very little selling of product outside of the group who keep buying into the sales plan.  Eventually these schemes run out of friends.  Those people at or near the bottom earn relatively little but those at the top of the pyramid have “earned” significant commissions.

It has been suggested that Bernard Madoff really did not hold investments that earned 10-12% per year.  I personally do not believe that those kinds of earning are possible on a continuing basis.  Mr. Madoff is accused of paying his clients that return from new money that was invested in his firm.  The scheme worked well as long as redemptions were low and more investors were added to the list of clients.  Declining stock values brought a wave of redemptions that his company was unable to fulfill.  The SIPC and the Securities and Exchange Commission obviously did not monitor the Madoff investment company.  This will likely cost the government significant money.

“There’s a sucker born every minute” is an expression that was attributed to P. T. Barnum.  Whether he did way those words I do not know.  ‘A fool and his money are soon parted ‘is an idiom from an unknown source that is probably the definition of someone that falls for a ponzi scheme.

With 300 million people in America it’s easy to find blame.  What is hard to do is know whether we are personally part of the problem.  It’s not just the current economic crisis that needs a scapegoat.  We could blame all our problems on someone else.

My Dad, may he rest in peace, blamed much of his lack of success in his career on others.  His contention was that he was discriminated against because of his religion.  Many Blacks in America blame their plight on discrimination by White people. 

There are ads on radio and television that tell you that you are not to blame for you excessive credit card debt. “It’s not you fault” is what they say.  Well if that debt was caused by being out of work or serious medical bills the ad is correct.  However running up a $40,000 debt as the result of a buying spree is your fault.  Yes, $40,000 was spent by my daughter’s friend who makes herself happy by going shopping.

Government is not a solution to our problem, government is the problem.” The words of Ronald Reagan.  He was using the government as the scapegoat.  President Reagan was the great communicator.  It was a great rallying cry.  He was wrong!

Item 3. below was edited to provide a clearer understanding.

–

This is a commonly used word when politicians and talk show hosts want cast opponents in the worst possible light.  Most recently it has been used against Sarah Palin.  Blogs like this are very hurtful and are rarely repeated by the mainstream media: “Did Sarah Palin REALLY call Barack Obama “Sambo”?”  No wonder, most of these postings are filled with innuendo and have no basis in fact or are serious distortions.

You may ask, Will I know a bigot when I see one?  I have known too many bigots in my life.  One is really too many.  I am Jewish and Jews are subjected to bigotry.  I will re-tell you about a few events I witnessed or was the victim.  There are many more than the four listed below.

1. It was 1949 and I was 10 years old.  My parents bought a home in an all White neighborhood in Los Angeles.  At that time all neighborhoods were segregated. The seller, an army colonel, told my father, “You understand that you are not to sell this house to a Nigra.”  I remember those words as if they were spoken yesterday.  “Nigra” is a polite word for “Nigger.”  My father’s face turned paper white.  In a very low voice he responded “Yes.”  I wish he had said “No” and not bought that house.
2. When I was applying for a job at a major aerospace company the interviewer simply asked, “Are you Jewish?”  Surprise! I did not get that job.  Well it was no surprise to me.
3. As a stock room supervisor at a major manufacturer, in a discussion with a company salesman about Thanksgiving, he asked “Do Jews celebrate Thanksgiving?”  My response was “What, aren’t I an American?  What does my religion have to do with celebrating Thanksgiving?” I almost hit him in the face.  I did tell that man to leave the area and never return.
4. The best man at my wedding was not Jewish.  I selected him because we got along so very well.  I met the man in college. We shared an apartment for six months after graduation.  We got together at least once every week.  We shared the trials and tribulations of life.  About 20 years later he started making disparaging remarks about many minorities including Mexicans and Blacks.  I told him that he should stop those remarks on many occasions.  It went on for ten years and then one day he started a barrage of remarks about every minority group.  I asked him his view of Jews and it was all those things you have read and heard.  I told him he was a bigot.  I emailed him the definition of a bigot.  Of course he denied my accusations.  I have not spoken to him since.  To stop a friendship of 30 years was excruciatingly  difficult.

From Webster’s New World Dictionary

1  a person who holds blindly and intolerantly to a particular creed, opinion, etc.

2  a narrow-minded, prejudiced person

From The American Heritage Dictionary

One who is strongly partial to one’s own group, religion, race, or politics and is intolerant of those who differ.

If we aren’t wealthy many of us want others to think we are.  Some years ago an acquaintance of mine suggested I buy a Thunderbird because I would be “as good as anybody else.”  I didn’t so I guess I failed that test.

I have known a few people who seem to be happy with less worldly goods and are focused on just having a good time.  The problem is that having a good time costs money and you have to be somewhat wealthy to do that.  I have a feeling that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is one of those people.  She seems to be happy with Moose burgers and hunting and fishing in the wilds of Alaska. 

There are many people who feel wealthy just because they are healthy.  I will have to settle for that.  Oh yes, I do have this old computer that enables me to write this blog.  I feel wealthy for this.  “Count your blessings instead of sheep and you’ll fall asleep counting your blessings.”

The basic theme was the same in every one of those TV shows and movies.  It was the good guys against the bad guys.  Every issue was solved by using a gun.  There were no negotiations, no discussion, and no persuasion (except through the use of a gun).  It was the people who could shoot faster and straighter than the others who would win the fight.  Somehow the good guys always won in the end.

“Canadian Bat Masterson was one of the most feared and respected “Shooters” of the Old West. He employed a cross-draw pull, and his skill with a hand gun was such that everyone kept theirs holstered with Masterson around.”   

“You’re either with us or you’re agin us” was a common line in those old movies.  It sounds a lot like George W. Bush‘s remark, “You’re either with us or you’re with the terrorists.”  It sounded tough and was meant to rally Americans and it did.

No doubt there are people who do not understand anything but force. Perhaps Vladimir Putin is one of them.  We should talk first.  Talking is not appeasement.  If the occasion has come to make that decision then the next president of the United States will have a difficult time in office.