This and That

Here's a random sampling of the latest political and
economic news for your perusal and enjoyment, my
fabulous readers:

Elitism grips Congress; Congressional lawmakers and
their aides will, for the foreseeable future, continue to
have nearly all of their health care costs paid for by the
taxpayers, while exempting themselves from Obamacare
(the Affordable Health Care Act). This means that not
only will the members of Congress continue to receive
out-of-this-world health care coverage paid for by you
and I, but we lowly peasants will have to purchase and
pay through the nose for inefficient and costly coverage
for ourselves as mandated by Obama's health care scheme.
We thus get a double shafting! Thus far congressional
Republicans have yet to do the one sure-fire thing needed
to do away with Obama's scam, and that is to stop all
funding for this nightmare. What's keeping them? And,
dare your favorite Peasant ask, how many GOP members
of Congress have voted for exempting themselves from
going on Obamacare? We deserve some honest answers
to these questions!

President Obama claims that his policies are helping to
create many new jobs across the country; indeed this is
so. However, what he is conveniently not telling us is
that they are nearly all part-time jobs. That's right, out of
the 935,000 jobs created so far in 2013, 731,000 are jobs
with less than 30 working hours per week. Obamacare is
a big factor in this, as one of its stipulations is that employers
will have to spend a certain set amount of money for health
care coverage for their full-time staff. They are getting
around this rule by cutting back work hours for many of
their employees, mainly hourly wage earners. Now, many
workers will have to work a second, some even a third, job
just to stay in place from an economic standpoint, not
including health care and retirement benefits. But at the rate
in which many other jobs are dying out because of the sickly
economy, lots of luck trying to find any extra jobs! One way
or another, Obama and his pals are going to get us, and get us
good, unless the Republicans get their act together and do
what we elected them to do.

Apparently, many of Obama's fellow Dems and Dem constitu-
ets are not all that keen on Obamacare anymore, now that they
have had a chance to see just what's in it. Soon to be retiring
U.S. Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) called its implementation "a
train wreck". Many labor union chieftains are, like Congress,
not fond of the idea of giving up their Cadillac health care
coverage plans for the clunkier Obama package. But are these
union stalwarts demanding that Obamacare be scrapped and a
new plan created in its place? They instead are demanding that
they, too, be exempted like Congress from participating! They
are in effect saying "Make the rest of the country go on the
plan, leave us and our incredibly cushy health plans alone!"
Don't you just LOVE the way that unions stick up for the
regular folk, the Joe and Jane Paycheck lot? All of this looks
like Obama is getting more blowback than he thought he'd
face on his national health care scam, and that its ultimate
implementation is not a given after all.

At Central Missouri University, the College Republicans were
turned away from a speech by President Obama, even though
they had tickets for admission. The campus organizers for the
event denied entry to any students wearing "Tea Party" or other
patriotically-themed clothing, citing (your amused Peasant will
try hard not to break out in laughter here!) "security concerns".
Well, naturally, the organizers of this wingding wanted to secure
the Great and Powerful Obama's feelings from being hurt by the
sight of upstart right-wing peasants from even quietly voicing
their political disagreements with His Nibs. Can't have The
Great One in a funk, now, can they? Remember when the buttons
proclaiming "Question Authority!" were ubiquitous during the
George W. Bush years? They disappeared as soon as Obama first
won election to the White House in 2008, and have not resurfaced
since. Apparently that message only applies when there is a
Republican president.

More bad news about Detroit: As this piece is being typed, Detroit
owes money to over 100,000 creditors. That figure is about one-
ninth of the Motor City's current population figure, which is still
dropping like a stone in a lake. At least there's affordable housing
aplenty there; many houses in Detroit are currently on sale for $500
OR LESS (emphasis mine)! About one-third of the city's 140 square
miles are either vacant or derelict. 40% of Detroit's street lights
do not work. The murder rate is 11 times higher than that of New
York City, and police solve less than 10% of Detroit's crimes these
days.Crime has gotten so bad in Detroit that the police are telling
people to "enter Detroit at your own risk". Your loyal Peasant is
neither that bold, nor that foolhardy!

Elliot Spitzer, the disgraced former New York Governor (Love
Client #9) announced his candidacy for New York City Controller
in July. His opponent? Kristin Davis, the "madam" who supplied
the ex-gov with call girls when he was governor! You just can't
make this stuff up! They will be joined on the ballot by the disgraced
ex-U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner, who is running for Mayor of the
Big Apple. And on this blog we discussed the troubles that this
guy has seen! Perhaps someone should wrap New York City's
politics and politicians in a plain brown wrapper!

Few mainstream, or maybe your bemused Peasant should say
"lamestream" media outlets made mention of the over 100 demon-
strations nationwide that occurred on July 4 protesting the NSA's
snooping on Americans, especially those who are not enamored
with the Almighty Obama. The "Restoring the Fourth" demonstra-
tions sought to restore fourth amendment protections against
"illegal search and seizure", and that surveillance methods should
be "constitutional, limited, and clearly defined." No fishing
expeditions! The gatherings ranged in size from several dozen to
several thousand people, as the demonstration in New York's
Union Square had. Is there any doubt anymore about the bias
of our media? The watchdog for the public interest is not asleep,
it has been co-opted.

Have a great week everybody!


MEM