"Federal money?"

Tina Griego's column in today's Denver Post, Poverty task force a study in dedication, shows how easily all of us have bought into the government scam.

She writes

[Colorado state Representative Ken] Summers intends to sponsor a bill seeking greater outreach to people who are eligible for food stamps but not receiving them. It would encourage partnerships with nonprofits in order to draw down federal money.

What is "federal money?" It is money taken from you, sent to Washington where they take a cut to pay themselves, then sent back to you.

"Federal money" is your money.

The scam is that the government has convinced us that it is their money.

We can just print more money

From today's Denver Post

Recovery Act job-creation math doesn't add up in Colorado

The federal government reported Friday that Colorado created or saved 8,094 jobs through grants, loans and contracts funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Problem is, the figure is wrong, according to an analysis of recovery.gov data by The Denver Post.

For example,

Although a Colorado Springs Head Start program reported it had created or preserved 269 jobs, the real number was three, according to an interview with a program manager.

But do not worry. Those figures on the cost of nationalized health care are sure to be accurate.

Furthermore,

. . . figures for stimulus awards in Colorado, as with an earlier data release, are inconsistent, inaccurate or incomplete so far.

But do not worry. The data in your medical records under nationalized health care will be fine.

"You've got compliance issues and you have data-quality issues," said Michael Balsam, an executive with Onvia, a Seattle company tracking stimulus spending.

But do not worry. These issues of basic competence will not affect nationalized health care.

None of this matters, however, because there is an upside!

Some economists and researchers said the government deserves credit for passing the stimulus package, no matter what numbers eventually are documented.

"We're down 100,000 jobs compared to a year ago, so if this effort has done anything to save some jobs, to keep some people working, that's good, that's the upside," said Gary Horvath, marketing analyst at the Colorado Leeds School of Business.

Mr. Horvath now carries the banner for the fine academic tradition of the University of Colorado most recently carried by Ward Churchill.

Mr. Horvath uses the "if it saves just one person, it's all worth it" logic. This line of thought results in the conclusion, reached here by Horvath, is that no matter the cost, if ANY good arises, then it was money well spent.

So, when the Pentagon buys a $5 hammer for $1000, there is an upside. The Pentagon got its hammer.

And we get nailed.

On risky Wall Street investments

Most people should not attempt walking across a high-wire.

However, if a net is placed under the high-wire, the downside to failure is almost nil.

Therefore, people will be more likely to try something they should not attempt and otherwise would not.

An example of corporatism

This Colorado statute is a perfect example of corporatism.

How much do you want to bet that who ever lobbied for this program had a fleet of old trucks ready to be retired; and was planning on buying a new fleet that qualifies for this government subsidy... er, I mean "qualifies to take this money out of your bank account."

-----------------------------------------------------------
C.R.S. 42-1-304. Green truck grant program - created.

(1) There is hereby created in the governor's energy office the green truck grant program to provide grants to qualified recipients for reductions in truck emissions and energy usage by:

(a)

(I) Reimbursements of twenty-five percent, not to exceed fifty thousand dollars to a qualified recipient, of the overall cost incurred by a qualified recipient in purchasing or installing fuel-efficient technologies and emission-control devices approved by the United States environmental protection agency's smartway transport partnership program, or any successor program, to reduce fuel consumption and emissions of greenhouse gases and other harmful air pollutants from trucks.
(II) The total of all reimbursements issued by the office to qualified recipients pursuant to subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (a) shall not exceed five hundred thousand dollars in a fiscal year.

(b)

(I) Providing grants of up to five thousand dollars per qualified recipient for the retirement and scrapping of a 1989 or older model year truck that is:

(A) Documented to have been in use for at least ten thousand miles during the calendar year preceding the qualified recipient's application for the grant; and
(B) Donated to an established auto parts recycler, as defined in section 42-4-2201 (1), or a scrap metal recycler, that operates pursuant to all laws, rules, and regulations of the state and the United States environmental protection agency regarding recycling.

(II) The total of all grants issued by the office to qualified recipients pursuant to subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (b) shall not exceed two hundred fifty thousand dollars in a fiscal year.

(2)

(a) The office shall administer the grant program and shall award reimbursements and grants as provided in this part 3. Reimbursements and grants shall be paid out of the green truck grant program fund created in section 42-1-305.
(b) The office shall adopt policies for the implementation of the green truck grant program. At a minimum, the policies shall specify the procedures for applying for a reimbursement or grant, the form of the reimbursement or grant application, and the information to be provided by the applicant.
(c) The office shall review each reimbursement or grant application received from a qualified recipient and shall make a determination as to whether the reimbursement or grant should be awarded and, subject to the limitations in paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (1) of this section, the amount of the reimbursement or grant. If the office determines an application is missing any information required to be included with the application, the office may contact the applicant to obtain the missing information.

(3) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit or restrict the ability of an auto parts recycler, as defined in section 42-4-2201 (1), from recycling any part of a scrapped vehicle for use as a replacement part.

Source: L. 2009: Entire part added, (HB 09-1298), ch. 417, p. 2315, § 3, effective June 4.

Obama Joker Face (Parody) video

Seriously. This is awesome. Put together by El Presidente y hermana.

I'm proud to know these people.

(And for those not on the cutting edge of popular culture like some of us, this is the pop song being parodied.)

Principles are Universal, not Convenient.

Justin Longo, Executive Director of the Libertarian Party of Colorado, nails it in this PeoplesPressCollective post: "Principles are Universal, not Convenient."

And where do subsidies come from?

The front page of today's Denver Post announces "City lands solar plant - The world's top maker of inverters will employ about 300 in Stapleton."

An accompanying chart lists the government subsidies that helped lure the company.

It reads: "SMA Solar Technology should receive about $3.6 million, possibly more, in incentives for locating its new manufacturing plant in Denver."

If the Post wished to be more accurate, it would read "SMA Solar Technology should receive about $3.6 million, possibly more, from your paycheck and others like you for locating its new manufacturing plant in Denver."

The hypocrisy of selective principles.

Many Colorado Republicans are against nationalized health care because they “don’t want the government coming between a patient and his doctor.”

But many of these same Colorado Republicans want MORE government regulation of medical marijuana to prevent doctors from prescribing that specific remedy.

It must be hard to keep principles straight when you really do not have any.

No Nugget Love from the Sports Guy

Bill Simmons is not confident in the 2009-10 Nuggets. He says every year in the NBA there is a "'Last Season Everything Went Right; This Season Everything Went Wrong' Team."

His best guess on who will fit this bill?

"Impossible to predict, but I'd guess the Nuggets here. Everything went right for them last year. That never happens twice."

In part two of the same column, Simmons had more to say on the Nuggets:

You don't want to ride the George Karl Train after a good year. He gets snippy, the players tire of him, bad things happen, he spends a lot of time standing on the sidelines with his hands in his pockets and that, "Look, I don't care anymore, if they want to go down in flames doing it their way, that's fine, I'll just stand over here" look on his face. Keep your guard up, Nuggets fans.

That's called the "nape" of the back? Who knew?

Bill Simmons, of ESPN.com, on women with low back tattoos:

[I]t seems to mean either, "I'm easy" or "I needed to figure out a way to fit in with the other women at the strip joint." Either way, red flag.

BlueCarp neither endorses nor encourages such demeaning, gross generalizations. But he does find them amusing.

Who'd a thunk it?

From Don Banks of Sports Illustrated:

With 11 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions through his first six games, it's getting tougher all the time to make the case that Jay Cutler has been a difference maker in Chicago.

At the very least, he's no Kyle Orton.

The hypocrisy of selective outrage.

Michelle Obama appeared on the Jay Leno show last night. Among other things, she revealed that the Obama dog had a nice birthday party:

"The Portuguese water dog feasted on a cake shaped like a dog house that was made out of veal."

Come on, lefties! Where is the outrage. We have homeless people eating dog food and the Obamas are feeding their dog veal.

Let's put these guys in charge of health care.

I just attempted to call the Arapahoe County Department of Human Services, Child Support Enforcement Services, on behalf of a client.

He had received a letter regarding child support he owed and a problem with his wage garnishment to pay that support. I was calling to discuss the issue.

The letter had a name and a number. I called the number and got a long recording telling me I could get the fax number, the address, information on a new $25 fee being assessed, information on the week's court docket, and how to invest in foreclosures and get rich. (Just joking about the last one).

Finally, I got an option to push 5 if I wanted to talk to a person. I pushed 5.

I got several minutes of elevator music. Then I got another option, telling me I could push 1 if I wanted to leave a voice mail. I was assured I would receive a call back.

I pushed 1. I then got a recording telling me "sorry, English voice mail is not available at this time." The next sound I heard was a "click." I had been disconnected by the government.

And some people can't understand why some of us don't want the government running health care.

Another anti-freedom Republican

The headline in the print edition of today's Denver Post is "AG: State needs rules."

The AG referenced is Republican Attorney General John Suthers. The rules he desires are for government regulation of medical marijuana in the state.

His call for government regulations demonstrates, once again, that very few Republicans actually believe in freedom.

If he believed in freedom, he would know that the only rules and regulations necessary are provided by the free market.

A stimulus plan that works: No corporate taxes.

Fortune 500 company DaVita is relocating from El Segundo, California, to Denver. According to the Denver Post article "Dialysis giant Davita zeroing in on Colorado site:"

Kent Thiry, DaVita's chief executive, has said metro Denver's central location, lower costs and desirability as a place to live factored into the company's decision.

A "necessary lubricant," Thiry said, is a new state income tax credit of 3.8 percent for up to five years to companies if they select Colorado over competitors and create at least 20 jobs.

An even more effective lubricant would be a state income tax credit of 100 percent for up to forever. Fewer taxes equal more jobs.

Leftists have mocked the Laffer Curve and what they derisively call "trickle down economics" for decades. When they do so, they demonstrate palpable ignorance. They might as well mock gravity. Indeed, they would, if it conflicted with their utopian vision of "fairness."

California's current state of economic disarray is a direct result of the implementation of leftist's utopian vision. Their belief that government employed social engineers are better equipped to fairly distribute the fruits of production is demonstrably wrong.

When confronted with the facts, the leftist will reply that the social engineers didn't quite get it right that time, but next time they will. Their faith in the government nearly surpasses the faith most Christians have in Jesus.

It only makes sense, then, that Obama is the left's Newest Messiah.

These guys are hungry.

The big hot dog stand in Bailey has been invaded by bears.

The bears are breaking into the stand's dumpsters at night. According to the Denver Post, the bears are getting ready to hibernate and need to "consume somewhere north of 20,000 calories a day before settling in."

This, of course, is akin to Cleveland Browns fans in the parking lot before kickoff.

Lech Walesa: Redneck racist.

According to the Associated Press

World leaders have reacted positively to Obama's Nobel in most cases, the committee said, with much of the criticism coming from the media and Obama's political rivals.

Perhaps. But Lech Walesa would not fall into either category. He said, "So soon? Too early. He has no contribution so far."

Walesa must be another racist, guntoting redneck. What other grounds exist for criticizing Obama?

The evils of capitalism.

The evil free market, along with the even more evil Wal-mart, are responsible for cheaper books.

Stop the Leviathan.

Aurora voters get to vote on whether or not their property taxes should be raised. Supporters of the measure say the money is necessary to keep libraries open.

This is not correct.

The government of Aurora has scapegoated libraries. The local government made a decision to cut library funding specifically because many have a visceral reaction to the thought of shuttering libraries. The government could have chosen some other, less glamorous government service to cut that no one would have really cared about.

Today's Denver Post's headline is simply wrong and falls for the very trap set by the pro-tax lobby.

The newsprint version reads "Aurorans' choice: Hike tax or shut 4 libraries." That is not the choice. The real choice Aurorans face is: "Hike tax or not."

It's the local government's job to decide what to do with the tax revenue it receives. They do not have to close those libraries.

For more, see Save Aurora Homes.

===========

Today's Denver Post article on Aurora ballot measure 4A, which would raise property taxes, includes this paragraph:

On a recent day, patrons at the Mission Viejo library were reading books, newspapers and searching the internet.

The article does not include this paragraph:

On a recent day, a 72 year old widow was sitting at her kitchen table, trying to figure out how to pay her electric bill on a fixed income.

If 4A passes, that widow's life becomes that much harder. But some kid will be able to surf the net.

That's your choice.

What's more effective?

Ted Pascoe is protesting the loss of funding for a homeless shelter he runs. No doubt, he does good work. He helps those that need it.

Tina Griego of the Denver Post writes about his protest in her Saturday column, "Call Pascoe's protest homelessness light." His protest includes living outside, as if her were homeless, for a month.

Instead of living outside for a month, I wonder how much money he could have raised making phone calls for a month and asking for donations.

Health Care Reform

Don't worry, the feds will pay for it.

Those that control the language control the debate.

For instance, in a Denver Post story today about health care reform, "Public option already in state," you find this:

"Turning CoverColorado into a true public option would require changes in state law and, most likely, a major infusion of federal dollars."

What are "federal dollars?" "Federal dollars" are taxes.

The sentence should read "turning CoverColorado into a true public option would require ... a major infusion of tax money."

The first sentence is Orwellian. The second sentence is true.

The idea might not be quite as popular once it is made clear that taxes are required to fund the program, and not just magical "federal dollars."

Memorial Service TBA

"Drinking the Kool-Aid"

"Thrown under the bus"

May we please put these two cliches out of their respective misery? Can we stab them with a wooden stake, shoot them with a silver bullet, cut off their heads, and never speak of them again?

Join me in this crusade. Don't utter these words. Mock those that do, especially those that get paid to communicate.

Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize. Next stop, sainthood?

The Nobel Committee has awarded U.S. President Barack Obama its formerly prestigious Peace Prize award.

Thorbjoern Jagland, head of the Nobel Committee, said the committee attached “special importance to Obama’s vision." Jagland continued: “Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world’s attention and given its people hope for a better future." *

The Committe said that it was no longer necessary to have actually accomplished anything, and that in the future, candidates' "vision"," "hope" and the ability to grab "attention" would be the most important considerations for the award.

Not to be outdone, the Vatican announced it was beginning the canonization process. "No, he hasn't actually done anything YET," Cardinal Antonio Sarducci said, "but, damn, he has so much charisma! And he's so handsome! We feel pretty strongly that the Pope will waive the 'three miracle' requirement and just kinda ignore that he's not dead yet. Why wait!" a gleeful Sarducci gushed.

* Actual quotes.

Unnecessary, redundant legislation

The U.S. House of Represenatives voted to extend federal "hate-crime" legislation to cover assaults based on the victim's sexual orientation.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi explained, “No American should ever have to suffer persecution or violence because of who they are."

It is not necessary to include the last five words in that statement. The first ten cover it.

Buck and Frazier can call in the dogs and put out the fires... the hunt is over.

The Republican power brokers in DC have spoken: The annointed Norton shall prevail. Buck and Frazier can take their feeble attempts to storm the castle and go home.

All independent and libertarian-minded Colorado Republicans can remain supplicant and accept the status quo or..... not.

It's up to you.

Health care and a basic misunderstanding of Christianity

Amanda Teresi (from the famous "Final Stimulus Package" video) has an excellent article in the Colorado Springs Gazette concerning free market health care reform, "Return to free market best hope for health insurance reform."

The comment section contains the usual pro-government, anti-freedom rants. It also contains an all too common misconception of Christianity.

A commenter wrote: "Even though many [free market believers] are Christians, and have read the Sermon on the Mount, and have read the parable of the Good Samaritan, THEY DO NOT CARE!!!"

As you might imagine, I responded thus:

I am a Christian. I am not trying to be a smart aleck, but didn't the Good Samaritan help the injured person himself? The Samaritan didn't lobby the ruling Roman government to force others to help the injured person.

There is moral value in one individual helping another. There is no moral value in forcing a third person to help the injured person.

Jesus told US to love our neighbor. He didn't say make your NEIGHBOR love your neighbor.

Too many of us Christians mistake government force for Christian charity. If we spent more time ministering to the needy and less time at Congress lobbying for the forcible imposition of Christianity (which of course makes no sense), the world would have far more Christians.

God is love. Government is force. Any attempt to use force to spread love is doomed to failure.

Hey, let's put THESE guys in charge of health care.

According to this CBS4 report, the federal government is insisting the owners of a local shop license their dog because he likes to sleep in the storefront window.

The United States Department of Agriculture's Animal Welfare Division says the dog "is an exhibit, like zoo or circus animals."

The dog's owner, and small businessperson, says, "I'm upset that our government resources are being wasted in this way."

We all are, sir, we all are.

Just wait until these soulless functionaries get to decide how to spend health care resources.

(A tip of the hat to Complete Colorado for the link. Complete Colorado is your single best stop for Colorado news.)

A Bridge Too Favre

(A brilliant, reclusive friend wrote this. I publish it here so it might get a broader reading. His name is Kevin Arnold. He's kind of an idiot savant. For those that don't get it, it was written shortly after Favre's performance on Monday night against his former team, the Green Bay Packers.)

"Brett, soft! What fight as yonder huddle breaks?
It is the NFC North, and Favre is Minnesota's Sun.
Arise, gunslinging son, and Kiln the envious Packers,
Who are already sick and pale as cheese,
That thou, their ex, art far more grizzled than they.
Be not their Legend, since they are envious;
Their vestal livery is but yellow and green (and occasionally cheese-shaped)
And none but fools do wear it; cast it off.
He is my Viking, O, Favre is my love!
O, that he knew he were!
He retires yet keeps playing; what of that?
His lies disingenuous; I will ignore them.
I am too bold, 'tis not me Brett teases.
For the Favrest stars in all ESPN,
In their sycophantic business, do entreat his lies
To twinkle in their sound bites with each return.
What if his lies were theirs, they in his Wranglers?
The grizzledness of his cheek would shame those TV stars,
As daylight doth a lamp; his tearful press conferences
Would through the airy primetime stream so bright
That Berman would sing and reference Three Dog Night!
See, how he leans grizzled cheek upon gunslinging hand!
O, that I were a football upon that hand,
That I might touch that grizzle!"

~ William Favrespeare, English Poet & Favrewright (1564-1616),
from Wrangleo and Truli-Brett, Act 2, Scene 2 (the lost, "Hey Dere" Folio. 3rd Ed.)

Hey, let's put these guys in charge of healthcare

Once again, the incompetent bureaucracy of the government at all levels is demonstrated.

The headline from today's Denver Post: "Delays plague HUD grants."

The article states that "Denver won federal funds to buy foreclosed houses a year ago but to no avail."

It continues:

Housing experts who have studied the $6 billion Neighborhood Stabilization Program, meant to shore up American communities hit hardest by the recession, say similar problems in other cities show a dense bureaucracy delaying a good idea.

Even if one buys the premise that the program is "a good idea," it is impossible to separate the "good idea" from the bureaucracy.

If government takes over healthcare, we can look forward to the this same level of service from the soulless functionaries put in charge.

PSA - Listen to Overpaid Celebrities

Make Mine Freedom (1948)