Red Fox Politix

Financial Crisis for Dummies: A Timeline to Doom

2011-03-05T20:54:00.014-05:00

So by now everyone has been inundated with various media accounts and speculation of how we got ourselves into such a mortgage crisis which required $700 Billion in Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) funds, another $6.4 Trillion from the Federal Reserve to "restore liquidity" to the markets. To understand how we got there, to understand the "bubble," we need to understand the forces in play that drove us there.

Any bust in history required three things: Government Intervention, Corruption and Federal Reserve Policies.

Government Intervention

From the 1930's n, the government has pushed home ownership, specifically special affordable loans. This became acute in 2000 when an additional push went from requiring 50% of loans to fall under the Special Affordable label to 60% and eventually 70%. The only way to accomplish this was by loosening lending standards. As lending standards are loosened by forcing banks to accept more risk (i.e. normally unqualified applicants), more loans were able to be filled. This rapidly led to what was commonly known as NINJA Loans. These were loans where the applicant had No Income, No Job and no Assets. You may be thinking, no....this isn't possible but it in fact was rampant. I talked to a mortgage broker from conservative lending institutions that stated they went from conservative to providing NINJA Loans. In other cases, the only requirement to grant a loan was the applicant attend a Credit Counseling Program. That was it. If they completed that, the loan was granted without regard to documented ability to repay.

Mortgage denial rates went from 28% in 1997 to 14% in 2003. Did we all of a sudden become more qualified? Subprime mortgages had risen by 292% from 2003 to 2007 with 40% of those completely from automated underwriting.

Lenders soon learned they could take various loans of different risk levels (High, Medium and Low) known as "Tranches" and bundle these together in what was known as "securitization." As the assets were securitized, they were able to be bought and sold around the world as a lending commodity. Banks were making money primarily of the trade of these securities. As they were a bundle of hundreds of various risk loans, it was impossible to know the risk of the entire bundle.

Protection of these investments was provided by credit risk swaps and insurance by firms such as AIG who never thought they'd have to pay out on the securities viewing the premiums as pure profit. The securities themselves were rated as AAA by Standard & Poor and Moody. The Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 200o exempted derivitives (such as mortgage backed securities) from regulation, paving the way for trading of these securities and Credit Default Swaps (CDS). In 2003 Warren Buffet described derivatives as "financial weapons of mass destruction."

Federal Reserve Policies

The Federal lending rate was kept at 2% from 2001 through 2004. This low rate encouraged banks to borrow a LARGE amount of capital which they passed along to borrowers at higher interest rates and encouraging interest-only loans. Lots of essentially free money with many loans bundled as securities that provided the real money for the banks. To do that required borrowers and if you could fog a mirror, you were good to go.

Alan Greenspan called these mortgages a "powerful stabilizing force" because it allowed people to extract equity from their homes. In 2004 he stated that "homeowners should consider using adjustable-rate mortgages to save on interest and pre-payment costs."

The above chart represents home prices, build costs, population and home price index. The home price has historically tracked above build costs and increasing with population. this is intuitively expected. What is NOT expected is the sharp upturn in 2005. This would be (in hindsight) a classic indication of a bubble. Inflated home prices that do not correlate with either population increase or increasing building costs.

So why? Why did this bubble occur under our noses? Were regulators sleeping? No, they weren't. They relaxed regulatory controls to allow these very dynamics at the pressure of community groups and "progressive" political forces.

Enter Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac....

Above represents the relative cost of borrowing money. Commercial lenders pay a higher premium for borrowing than Fannie and Freddie. This allowed an unfair competitive advantage for Fannie and Freddie allowing them to purchase most of the mortgage backed securities and sell them at discounted rates compared to their competitors.

Corruption

Representative Barney Frank and Senator Chris Dodd pressured Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to ensure their constituents received affordable housing loans. This was evidenced by the increase in the requirement for Special Affordable loans from 50% to 70% though applicant qualifications did not warrant such an increase. a FICO score (credit score) of 660 had been the dividing line between "prime" mortgage loans and "sub prime." In Fannie and Freddie's own documents, they were reporting loans below these scores as prime.

In 2005, the Senate banking Committee attempted to pass legislation to tighten controls over Fannie and Freddie but it was passed out of committee with a vote along partisan lines and no democrat voting for it.

So now that the fed chairman encouraged Americans to take interest only, adjustable rate loans, in 2005, the Fed raises it's prime lending rate from less than 2% to more than 5%. Those with ARMs were finding significant increases in their mortgage payments.

So what to do with essentially a very liquid market? Money was pumped to banks. Banks now have a tremendous amount of money tied up in toxic derivatives with still a AAA rating but no one wants. With all that money, banks would normally lend money since that's how they make their own money. But with Billions in toxic assets with no clear valuation, banks hold onto the money to protect their investments.

The bailouts went to banks, not homeowners. Homeowners can no longer meet their mortgages and the foreclosures and short sales start to increase flooding the home-rich market with even more properties and still the banks are reluctant to lend. The cycle continues spiraling market values even lower and perpetuating the cascade.

Solutions

So what to do? There were really only 3 viable options to choose from:

1. Allow firms to go bankrupt.
2. Purchase bad assets.
3. Recapitalize by buying equity positions in firms.

Of the three, the one that should have been chosen, the first one, wasn't. We may have had a deeper recession, but most economists believe the valley would have been much shorter vice today not even knowing where or when the bottom might be. Allowing firms to go bankrupt allows them to start fresh with much debt relieved. This is a natural course of a free market society and happens daily. When you label "too big to fail" and artificially prop up sickened trees, you only prolong the inevitable.

Thugocracy in Wisconsin Protest and My Favorite Signs EXPLICIT LANGUAGE

2011-02-21T20:55:00.028-05:00

So this is a compilation of my favorite Wisconsin Teacher Protest signs.

Really...I thought protesting and not teaching was bad for kids?

Better take that package of neon letters back. They shorted you a "D." Maybe it was saved for your spelling grade?

Good thing spelling isn't required for Paul's profession and good thing he's hanging around teachers.

I'd ask the same of the protesters. Last I heard, many protesters bused in from out of state. SEIU comes to mind...

Yes it is, however the disgust is over you.

How special you brought your students to protest. Was this a class assignment? Maybe to write about the colorful language they get to see on the protester signs? Nice.

I wonder what part of "professional" this "doctor" didn't understand in writing falsified sick notes?

Obviously the teachers aren't protecting us from your awful spelling...

Looks like this one got corrected on the spot...

Besides the colorful message:

The apostrophe ( ’ , often rendered as ' ) is a punctuation mark, and sometimes a diacritic mark, in languages that use the Latin alphabet or certain other alphabets. In English, it serves three purposes:^[1]

The omission of one or more letters (as in the contraction of do not to don't).
The marking of possessive case (as in the cat’s whiskers).
The marking as plural of written items that are not words established in English orthography (as in P's and Q's, the late 1950's). (This is considered incorrect by some. See Use in forming certain plurals.)

I'd go with number 2.

And usually "bananas" is the tough one.

Obviously not.

Just put those things anywhere....

Whew. I thought that said you were STILL a Republican.

Aren't you supposed to be in school? Or is this a class trip?

I'm so glad you all took your student to protest. Isn't teaching them quality prose what it's all about?

Let me guess. English teacher?

One of my favorites. Now what was that about crosshairs after the Tuscan shooting?

Another quality lesson, from the liberals, in civil discourse.

Contractual law teacher?

The abundance of learning opportunities for the students and children brought to the protest. One could hardly have predicted the secondary learning opportunities. I wonder if parents signed those permission slips...

You mean like you care about staying in school to teach them?

2011-02-20T18:15:00.002-05:00

This is a quick list so not quite exact but give you an idea of just how large our government is. We are creating agencies and departments to administer agencies and departments! Really...all these agencies, councils, commissions and board are necessary to our country's survival? I think not. There are over 1800 listed here. The government has become a self licking ice cream cone. It has far exceeded its "enumerated powers" and All Obama can say is WE should skip a vacation or two? I think the federal government needs a long vacation....

Accounting and Auditing Policy Committee (AAPC)
Administrative Committee of the Federal Register
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
American Battle Monuments Commission
Appalachian Regional Commission
Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board)
Arctic Research Commission
Armed Forces Retirement Home
Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in education Foundation
Broadcasting Board of Governors
Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board
Chief Financial Officers Council
Chief Human Capital Officers Council
Chief Information Officers Council
Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee
Commission of Fine Arts
Commission on International Religious Freedom
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission)
Committee for Purchase from People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled
Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States
Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Delaware River Basin Commission
Denali Commission
Endangered Species Committee
Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board (FASAB)
Federal Executive Board
Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council
Federal Financing Bank
Federal Geographic Data Committe
Federal Interagency Committee for the Management of Noxious and Exotic Weeds
Federal Interagency Committee on Education
Federal Interagency Council on Statistical Policy
Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer
Federal Library and Information Center Committee
Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation
Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor Commission
Indian Arts and Crafts Board
Information Security Oversight Office
Interagency Alternative Dispute Resolution Working Group
Interagency Council on Homelessness
Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin
J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board
James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation
Japan-United States Friendship Commission
Joint Board for the Enrollment of Actuaries
Joint Fire Science Program
Marine Mammal Commission
Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
Migratory Bird Conservation Commission
Mississippi River Commission
Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental Policy Foundation
Muscular Dystrophy Coordinating Committee (MDCC)
National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare
National Council on Disability
National Indian Gaming Commission
National Invasive Species Council
National Park Foundation
Northwest Power and Conservation Planning Council
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board
Panama Canal Commission
President's Intelligence Advisory Board
Presidio Trust
Regulatory Information Service Center
Social Security Advisory Board
Susquehanna River Basin Commission
Taxpayer Advocacy Panel
U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Veterans Day National Committee
Vietnam Educational Foundation
White House Commission on Presidential Scholars
White House Commission on the National Moment of Remembrance
Department of Agriculture
Board of Contract Appeals
Judicial Proceedings
Office of Human Capital Management
Safety and Worklife Programs
Small Business Opportunities
Sustainable Operations
TARGET Center
USDA Employee Information Center
National Appeals Division
Office of Budget and Program Analysis
Broadcast Media and Technology Center (BMTC)
Radio Newsline
Office of Tribal Relations
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
Office of the Chief Economist (OCE)
Agricultral Labor Affairs
Climate Change Program office
Office of Energy Policy and New Uses
Office of Risk Assessment and Cost-Benefit Analysis
Sustainable Development
Weather and Climate
World Agricultural Outlook Board
Office of the Chief Financial Officer
Competitive Sourcing
Financial Management Modernization Initiative (FMMI)
National Finance Center
Office of the Chief Information Officer
Asset Management
Directives
National Information Technology Center (NITC)
Telecommunications Services & Operations (TSO)
Office of the General Counsel
Office of the Inspector General
Agencies
Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)
Agricultural Transportation
AMS Market News
Commodity Purchasing
Country of Origin Labeling
Farmers Markets
Grade Standards
National Organic Program
Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
National Agricultural Library (NAL)
National Research
Office of International Research Programs
Partnering
Research Locations
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
Animal Health
Animal Welfare
Biotechnology
Emergency Preparedness and Response
Import and Export
International Services
Permits
Plant Health
Regulations and Assessments
Wildlife Damage Management
Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP)
Dietary Guidelines for Americans
Healthy Eating Index
MyPyramid
Nutrition Insights
Economic Research Service (ERS)
Farm Service Agency (FSA)
Commodity Operations
Conservation Programs
Disaster Assistance
Farm Loan Programs
Price Support
Food and Nutrition Services (FNS)
Child and Adult Care Food Program
Disaster Assistance
Food Distribution Programs
Nutrition Education
School Meals
Summer Food Service Program
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program
Food Safety and Inspection Services (FSIS)
Codex Alimentarius
Food Defense and Emergency Response
Food Safety Education
Recalls
Regulations and Policies
Science
Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS)
Forest Service (FS)
Forest Health Protection
Forest Inventory and Analysis
National Incident Information Center
Passes and Permits
Recreation, Heritage, and Volunteer Resources
Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA)
Grain Inspection Service
Livestock, Meat, and Poultry
National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)
Census of Agriculture
National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
Conservation Programs
Farm Bill
Risk Management Agency (RMA)
Rural Development
Renewable Energy for America Program (REAP)
Department of Commerce
Economic Development Administration
Minority Business Development Agency
Office of the Inspector General
Office of the Secretary
Administrative Offices
Herbert C. Hoover Building Library
Human Resources Management
Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization
Economics and Statistics Administration
Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)
Bureau of the Census
STAT-USA (formerly Office of Business Analysis)
International Trade Administration
Import Administration (IA)
Market Access Compliance (MAC)
Trade Compliance Center
U.S. Commercial Service
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Coastal Ocean Program (COP)
High Performance Computing and Communications (HPCC)
National Ice Center
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
National Ocean Service (NOS)
National Weather Service
NWS Public Affairs
National Specialized Centers
National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)
Office of the Director
Aviation Weather Center
Climate Prediction Center
Environmental Modeling Center
Hydrometeorological Prediction Center
NCEP Central Operations
Ocean Prediction Center
Space Weather Prediction Center
Storm Prediction Center
National Hurricane Center
Spaceflight Meteorology Group
Hydrology Research Laboratory
International Tsunami Information Center
Pacific Tsunami Warning Center
Central Pacific Hurricane Center
West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center
Alaska Aviation Weather Unit
National Centers
Hydrologic Information Center
National Data Buoy Center
National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center
Telecommunication Operations Center
NOAA and NWS Training Center
NWS Headquarters Offices
Headquarters
Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services
Office of Hydrologic Development
Office of Operational Systems
Office of Science and Technology
Office of the Chief Financial Officer
Office of the Chief Information Officer
Strategic Planning and Policy Office
Executive Affairs
Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity Management
NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps
Office of Research and Technology Applications (ORTA)
National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS)
National Climatic Data Center (NCDC)
National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC)
National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC)
National Coastal Data Development Center (NCDDC)
Office of Systems Development
Office of Satellite Operations
Office of Satellite Data Processing and Distribution
Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR)
National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Integrated Program Office
Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R Series (GOES-R)
Office of Space Commercialization
Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research
Environmental Research Laboratories
Air Resources Laboratory
Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory
Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL)
Global Monitoring Division
Physical Sciences Division
Chemical Sciences Division
Global Systems Division
Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory
Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory
National Severe Storms Laboratory
Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Line Offices
Office of Spectrum Management
Office of International Affairs
Office of Policy Analysis and Development
Office of Telecommunications and Information Applications (OTIA)
Institute for Telecommunications Sciences
Staff Offices
Office of the Assistant Secretary
Office of Congressional Affairs
Office of Public Affairs
Office of Chief Counsel
Patent and Trademark Office
U.S. Patents Database at CNIDR
Staff Offices
Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships
Office of Business Liaison
Office of General Counsel
Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs
Office of Policy and Strategic Planning
Office of Public Affairs
Office of the Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Secretary for Administration
Office of the Chief Information officer
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Director
Chief of Staff
Program Coordination Office
Public and Business Affairs
Congressional and Legislative Affairs
International and Academic Affairs
Laboratory Programs
Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology
Center for Neutron Research
Engineering Laboratory
Information Technology Laboratory
Materials Measurement Laboratory
Physical Measurement Laboratory
Standards Coordination Office
Innovation and Industry Services
Baldrige Performance Excellence Program
Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership
Strategic Planning and Economic Analysis Office
Technology Innovation Program
Technology Partnerships Office
Management Resources
Civil Rights and Diversity Office
Office of Financial Resource Management
Office of Information Systems Management
Office of Workforce Management
Research Support Services
National Technical Information Service (NTIS)
FedWorld Information Network
Federal Job Announcement Search
Department of Defense
Department of Defense Libraries
National Guard
National Reconnaissance Office
Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (AFRRI)
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA)
Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA)
Defense Courier Division
Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS)
Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA)
Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)
Defense Legal Services Agency
Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA)- (formerly Defense Security Assistance Agency)
Defense Security Service (DSS)- (formerly Defense Investigative Service)
Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC)
Missile Defense Agency
National Security Agency/Central Security Service
Pentagon Force Protection Agency
Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA)
Operational Directorate
Eastern Region
Central Region
Western Region
DCMA International
Special Programs
Information Technology/Customer Service
Defense Educational Activity
Education Offices
Curriculum Branch
Office of System Accountability
Professional Development Branch
Research and Evaluation Branch
Pupil Personnel Services
Support Offices
Communications
Competitive Sourcing Program Office
Diversity Management and Equal Opportunity
Human Resources
Information Technology Division
Logistics Division
Office of Compliance and Assistance
Office of General Counsel
Office of Safety and Security
Procurement Division
Resource Management Division
Small Business Program Office
Defense Logistics Agency (DLA)
Corporate Administration
DLA Enterprise Support Environment, Safety and Occupational Health
DLA Office of Operations Research and Resource Analysis (DORRA)
Defense Enterprise Support Center
DLA Business Units
DLA Web Gateway
Defense Supply Center Columbus
Defense Supply Center Richmond
Defense Supply Center Philadelphia
Defense Distribution Center
DLA Energy
Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service
DLA Service Activities
Defense National Stockpile Center
Defense Logistics Information Service
Document Automation & Production Service
Defense Automatic Addressing System Center (DAASC)
Defense Logistics Management Standards Office (DLMSO)
Defense Logistics Agency Europe and Africa (DLA-E/A)
DLA Pacific (DLA-P)
DLA Central Command (DLA-C)
Information Operations
Defense Threat Reduction Agency
Department of the Air Force
Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC)
Civil Air Patrol
Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling
Mortuary Affairs Operations Center
Air Force Families of the Fallen Support Branch
Mortuary Affairs Operations Center Honor Guard
United States Air Force Academy
Field Operating Agencies
Air Force Agency for Modeling and Simulation
Air Force Audit Agency
Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment
Air Force Chaplain Agency
Air Force Civil Engineer Support Agency
Air Force Command and Control Integration Center
Air Force Network Integration Center
Air Force Historical Research Agency
Air Force Inspection Agency
Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency
Air Force Manpower Agency
Air Force Office of Special Investigations
Air Force Personnel Center
Air Force Petroleum Agency
Air Force Real Property Agency
Air Force Safety Center
Air Force Security Forces Center
Air Force Services Agency
Air Force Surgeon General
Air Force Technical Applications Center
Air Force Weather Agency
Air Force Wounded Warriors
Air National Guard
Major Commands
Air Force Space Command
Air Force Special Operations Command
Air Mobility Command
Pacific Air Forces
U.S. Air Forces in Europe
Air Combat Command
Cyberspace and Information Operations Study Center
Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Agency
Air Education and Training Command
Air Force Institute of Technology
Air University
Air Force Materiel Command
Air Force Office of Scientific Research
Air Force Research Laboratory
Air Force Reserve Command
Air Reserve Personnel Center
Department of the Army
Secretary of the Army
Army Chief of Staff
Commands
U.S. Army Forces Command
Training and Doctrine Command
Army Materiel Command
Army Research Laboratory
Engineering Sciences
Mathematical and Information Sciences
Physical Sciences
Army Research Office
Outreach Program Office
Small Business Programs Office
Service Component Commands
U.S. Army Central (USARCENT)
U.S. Army North (USARNORTH)
U.S. Army South (USARSOUTH)
U.S. Army Europe and 7th Army (USAREUR)
U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC)
Eighth U.S. Army
U.S. Army Special Operations Command
U.S. Army Surface Deployment and Distribution Command
U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command-Army Strategic Command
U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command/9th Signal Command (NETCOM/9thSC)
U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM)
U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (USACIDC)
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
U.S. Army Military District of Washington (MDW)
U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC)
U.S. Military Academy (USMA)
U.S. Army Reserve Command (USARC)
U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center (USAASC)
U.S. Army Installation Management Command (IMCOM)
Army Financial Management
Army Review Boards Agency (ARBA)
White Sands Missile Range (WSMR)
Naval Divisions and Commands
Bureau of Medicine and Surgery
Chief Information Officer
Military Sealift Command
Naval Air Systems Command
Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS)
Naval Inspector General
Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command
Naval Network Warfare Command
Naval Reserve Forces
Naval Safety Center
Naval Sea Systems Command
Naval Special Warfare Command
Navy Enterprise
Office of Community Outreach
Office of the Judge Advocate General (JAG)
Personnel Command
Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command
US Naval Academy
US Naval Observatory
Commandant of the Marine Corps
Director, Marine Corps Staff
HQMC, Headquarters Battalion
Human Resources and Organizational Management
Inspector General of the Marine Corps
Intelligence
Marine Aviation
Marine Corps Systems Command
Office of Legislative Affairs
Programs and Resources
Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps
Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant
Office of Naval Research
Contracts and Grants
Office of Small Business Programs
Regional Support Offices
News and Media Center
Naval Reserve Science and Technology Program
Office of Naval Research Global
US Naval Research Laboratory
Science and Technology Organization
Office of Innovation
Expeditionary Warfare and Combating Terrorism
Office of Research
Office of Transition
Field Activities
Defense Human Resources Activity
Defense Media Activity
Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office
Department of Defense Education Activity
Office of Economic Adjustment
TRICARE Management Activity
Washington Headquarters Services
Joint Chiefs of Staff
Directorate for Command, Control, Communications, and Computer System (J-6)
Directorate for Intelligence (J-2)
Directorate for Manpower and Personnel (J-1)
Directorate for Operations (J-3)
Directorate of Management
Force Structure Resources and Assessment Directorate (J-8)
Logistics Directorate (J-4)
Operational Plans and Joint Force Development (J-7)
Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate (J-5)
Joint Service Schools
Defense Acquisition University
Joint Military Intelligence College
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
National Defense University
Industrial College of the Armed Forces
Information Resources Management College
Joint Forces Staff College
National War College
Office of the Secretary of Defense
Office of General Counsel
Office of Inspector General
Office of the Executive Secretariat
Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness
Office of Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology(ACQWeb)
Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)
Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
Unified Combatant Commands
Central Command
European Command
Joint Forces Command
Northern Command
Pacific Command
Southern Command
Strategic Command
Transportation Command
Department of Education
Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance
Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC)
National Assessment of Educational Progress
Office of Indian Education
External Relations
Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs
Office of Intergovernmental and Interagency Affairs
Information Resource Center
Presidential Scholars Program
Operations
Office of the Chief Financial Officer
Office of the Chief Information Officer
Office of Management
Family Policy Compliance Office
Office of Hearings and Appeals
Office for Civil Rights
Office of English Language Acquisition
Office of Federal Student Aid
Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE)
Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools
Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE)
Institute of Education Sciences
National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE)
National Center for Education Research
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
The National Education Research and Development Centers
National Research and Development Centers
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE)
Office of Migrant Education
Office of Innovation and Improvement
Office of Non-Public Education
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Service
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research
Office of Special Education Programs
Rehabilitation Services Administration
Department of Energy
Energy Sciences Network (ESnet)
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
Facilities
Hanford Site
Kansas City Plant
Miamisburg Environmental Management Project (Mound)
Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education
Oak Ridge Operations' Environmental Management Program
Pantex Plant: Nuclear Weapons Assembly and Disassembly Facility
Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site
Savannah River Site (Westinghouse)
Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP)
Y-12 Plant
Field and Operations Offices
Albuquerque Operations Office
Chicago Office - Integrated Support Center
Golden Field Office
Idaho Operations Office
Nevada Site Office
Oak Ridge Operations (ORO)
Office of River Protection
Richland Operations Office (RL)
Savannah River Operations Office
West Valley Demonstration Project
Rocky Flats Field Office (RFFO)
Headquarters Program Offices
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Energy Information Administration (EIA)
Federal Energy Management Program
Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management(RW)
Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs
Office of Economic Impact and Diversity
Office of Energy Delivery and Energy Reliability
Office of Environmental Management (EM)
Office of Fossil Energy
Office of General Counsel
Office of Health, Safety and Security
Office of Classification
Office of Corporate Safety Analysis
Office of Departmental Personnel Security
Departmental Representative to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board
Office of Enforcement
Environment
Office of Health and Safety
Office of Independent Oversight
Office of the National Training Center (HS-50)
Office of Nuclear Safety, Quality Assurance and Environment
Quality Assurance
Office of Resource Management
Office of Security Operations
Office of Security Policy
Office of Security Technology and Assistance
Office of Hearings and Appeals
Office of Inspector General
Office of Legacy Management (LM)
Office of Business Operations
Office of Site Operations
Office of Management
Office of Nuclear Energy
Office of Policy and International Affairs
Office of Public Affairs
Office of the Chief Financial Officer
Office of the Chief Information Officer (CR)
Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer
Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence (IN)
Office of Science (SC)
Basic Energy Science Program
Fusion Energy Sciences Program
High Energy Physics Program
Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research OCTR
Office of Scientific and Technical Information
Office of Biological and Environmental Research
Biological Systems Science Division
Climate and Environmental Sciences Division
William R. Wiley Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory
Nuclear Physics Program
Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists Program
Laboratories
Ames Laboratory (AMES)
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)
Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab)
Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL)
Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory (KAPL)
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
New Brunswick Laboratory (NBL)
Oak Ridge National Laboratories
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNL)
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
Radiological and Environmental Sciences Laboratory
Sandia National Laboratories
Savannah River Ecology Laboratory
Savannah River National Laboratory
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) National Laboratory
Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility
Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL)
National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC)
National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
Defense Programs
Nuclear Nonproliferation
Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program
Emergency Response
Nuclear Security
Infrastructure and Environment
Management and Administration
NNSA Service Center
Power Marketing Administrations
Bonneville Power Administration
Southeastern Power Administration
Southwestern Power Administration
Western Area Power Administration
Special Purpose Offices
National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL)
Naval Petroleum Reserve
Strategic Center for National Gas and Oil
Strategic Petroleum Reserve
Department of Health and Human Services
Administration for Children and Families
Administration on Aging
Center for Faith-Based & Community Initiatives
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services- (formerly Health Care Financing Administration)
Departmental Appeals Board
Health Resources and Services Administration
Indian Health Service (IHS)
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Cathedral to be built at OKC Ground Zero

2010-08-22T23:10:00.000-04:00

A recent report by AP Newswire reveals an early plan to build a Catholic Cathedral at the site of the Oklahoma City bombing only a few yads from the former Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. The Murrah Federal Building was ground Zero for the worst domestic terror bombing in US History. The Oklahoma blast claimed 168 lives, including 19 children under the age of 6, and injured more than 680 people. The blast destroyed or damaged 324 buildings within a sixteen-block radius, destroyed or burned 86 cars, and shattered glass in 258 nearby buildings. The bomb was estimated to have caused at least $652 million worth of damage.

Opponents to the building of the Cathedral cite the Catholic background of Timothey McVeigh and the conversion of Terry Nichols to Born Again Christianity as too close a linkage between the church and the bombing. Opponents feel it in poor taste to erect a religious building of the same denomination as the bombing mastermind. To do so will ensure a perpetual reminder of the radical side of Christianity and to some might be viewed as a shrine to McVeigh himself. This could spark renewed fervor and participation in the same anti-government militia in which McVeigh was a participant.

Oklahoma City Council members vowed to block the Cathedral, “It’s an absolute affront to the families of the victims who will forever be reminded of McVeigh and his radical religion” stated Ima Ediyot. Oklahoma City Mayor, Barbie Dahl, weighed in on the issue stating “I haven’t been fully briefed on the plans but as long as it’s legal and adheres to color codes, there shouldn’t be such a fuss.”

Oklahoma City citizens interviewd on the street weren’t so kind. One woman was outraged stating “Those Christians are making a mockery of the sacred ground at the Murah building. I won’t stand for it.” Another went on to say “I don’t care if it’s legal. I will do everything in my power to ensure it doesn’t happen.”

Obama's next target? Outrageous pet health costs.

2010-04-11T13:39:00.003-04:00

Pet insurance is a nonstarter for many pet owners, simply because they take a pragmatic approach to their animals. If the cost of treatment got too high, they would choose to have the animal put to death.

But many who think they'd draw the line at a certain dollar amount find their convictions wavering when the time actually comes, said Veterinary Pet Insurance's chief executive, Dennis Drent. The kids are crying, the vet says a treatment would be successful, and some parents break down and spend the money.

In an interview with Veterinarian Today, Obama weighed in on Pet Health Insurance stating "Well, I think it should be a right for every American. In a country as wealthy as ours, for us to have people who are going bankrupt because they can’t pay their pet's medical bills--for my Bo to die of cancer at the age of 15 and have to spend the last months of hir life in the vet arguing with insurance companies because they’re saying that this may be a pre-existing condition and they don’t have to pay his treatment, there’s something fundamentally wrong about that."

But questions still remain as to how to pay for it. Is Pet Health Insurance a right? If so, and the government is responsible for that right, how does it carve out funds to assist?

Obama admits that the first steps should be taken by pet owners:

Shop around. Policies and premiums can vary widely. Take note of not just the monthly or annual cost but the differences in deductibles, co-pays and caps, which may limit payouts by incident, annually or the animal's lifetime. Ask whether the insurer offers discounts for insuring multiple pets or whether your employer offers pet insurance as a voluntary benefit. The companies to check include PetCare Pet Insurance, 1-866-275-7387; Petshealth Care Plan, 1-800-807-6724; Veterinary Pet Insurance, 1-888-899-4874; and Embrace Pet Insurance, 1-800-511-9172.

Check with your state. Like human health insurers, pet insurers should be registered with your state regulators.

Scrutinize policies and understand their exclusions. The conditions most likely to afflict your pet are often the ones most likely to be excluded from a policy.

Beef up your savings. A Consumer Reports analysis found that pet owners with insurance may actually spend more over time on their animals than those without.

But that isn't enough says the Administration. The American Pet Products Manufacturers Association says pet owners spent $10.1 billion on veterinary care and $9.8 billion on supplies and over-the-counter medicines last year. The American Veterinary Medical Association found that owners spent $24.5 billion on veterinary medicine in 2008. To help Americans curb the crippling cost of pet medical costs, the administration plans on pushing for a public option beginning 2011. Under Obama's public option plan:

Will reimburses 80% of veterinary bills after you pay the public option deductible
Pets can visit any licensed veterinarian, including specialists and emergency care clinics worldwide
Choice of plan options for veterinary visits, surgery and more
will cover pets as young as 7 weeks old — and no pet is too old for coverage

What remains to be seen is where the funds to cover the public option. According to Rep. Harry Reid (D-NV), he thinks funding could come from efficiency gains in DoD contract appropriations: "we have a lot of waste in DoD appropriations. Americans are very familiar with the $100 hammers and $1000 toilets. Getting a handle on DoD appropriations could easily recoup over $1 Billion a year. If we delay benefits for 4 years and add a VAT to the pet medical supplies industry, we could easily have the public option funded indefinitely."

Regardless of the funding source, Americans are in agreement that something needs to be done to curb the outrageous cost of medical for their pets. What remain to be seen is if bipartisan support can be raised in the House to pass such a bill.

Reid may not be a good politician, but he can sure dance!

2010-04-06T10:50:00.003-04:00

Greta Van Susteren interviewed Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) yesterday over his backroom deal cutting with Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) referred to as the "Cornhusker Kickback." Below is a partial transcript with my comments inserted in [brackets]. First, it's important to know just exactly what the Cornhusker Kickback is. The deal that was done behind closed doors was a promise to provide additional Medicaid funds for Nebraska, and ONLY Nebraska. Not just additional funds, 100% reimbursement! Why? Senator Nelson was going to vote against the Healthcare Reform bill. It was done SOLELY to buy a vote; his vote. Not to defend Reid, but vote buying has been a staple diet in DC politics for hundreds of years. Why are we outraged now? For a few reasons I suspect.

1. A bill that likely would have died, and rightly so based on numerous polls of Americans' desires, was rammed through by buying votes.
2. The visibility of this legislation shed light on an unethical practice that for years was done in secret and with little fanfare.
3. The American public saw the hypocrisy with "Pay for Play" in the Senate. Blagojevich was impeached for selling a senate seat while the very senate does it all the time!

The partial transcript of the interview:

VAN SUSTEREN: What happened I think is you met with Senator Ben Nelson and gave the Nebraska deal. In Massachusetts, they were absolutely furious about the Nebraska deal. I think that sunk her [Martha Coakley].

REID: Perhaps. But remember, the Nebraska deal was terrific for our country. Why do I say that? Because now everybody has a Nebraska deal. Every state in the union has the Nebraska deal.

VAN SUSTEREN: I don't think a lot of people feel like do you, senator, on that. I think a lot of people were disturbed about the fact on the eve of the vote that two United States senators meet, and President Obama had promised transparency.

And so all of a sudden, Senator Ben Nelson walks out and says "I'm going to vote on this." It wasn't your promise on transparency. I'm going to vote on this and I got a special deal from my state. The other states are saying what about us?

REID: Did you think it would have been better if I let the bill fail?

[What Reid is implying here is, that the end justifies the means. It is okay to do anything as long as we got healthcare for the American people. Most principled people would disagree. Most ethical people would say subverting your principles and ethics in order to achieve a goal is counter to what we expect from elected leaders. This is VERY similar to the use of torture. Why are the majority of Americans against torturing our enemies who would, given the opportunity, torture us? Because to stoop to their methods makes us no better than them. The United States has always held itself to a standard much of the rest of the world strives to achieve. It's the same with Pay for Play.

If we take Reid as a template for the typical legislative Democrat, then unethical Pay for Play is at the heart of their principles. They are PROUD of using secretive, opaque maneuvers behind closed doors to attain their goals. I have a book for them. It's called "Principle Centered Leadership" by Stephen Covey. Reid it Democrats.]

VAN SUSTEREN: I don't --

REID: You're speechless.

VAN SUSTEREN: Speechless? This is the way it appeared to the American people. This senator, Senator Ben Nelson, was for sale. That's the way it looked like. It was a sale that all the other American taxpayers are paying for. And nobody understood, even people in Nebraska didn't understand why he got this?

REID: Greta, let me say this. I know Fox loves to berate anything that is Democratic in nature. But let me just say this. Ben Nelson is an honorable, a really good senator that represents his state extremely well.

[An obvious cheap shot at Fox since it's essentially one of the few networks that doesn't drink the punch, fall in line with the administration and sing praises to the Democrats.]

And Ben Nelson and I worked on a number of issues. We worked on the Medicaid issue. He's a former governor of the state and understands it very well. I knew if I got this for Nebraska I would have it for everybody, and that's what happened. And I'm totally comfortable with that

[Quite perplexing. Reid says if he got this for Nebraska he would have it for everybody. Well, why not campaign in the Senate for the deal for everybody right off the bat? I'll tell you. Because providing Medicaid funds for subsidizing healthcare was wholly unpopular and wouldn't have flown. Greta nails it below. He didn't have a plan for everyone until the deal blew up in his face. He's a con man. A political con man.]

VAN SUSTEREN: Two things. No one ever said that after he walked out. There was a long time before we heard about everybody else getting this. That's the first thing.

The second thing -- I was actually quite surprised that Senator Nelson didn't come out say to his constituents, what are you complaining about, I got you something that no one else got.

REID: I was a little surprised about that myself.

[I doubt that. I'm sure you were hoping that deal would have remained quiet.]

VAN SUSTEREN: The fact that he came out so weak with his hat in his hand made me more suspicious why he wasn't -- I would have thought, I would have expected a different advocacy for it than the one he gave. I thought that added to sort of like, what's up?

REID: I said, "Ben, if I had gotten that for Nevada, I would have yelled from it the rooftops." He didn't and that's a decision he made.

VAN SUSTEREN: If you thought everybody was going to get that day when you Senator Nelson, why didn't you offer it to everybody?

REID: Because I didn't have it for everybody at that time. I thought I could get it as we moved along in the legislation, and I did.

VAN SUSTEREN: You're telling me when Ben Nelson got that, when the two of you sat down, you said Ben, Nebraska's got it now -- obviously my words -- but after we get this passed we go for everybody?

REID: No. He got this for himself. He wanted it. I said to myself, good. That's a way I can help Medicaid in Nevada and the rest of the country, and that's what I did. But I didn't trumpet it to my other senators. By the time we finished this with our meetings in the White House and other places, everybody got it.

[And everybody WILL get it Senator. We'll all get it. The problem is with what "IT" is. It's debt. Lots and lots of debt. It's another failed government program now accelerating the failure of the programs you'll be taking funds from. You couldn't estimate the required funding for something as simple as a "Cash for Clunkers" program yet you expect the American public to drink the punch that you've come up with a fiscally sound program, the largest ever in American history, that will have everyone singing Kum Bah Ya in the long run. You are deluded by the very abortion of the power that you wield. It will be of little consequence for our children who have no voice in the process to say "I told you so" when we're all learning Chinese.]

Watch Greta's entire interview with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid

We're back...

2010-04-03T19:11:00.002-04:00

So it's been some time since I've last posted. A lot has happened since my last post and I don't think I'm going to try and catch you up here. Suffice to say I plan on blogging more and keeping you up-to-date with the disinformation being put out by those who don't think the Constitution matters when writing legislation.

So today I had the opportunity to attend the Arizona Patriot State Caucus Conference in Phoenix, AZ. Besides getting to hear from Eric Odom, the National Chair for The Patriot Caucus, I got to hear and speak to Pamela Gorman, Arizona 3rd Congressional District candidate. I have to say, not since I worked on Ken Cuccinelli's campaign for Virginia Attorney General ( a VERY successful grassroots campaign), have I heard as principled a candidate. If you live in Arizona's 3rd Congressional District and are looking for a candidate who remembers what it means to work for the people, then I highly recommend you lend her your support.

Canada a model for health care? Umm...no. Not my health care...

2009-08-12T19:32:00.000-04:00

Wait Times

42% of Canadians waited 2 hours or more in the emergency room, vs. 29% in the U.S
57% waited 4 weeks or more to see a specialist, vs. 23% in the U.S.
21% of Canadian hospital administrators, but less than 1% of American administrators, said that it would take over three weeks to do a biopsy for possible breast cancer on a 50-year-old woman
50% of Canadian administrators versus none of their American counterparts said that it would take over six months for a 65-year-old to undergo a routine hip replacement surgery

Technology

Canada has 4.6 MRI scanners per million, the U.S. has 19.5 per million.
Canada has 10.3 CT scanners per million, the U.S. has 29.5 per million.

Heart Attacks

Canadians have a 17% higher risk of dying from heart attacks than U.S. patients.
The five-year mortality rate is 21.4% among Canadians and 19.6% for the U.S.
30% of American heart attack patients receive an angioplasty, versus 11% of Canadians
More than 13% of Americans had bypass surgery, compared with 4% in Canada.

Cancer - Mortality/Incidence Ratio (lower is better)

Males C US
Intestinal.............................0.4401..............0.3808
Stomach..............................0.6435..............0.5700
Lung....................................0.8843..............0.8283
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.....0.4497..............0.4189
All cancers...........................0.4722..............0.4321

Females
Intestinal.............................0.4052..............0.3643
Stomach..............................0.7292..............0.6122
Lung...................................0.7884..............0.7403
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma....0.4044..............0.3734
All cancers..........................0.4276..............0.3977

Cost

15.3% of U.S. annual GDP. In Canada, only 10% of GDP
Canada government-spending was $2,120 (in US dollars) per person on health care, while the United States government-spending $2,724.
Canada, $917/yr spent by individuals or private insurance companies for health care compared to $3,372/yr in the U.S.

Summary

While Canada's "cost" might be lower than the US, quality and access (in terms of wait) is clearly on the side of the U.S. So what does that say? Just like most things, you get what you pay for. If you're happy to give up the health insurance that you and your family have for something like Canada's, then call your legislator and support National Healthcare. It'll be one huge step backwards in quality of care. People from other countries come to the US when quality of treatment really counts, not the other way around. As for me, I want the best healthcare I can get for my family. No thanks Mr. President. You can keep your bureaucratic healthcare out of my life.

Gays and the military

2009-04-22T08:04:00.000-04:00

Okay, I've written on this topic before. I've actually been published in the Navy Times on the topic in the past, but with the new administration, I think it's timely to bring it up again. The fate of "Don't ask, don't tell" will likely be reviewed in the very near future.

First, do not take this analysis as "gay bashing." I have nothing against gays and quite frankly, have some very good friends who are gay. Their lifestyle in no way impacts mine. Why? Because they don't live with me.

This topic is approached strictly from a logistical perspective. There really is no way else to approach it lest we get bogged down in emotions and start yelling at one another. Though my analysis (yes ANALYSIS, which means based on data), will be Navy focused, many of the same principles apply across the services. I will also approach this mainly from the male perspective as the associated female (hetero and homo) side can be deduced.

Berthing

Men and women are berthed (sleeping arrangements) separately for a variety of reasons to include social mores. Other reasons include the rights of women to NOT be subjected to unwanted sexual pressure either real or perceived. Where would the military berth gays? In two man rooms, or submarine 9-man bunk rooms, do you sleep gay men with straight men? Do you subjugate the rights of the straight men to those of the gay men? Why would straight men not be given the same rights as women in the same situation faced with being berthed with the opposite sex or those who desire you sexually?

True, gay men are not the "opposite sex" genetically, but in terms of sexual preference they are. If their natural tendency is to desire men, then berthing them with straight sailors is IDENTICAL to berthing men and women together. Until the services are willing to do that, they are not ready to integrate gays into the military. Logically you should be able to berth gay men with straight women (as they naturally do not desire one another) and gay women with straight men correct? I'd like to see that one proposed to females in the services. I haven't even touched on the topic of transgendered and cross-dressers!

The other alternative is berthing areas based on sexual preference. Gay men, straight men, gay women, and straight women. Four different berthing areas. Sound stupid? Sure, but it's the only alternative as long as society (and the military) says men and women can't share the same sleeping quarters. That would be a logistical nightmare, cost prohibitive, and not workable from a ship design perspective in any reasonable form.

Bathroom Facilities

Similar to the berthing issue, bathroom facilities are largely shared areas in the Navy. Usually onboard ship, but can be found in places like large training centers. The same theory applies here. If women will not be forced to endure men sharing the same bathroom facilities AT THE SAME TIME, then you cannot force straight men to endure gay men utilizing the same facilities as well. Sorry folks, this is not "homophobia." It's applying the same exact logic to "sexes" that desire one another sexually." The term "homophobia" is used quite conveniently to digress the conversation from the logical to the emotional.

Legal Issues

Sexual harassment prevention, awareness and remediation is ingrained in every sailor from day one of entry. Sexual harassment training right now is based on men and women and their interactions. How do we now deal with gays? Berthing same sex sailors together will be opening up the services to many more cases of sexual harassment. There is no difference in sexual harassment from the same gender than the opposite gender.

Sexual harassment is "unwelcome . . . verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature . . . ." 29 C.F.R. § 1604.11(a)

The close quarters military members are often forced to endure does invade personal space and is intimate in nature. The intimacy is generally not an issue when that intimacy is shared by not only same sex individuals but those who share a sexual desire for the "gender" not present. That is no longer the case if the intent is to berth gay sailors with straight sailors. The legal minefield that will ensue will be unlike any seen in recent years.

Notice at no time in this discussion did I base it on the ability to do the job. Why? Because obviously, gays can do the job since they've been in the services and ARE in the services. But military service isn't a right. Your RIGHTS are delineated in the amendments to the Constitution (1-27). The public often confuses rights with privileges. It's a privilege to serve and entry requirements are based on what is in the best interest of the ENTIRE service, not just one subset of it. That best interest determination includes everything; cost, services, morale, capabilities etc. Just because the public thinks it's a good idea doesn't make it so.

Don't ask, don't tell works BECAUSE that line of sexual desirability is not crossed in intimate situations such as sleeping or berthing arrangements and shared bathroom accommodations. Things only become an issue if you know about them. And yes, knowing about them does change the environment.

Fair is fair. Not many guys I know that would mind sharing the same quarters as women. Nor would I think gay men would mind sharing the same quarters as straight men. Bring it on. Force women to accept men in their sleeping quarters. When you've done that, come back here and I promise you, my position will change and I will become the biggest advocate for gays in the military. I doubt you'd get a resounding acceptance from women on their RIGHT to separate sleeping arrangements being abridged. So therefore, both sexes should be afforded the same right to appropriate berthing.

Where the real blame lies for the current economic failure

2009-03-23T17:33:00.000-04:00

I just watched a great investigative piece on the subprime mortgage crisis on Dateline last night. Thinking more about this, I decided to look a little deeper into the origins of our current economic crises.

A key bill involved in this mess is the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) originally passed in 1977 and tweaked many times depending on which way the political wind was blowing. It was originally intended to address the deteriorating conditions of American cities—particularly lower-income and minority neighborhoods, essentially through lending of funds. CRA was amended many times to strengthen it which in essence put pressure on lenders to make risky loans to high risk recipients. This "strengthening" by lawmakers was the primary driver to the subprime mortgage crisis. The lending institutions were doing exactly what they were being forced to do. You get what you measure. If you incentivize companies to provide mortgages to low-income families, that's what you're going to get.

Also important is the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933. One of the important things the Act did was to separate banks into types of business, Commercial, Insurance and Investments. One of the major reasons this Act was introduced was "to minimize/prevent conflicts of interest in granting of credit – lending – and the use of credit – investing – by the same entity, which led to abuses that originally produced the Act." Pretty important don't you think?

In 1999 (Clinton administration) the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, also known as the "Financial Services Modernization Act" was passed repealing the Glass-Steagall Act removing the limitation on banks operating multiple businesses in the areas of commercial banking, insurance and investments. Prelude to a fall and rushed amid midnight dealings. Clinton promised to sign the bill stating "When this potentially historic agreement is finalized, it will strengthen the economy and help consumers, communities and businesses across America." To date, Clinton does not regret signing the bill. Absolutely amazing.

Now some might point out the bill was passed by a republican majority, BUT not only did an overwhelming democratic majority support it, it was signed by Clinton! If he didn't like the bill or thought it a bad bill, it was his job to veto it. As long as we're blaming presidents, Clinton is at the top of the list for setting this into motion.

John Dingell, the ranking minority member of the House Commerce Committee at the time stated "There's been a great rush to create financial institutions that are at the same time too big to fail, too big to bother, and too big to care." Folks, this economic disaster was predicted at the time this bill was signed into law!

Opponents to the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act cited the following reasons:

1. Conflicts of interest characterize the granting of credit – lending – and the use of credit – investing – by the same entity, which led to abuses that originally produced the Act

2. Depository institutions possess enormous financial power, by virtue of their control of other people’s money; its extent must be limited to ensure soundness and competition in the market for funds, whether loans or investments.

3. Securities activities can be risky, leading to enormous losses. Such losses could threaten the integrity of deposits. In turn, the Government insures deposits and could be required to pay large sums if depository institutions were to collapse as the result of securities losses.

4. Depository institutions are supposed to be managed to limit risk. Their managers thus may not be conditioned to operate prudently in more speculative securities businesses. An example is the crash of real estate investment trusts sponsored by bank holding companies (in the 1970s and 1980s).

Reasons which to date, have demonstrated to be not only very sound, but unfortunately, very real risks as each have come to pass. Our very lawmakers are the ones responsible for the current economic catastrophe. Republicans for crafting the repeal and Democrats (including Clinton) for either going along with it or signing it into law. democrats had many opportunities to right this and crying now by pointing fingers at Republicans for submitting the bill is truly a case of the pot calling the kettle black.

Real life imitates politics...

2009-03-18T08:55:00.000-04:00

Over the past few weeks my wife had been in a baking frenzy. Good for me, bad for my waistline. So the general rule is, we have a little and take the rest somewhere else which usually means I take it to work. Can still be thought of as bad for me ;).

I had been bringing in cakes and cookies, setting them out in a public area for the office and letting everyone know it was there, enjoy. The items were a hit (my wife is a phenomenal baker) and I passed along many kudos.

This morning I didn't bring in anything and so far, have had four people make comments such as 'What? No goodies today?' accompanied by the obligatory sad face. The person who shares my office noticed this and commented that this looked very much like a microcosm example of the macrocosm bailout/handout societal phenomenon.

He's 100% right. You can be sure by giving away freebies, there will always be those who come back for more. It started with a paltry [sarcasm added] $700 Billion and now totals an actual outlay of $2.56 Trillion in "freebies" to businesses. Reuters has estimated the potential total cost to taxpayers upwards of a minimum of $4.6 Trillion.

Unfortunately it isn't over. Already financial institutions and auto manufacturers who've received handouts are preparing to come back to the trough of government charity backed by us, the people who have no say. This administration has trod far into unknown territory and is writing the play book after the plays are completed. No oversight, no accountability and a lot of finger pointing when they're surprised at the outcome.

Sad. Truly sad.

Obama's open letter to Santa

2009-03-17T10:18:00.000-04:00

Dear ~~Americans~~ Santa,

I have been a very ~~conniving~~ ~~calculating~~ good boy the past ~~week~~ ~~month~~ year. I have listened to ~~myself~~ ~~my constituents~~ ~~my teleprompter~~ my mommy and done my ~~due diligence~~ chores when asked. I helped ~~Tony Rezko~~ ~~Bill Ayers~~ ~~Rev. Jeremiah Wright~~ ~~Rod Blogojevich~~ ~~those who helped me~~ others when I could. ~~I have not lied outright lied by omission distorted the facts.~~ I have no recollection of any falsehoods.

Please do not leave me coal. I DO NOT like coal. If you think I deserve coal, please leave me carbon credits. I know ~~Eid Al-Fitr~~ ~~Eid Al-Adha~~ Christmas is still far away, but this is my Christmas list. I would like:

1. ~~Totalitarian rule~~ Bipartisanship.
2. ~~Redistribution of wealth~~ ~~A system that rewards those who work hard~~ ~~Bailouts~~ A stronger economy.
3. ~~Prohibition on all guns~~ ~~minor “adjustments” to the Second Amendment~~ Appropriate hunting guidelines.
4. More ~~money~~ ~~taxes~~ ~~expanded government~~ ~~social programs~~ ~~earmarks~~ change.
5. More emphasis on ~~money to enemies of our allies~~ ~~capitulations to terrorist countries and human rights violators~~ ~~nice talks with bad people~~ peace.
6. A ~~stronger defense~~ ~~public schedule of withdrawal from Iraq with a copy to Al Qaeda for planning purposes~~ ~~system that leverages Veteran’s health benefits to pay for my programs~~ long term solution to peace in the Middle East.
7. ~~Political appointees who I might have left out~~ ~~Czars that duplicate current positions~~ ~~anyone who has paid their taxes~~ ~~anyone who will stay on the job with me~~ Knowledgeable people who can do great things.
8. ~~FDR’s notes~~ ~~A plan, any plan~~ Change will do.
9. ~~Fully government run and government subsidized health care~~ ~~Health care paid for by those who contribute most to society~~ A healthy America.

I’m sure you’re busy and would appreciate your attention to this at your earliest opportunity. Please be aware, your charity has not gone unnoticed. Just be sure to line that out on this year’s 1040A. Pay special attention to the section for commuting miles as this is a new addition this year. I know things are tight and unfortunately, you’ll no longer be able to deduct the interest on your home at the North Pole.

Merry Christmas,

Barack

Explaining Party Politics via Allegory

2009-03-17T07:49:00.000-04:00

I love these allegorical explanations of the differences between Democrats and Republicans. Funny, I just don't see them written from the Demorat's point of view. Today's illustration:

The Republican Fisherman

A woman in a hot air balloon realizes she is lost. She lowers her altitude
and spots a man fishing from a boat below. She shouts to him, 'Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am.'

The man consults his portable GPS and replies, 'You're in a hot air
balloon, approximately 30 feet above a ground elevation of 2346 feet above sea level. You are at 31 degrees, 14.97 minutes north latitude and 100 degrees, 49.0 9 minutes west longitude.'

She rolls her eyes and says, 'You must be a Republican!'

'I am,' replies the man. 'How did you know?'

Well,' answers the balloonist, 'everything you tell me is technically
correct, but I have no idea what to do with your information, and I'm
still lost. Frankly, you're not much help to me.'

The man smiles and responds, 'You must be a Democrat.'

'I am,' replies the balloonist. 'How did you know?'

Well,' says the man, 'You don't know where you are or where you're going.You've risen to where you are, due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise that you have no idea how to keep, and now you expect me to solve your problem. You're in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but, somehow, now it's my fault.