meanings

Today I started to think about the cost of living. I've noticed in the past few days that daily living items like food and gas have been creeping up.


On the flip side I keep seeing stories in the media about how things are getting better. How the Federal Reserve Chief is calling the possible end of the recession. How retail spending is up, which commonly is interpreted as an increase in consumer confidence in the economy.

I find this strange. If output is going up, and the economy is returning to better levels; then I would expect prices to be stable or go down...

The thing is that the value of the dollar is falling. And that makes me think about what the value of the dollar is based on. Things like the total value of the economy, the total monetary supply and these levels in relation to other currencies in the world. So if the economy was holding steady, and all other things are equal, then we should see the value of the dollar increasing. But that isn't the case. The dollar is weakening, the cost of gold is increasing, the money supply is increasing dramatically. Some report that while we're seeing some strong gains in the stock exchanges in the US, we are actually see much stronger positive movement in other foreign markets. Job losses continue to mount and companies are showing no signs of hiring. Companies are cutting hours and instituting furloughs. How is it possible to claim that the production of this country is increasing?

I wouldn't doubt that there has been some increases in spending. I for one have increased my household spending out of necessity. It's time to get the house ready for the winter. But is it really realistic to claim the end of the recession with the economic signs all around us? Isn't it possible that the increase in retail spending was higher than expected because of rising prices due to the increases in the money supply and weakening of the dollar versus other economies?

The signs that point to inflation.

And the problem is that the government and the federal reserve (which is not a government entity) will not admit that there is inflation until the CPI index is running up. By then it will be too late. But what we really aren't told is that inflation benefits the government and the banks. Inflation helps those who owe. Debtors. As the value of the dollar declines our debts are fixed. If I bought the house I live in for $100,000, then I pay $100k. Even if the value of the dollar I use to pay the mortgage is half of what it was. Since the government is in over its head in debt letting inflation set in will allow for a quicker pay down of the debt without having to raise taxes. Banks love inflation since it tends to transfer real wealth from lower classes to upper classes. Those in the economy who own large amounts of real property like land or commodities will see the "biggest" gains since the value of real goods will hold value as the currency declines. But it really sucks for us, the tax payers as our wealth is drained by the government to pay the debts it makes in our name.

This brings me back to Bernanke and those who want to tell us that the worst is over. People like Peter Schiff and Ron Paul were laughed at in '05 and '06 as they predicted the bursting of the housing bubble caused by the federal reserves meddling with the market. They knew that the unnaturally low interest rates were pumping too much money in the the markets that lead us to our peaks. It isn't the first time that the fed has caused a bubble that lead to a recession. These same people are also pointing out that this massive increase in spending and stimulus that will really kick in next year is merely an attempt to reinflate the bubble we created. There is no real value in what happened in the housing market. It was driven by cheap money and speculation. Another jobless recovery doesn't seem possible at this time. At least in my opinion. As our position in the global economy weakens the cost to borrow for the country will rise and interest rates will have to follow suit. The economy will grind to a halt as the cost of business increases yet again.

All the while our federal government seeks to shoulder the costs of health care and force the price of energy to "skyrocket". Will our government continue to spend and fiddle as Rome burns? Will they continue to undermin our economy? Will we let them?

A Bitter Pill

Conservatives, both social and political, have a bitter pill to swallow. The anti-Iraq war folks on the left were most likely right. This isn't something that I always believed.

Ron Paul is a congressman from Texas. He's generally described as a conservative libertarian. I think he's more like a Classical Liberal or Jeffersonian Democrat. Something of a fundamental constitutionalist who believes in free markets, small controlled central governments, and less power in the banks. His foreign policy views are along the line of what we profess to believe in, freedom and liberty for all. We all generally believe (with some notable people who are exceptions) that everyone has the liberty to do what they want in their own house, so long that they don't infringe on others same basic rights. Only we have a history of ignoring this fundamental belief on the international stage for about one hundred years now.

I'm linking to this speech he made in the House of Representatives because I feel this might be his best of all his great speeches. I think that the content of the speech, in a contemporary way, poses a series of questions that prove this point without ever really lecturing you on how it really is. It frames questions that NEED to be asked today.

Doesn't war and empire building always lead to larger government?

Should we as a country start a war with a sovereign country without provocation or a request for defense from an ally?

Should we allow our country preform acts of torture, no matter how benign, in our name? Or send prisoners to other countries to do our dirty work? (This would be called rendition)

Don't war time periods always lead to greater infringement of OUR liberties in the name of national security? And yet they cannot worry about securing our borders?

We as conservatives, who value personal liberty and responsibility, who drink the kool-aid of the boot strap mantra, who preach smaller government; don't we need to look in the mirror and rethink our blind nationalist support of a federal government or political party that continues to grow the central state, infringe on our freedoms and liberties and continues to treat other human beings so poorly?

Shouldn't WE have been the people to rally in the streets against Bush all those years ago demanding better behavior from our government and "conservative" leaders?

Mark one for 'Toby'

I've been very hard on Dr. Cosgrove when I discuss the current regime at the Cleveland Clinic. While I support the organization to impliment whatever the hell they want, I do not agree with their overly parental stance on their employees personal lives. I just feel that people don't need to be told how to live their lives...

But I have to say that his little bit in the PD shows a thoughtful and insightful view of what I would expect to be indicitive of what most doctors think of the topics covered. While I fully expect the actual health care community to be all for covering every American, and actually be willing to listen to single payer ideas; I am happy that Dr. Cosgrove was willing to also point out that the politicians in DC are not only generally ignorant of the ins and outs of the industry but also moving rather fast in making whole system changes in a short period of time.

If there's one thing our federal government has shown us time and again throughout our countries history is that they are very good at making big changes or moves without understanding what they are doing or causing throughout the economy. Look at what is and will happen with cash for clunkers.

Road Rage

Well Cleveland, the rest of the state thinks we're not worth treating with respect.



(I also think that they think we're nuts. A bunch of Dems that don't quite fit with the red part of the state, but I think that's got some merit. We are a little different up here).



As you will soon learn if you don't know already I'm a huge Cleveland supporter. Call me a fanboy, homer, biased or whatever other derogatory slang you want; I'll gladly embrace it. I come from the mind set that only those of us who live and work in the city have any right to point out its shortcomings, and if some dirty rotten from some place like... well anywhere not here, points out our warts, I get my hackles up. That's not to say I won't point out the problems, because I will.



But onto the point.



This on-going planning mini-battle about the inner belt and the I-90 bridge really burns me up. And I don't know why our local leaders are lying down to take it from Columbus and more directly ODOT. Maybe our mayors, council people and state reps and senators are beholden to ODOT and are afraid to ruffle their feathers. After all ODOT can make life difficult for districts that make their job uncomfortable. Maybe our leaders think it's a good idea. Maybe they don't care because only odd-ball planner types and mid-town business people are the ones squaking for now.



Either way it's not right if you ask me.



You see ODOT, in their infinate engineering wisdom, has decided that since the guidelines for interstate interchanges indicate that our downtown ramps are too close together they must go. Never mind that we can find exceptions to this rule all over the country including Columbus. They want to take away the Carneige and Prospect ramps as well as the ramps for I-77 at East Ninth.



That leaves entrances to downtown at East 14th, East 30th (!?), Chester and St Clair (really far out there). We also have the ramps at East 9th and West 3rd along the shoreway, but the traffic counts along State 2 is less than half that across the 90 bridge! The issue is what do we do if we want to get downtown when there's a big play at the square, a show at CSU and a game at Gateway? Get off a mile away at East 30th and Woodland or cram through the traffic at E. 14th? If you miss Chester from the east you're in for a trip either to E 3oth and Woodland on I-77 or across the river before you can turn around. Who is the brain trust that thinks closing and redirecting the majority of traffic to and from downtown and the Cleveland Clinic is a good idea?



You see all they care about at ODOT is that the throughput is increased and "safety" is improved. The problem is that the innerbelt should be the DESTINATION. We shouldn't care about throughput. We should plan the road to help people get into and out of the downtown. It's also the entrance (for now) to get to University Circle for many traveling from the west or south.



The proposals will leave us with few options that all stink and pose serious issues for days where we have multiple events in the Central Business District (CBD). From the east we'll only have St Clair and Chester. The continued efforts of ODOT and the highway system seems to revel in the further isolation of downtown Cleveland and making our collective lives a little more of a hassle.

This to me is just another example of how our government at many different levels is failing us.

Town Hall Meetings

This article compelled me to actually start a blog. It was more for my friends on facebook, who I imagine might be getting tired of my rantings on a social network site. So this way I can be a little less obtrusive and still vent some of this.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6787454.ece


All across America average Joes are coming out to talk to, ask questions of, and call out politicians that are peddling this health care bill; HR 3200. Town Hall Meetings (surprising I can't find any in Ohio)

But now that those supporting the president and the bill know that there is a large and growing fervor against this bill, they too are turning out for these town hall meetings. I'm not even going to address the reported intimidation tactics by those supporting the health care bill, or even the claims that those supporting the bill have been brought into meeting rooms before the others who want to speak against it in an effort to control the amount of people against the bill in the room.

I would love to see evidence of two things.

1) Where are all these people running around at town hall meetings wearing or flashing swastikas.

2) Where are all the big corporate America giants or insurance companies have come out against the health care bill or is drumming up fears. Where is the proof that these big companies and the GOP are bringing in people to attend these town hall meetings?

I'm certain that there are some companies in and health care that stand to loose the most through this bills passing, but the largest of companies would love to pass us all off onto the public option and the largest of insurance companies would love to see the small competition go under (as they will with the passage of this bill).

But here's a theme anyone who knows me might have heard before.

Just repeating something over and over again does not make it true.

I AM one of the "mob", although my representative is not holding a town hall meeting.

I am NOT being stoked by the insurance companies.

I have NOT received any calls from the GOP. (And if they did call I would tell them where to go)

I'm reading the bill and listening to the politicians, and the two don't match. The speed in which our congress is attempting to move is to me a show of fear that the public won't support this if they really look into it. The fact that they won't debate or even answer simple questions tells me that those bringing up fears of the results of this legislation have some merit.

But I must digress.

I saw this headline and I got a little scared.

Scared because it's been a long time since we've had real civil unrest. And we're overdue. Every thirty or so years we have real shifts in our political alignments. And unfortunately this also happens with violence and conflict. It is often escorted in with large military conflicts or recessions. We saw it in 1968 when large groups of minorities switched from Republican to Democrat, and southern whites went the other way. We saw it in 1932 when the country dropped the Republicans like a hot potato. That was accompanied by the Great Depression and massive labor unrest. 1896 saw the emergence of the Populist/Progressive movement.

Anyway, here we are looking on as people who generally don't have the time or energy to get off of their couch head out to confront their elected representatives and I fear that some fed up soul does something stupid and commits some form of violence.

I must say that listening to Pelosi, Reid, Romney, and all the other Statist government-centric crooks who steal and spend our money makes my blood boil from time to time.

But we also must be peaceful and grounded in logic and an expression of liberty and personal rights and choices. Should any of us, "the mob", be seen as the aggressors or starting physical altercations the hand of the federal government will come down so fast and so hard we won't wake up until all of our rights have been stripped.

I feel that we are headed toward a new political spectrum. And I fear that the current improvements in the economy is a smoke screen. And I hope that we can do it in a peaceful and enlightened way.

But that's another conversation for another day.



Remember, if you think any of this was "fishy" you can report me or any other person to the White House so that they can just... you know... keep track of all these tricky facts.