Sorry I haven't blogged much of late. So much going on and I've also been very tired due to short staffing at work, so I've been falling asleep pretty early in the evening. So here are the random thoughts on my mind tonight: 1). I've been pretty down about how many states are trying to get rid of collective bargaining for their public employees even though I am not a union member. There's a whole wave of anti-public employee sentiment out there because we get better retirement benefits than private sector employees, but we earn it by accepting less pay during our working years so that when we retire, we'll have decent benefits to live on. However, now states are moving to sharply reduce those benefits for retirees and my fear is that they'll want to bolster Social Security by ending the public employee retirement plans and putting us all on Social Security, which pays far less than the public employee retirement plans. Even if they keep those retirement plans intact, sharply reducing benefits for retirees is going to drive people to work and never be able to retire. As it is, even those of us still working have lousy health care and dental care benefits and we end up paying most of our own costs out of pocket, and who can afford THAT these days in our stagnant economy? 2). Really? You build a nuclear reactor on top of a severely earthquake prone area and you're not surprised when it fails when The Big One hits and you're suddenly faced with a nuclear catastrophe? What in the HELL was Japan thinking, anyway? 3). The Constitution specifically states in Article I, Section 8 that only Congress has the power "to declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water; To raise and support Armies, but no appropriation to that use shall be for a longer term than two years." Um, so why are we now fighting a THIRD war, albeit an undeclared one, in Libya, while we are still fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? And how on earth are we going to pay for it when our federal deficit is at a new record high and we have pressing needs here at home? Can someone please explain to me how we're supposed to fund infrastructure, schools, health care and more here in the US when we've got armies fighting not one but THREE wars that were undeclared and are therefore illegal according to the Constitution? 4). Gas prices have shot through the roof since the Libya conflict began a few weeks back. Really? Why? We get so little oil from Libya that it seems that speculators are at it again, bound and determined to wreck whatever fragile economic recovery we've accomplished since the bottom dropped out of the economy back in '08. The Wall Street crooks who took our economy over a cliff suffered no punishment as a result and instead, were rewarded with fat hefty bonuses, laughing as they did all the way to the bank. They knew they took us for suckers and won. When is someone going to do something about this? 5). Just how is it that I can drink three cups of double strength coffee and STILL feel like I could fall asleep at any moment? Why is it that some days, I am so sleepy that nothing will wake me up? Today has been one of those days. Maybe it's the weather or something.....6). Times were, when I went to conferences and/or conventions in the past, there were always plenty of freebies. Now there aren't any. Meals are meager as well, not nearly as nice as they once were. It's a sign of the times that everyone's hurting financially to where you no longer get those cool freebie giveaways at conventions anymore. And meals are serve yourself soup and sandwich bars instead of being served a nice entrée and dessert like we once used to get. I have to wonder if this is the "New Normal" for the way things are going to be from now on, even so far as the way we live our lives, a new frugality instead of mindless consumption. Well, if so, it's a good thing, really.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Random thoughts for a Wednesday evening
Sorry I haven't blogged much of late. So much going on and I've also been very tired due to short staffing at work, so I've been falling asleep pretty early in the evening. So here are the random thoughts on my mind tonight: 1). I've been pretty down about how many states are trying to get rid of collective bargaining for their public employees even though I am not a union member. There's a whole wave of anti-public employee sentiment out there because we get better retirement benefits than private sector employees, but we earn it by accepting less pay during our working years so that when we retire, we'll have decent benefits to live on. However, now states are moving to sharply reduce those benefits for retirees and my fear is that they'll want to bolster Social Security by ending the public employee retirement plans and putting us all on Social Security, which pays far less than the public employee retirement plans. Even if they keep those retirement plans intact, sharply reducing benefits for retirees is going to drive people to work and never be able to retire. As it is, even those of us still working have lousy health care and dental care benefits and we end up paying most of our own costs out of pocket, and who can afford THAT these days in our stagnant economy? 2). Really? You build a nuclear reactor on top of a severely earthquake prone area and you're not surprised when it fails when The Big One hits and you're suddenly faced with a nuclear catastrophe? What in the HELL was Japan thinking, anyway? 3). The Constitution specifically states in Article I, Section 8 that only Congress has the power "to declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water; To raise and support Armies, but no appropriation to that use shall be for a longer term than two years." Um, so why are we now fighting a THIRD war, albeit an undeclared one, in Libya, while we are still fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? And how on earth are we going to pay for it when our federal deficit is at a new record high and we have pressing needs here at home? Can someone please explain to me how we're supposed to fund infrastructure, schools, health care and more here in the US when we've got armies fighting not one but THREE wars that were undeclared and are therefore illegal according to the Constitution? 4). Gas prices have shot through the roof since the Libya conflict began a few weeks back. Really? Why? We get so little oil from Libya that it seems that speculators are at it again, bound and determined to wreck whatever fragile economic recovery we've accomplished since the bottom dropped out of the economy back in '08. The Wall Street crooks who took our economy over a cliff suffered no punishment as a result and instead, were rewarded with fat hefty bonuses, laughing as they did all the way to the bank. They knew they took us for suckers and won. When is someone going to do something about this? 5). Just how is it that I can drink three cups of double strength coffee and STILL feel like I could fall asleep at any moment? Why is it that some days, I am so sleepy that nothing will wake me up? Today has been one of those days. Maybe it's the weather or something.....6). Times were, when I went to conferences and/or conventions in the past, there were always plenty of freebies. Now there aren't any. Meals are meager as well, not nearly as nice as they once were. It's a sign of the times that everyone's hurting financially to where you no longer get those cool freebie giveaways at conventions anymore. And meals are serve yourself soup and sandwich bars instead of being served a nice entrée and dessert like we once used to get. I have to wonder if this is the "New Normal" for the way things are going to be from now on, even so far as the way we live our lives, a new frugality instead of mindless consumption. Well, if so, it's a good thing, really.
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1 comment:
1. Trashing collective bargaining for public employees isn't for saving money, nor is it for destroying their pension schemes. It's pure union busting.
The sole purpose is to take money out of the pockets of AFSCME so they can't contribute to democrats' campaigns.
See also: Citizens United.
It is a completely transparent power grab. Alas, transparency isn't of much avail when most of America is looking the other way.
2. Japan isn't any better at keeping eye on the nuclear industry that the US is. They built where it was convenient.
3. Running the US bankrupt is the entire idea. They want an excuse to reverse the New Deal and return to the days of the robber barons. They're well on their way to accomplishing that goal.
4. Yes.
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