Voter Registration Deadline

Short and sweet post today:

REGISTER TO VOTE!

 

Bail Out Revised

The House of Representatives will be voting on the revised bail out today. I have revised on my original opinion: Vote No!, to Vote H*** No!

Earlier I said that the revisions of this plan were not going to be able to make this plan good because it is flawed from inception. It was meant to bail out Wall Street and leae Main Street out in the cold. They fought hard to keep regulations like caps on CEO pay outs because it was meant, in fact, to secure those payouts to begin with. It was meant to make sure that when the GOP’s friends “small gov’t, big business” ran companies into the ground, we, the taxpayers would come in, save them, and ensure that these executives could still walk off with a nice chunk of money. The insertion of heavier regulation is really why the GOP voted no on the bill. It was because Bush wanted a blank check party to dole out $700B as they saw fit (friends and family plan). The revisions took away the ability for the GOP to throw themselves a $700B party before getting kicked out of office.

The revisions did not, however, do much to actually save the economy. It still was not enough to help out, in the GOP’s words, “Joe Six-Pack”. Although, IMHO, if Joe is going bankrupt, he should scale back on the six-pack, and swtich parties while he’s at it. The Dem’s original revision gains cushioned Joe Steelworker, but doesn’t save him, because you can’t fix a distorted plan!

So, now the Dem’s had to figure out how to get the GOP to vote for a bill they wanted in the first place, but abandoned when the Dem’s put rules on it. So, what are the new new new revisions aimed at pleasing GOP? Why, pork barrel of course!

As per CNN and Taxpayers for Common Sense,  Along with the temp. FDIC hike, we’ve all heard about (by the way, temp means not premanent! Don’t get so excited about it!) And the mortgage revision revisions, they’ve also padded it up to the brim with pork. What kind of pork? arrow-specific  excise-tax exemption for the manufactorers of arrows for child archers. Congratulations, Rose City Archery in Myrtle Point, Oregon

What else?  $100M goes to the creation of a seven-year cost recovery period for construction of a motorsports racetrack. Poor down and out ractrack owners finally get a break on deprecation costs of their racetracks.

$19 billion for a two-year research extension. The beneficiaries: Microsoft Corp., Boeing Co., United Technologies Corp., Electronic Data Systems Corp. and Harley-Davidson

$192M for excise tax refunds to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands for rum. Will we get cheaper rum to drown our economic woes? I’m in for this one then.

Also, Kudos to Alaska Rep. Don Young for getting $49 million additional dollars for plaintiffs getting money from Exxon Mobile.  Alaska is really doling out great people lately.

$3.3 billion to rural schools and communities. Ok, sure, go for it…. or send $3.3 to California, they’re about to go bankrupt.

$478 million goes to reduce the cost of film-production. So, when you get kicked out of your house, at least you’ll be comforted knowing that film production is still alive and kicking. Thank you, Diane Watson for your hard fight to keep us enjoying the movies.

Abunch of other crap I’m tired of writing about. Basically, if you own a race track, make a specific type of arrow, movies, rum, or wool clothing, computers, or planes, or are getting money from Exxon Mobile, then you win! woohoo, you’ve been “bailed out”

 

2AM Gas Adventure

So I’m sure most people are now aware that Atlanta has a gas shortage.  Up until last week, I haven’t had too much trouble finiding gas because I don’t fill up often since I drive a Honda and although most gas stations near my house were all out there were 1 or 2 dependable stetions to get gas at.

Last week my husband woke up early on Saturday and wen to fill up my car. It took him about 2 hours and a 15 mile drive to find gas. Either way, he filled up my tank while I slept in, so I didn’t really feel the gas shortage until Friday when I was at a quarter tank and there was nowhere to get gas and the 1 station that had gas also had incredibly long lines.

Friday night when I picked up my sister she told us that her friend had gotten up at 3am to get gas and saw no lines at that time. Of course, thinking we are clever, my husband and I stayed up until 2am and went out to the gas station. There was a huge line where there had always been gas and no other gas station had gas. We drove back to the original gas station to find out that the huge line wasn’t moving because they were actually in line for the next gas delivery, which came at 6am. We were not about to sit at the gas station for 4 hours. We went home and he went back to the gas station at 7am with the intention to fill up my tank, get some gas in the gas can, so he could put enough gas in his car to get him to the station and fill up his car. Well, he was able to fill up my tank and the gas ran out at that station.

As it was his and my sister’s bday weekend we drove out to my aunt’s Sunday. As we drove out of our neighborhood there was also no gas to be found north of Atlanta. Now we’re back at half a tank in my car and no gas in his car. All three of us are riding in my car and hoping that we’ll be able to find gas tomorrow.

In case you were wondering what the government of Georgia is doing about this crisis: He took a trip to Spain and thought it would be fun to take the head of the DOT with him. He also waitied a whole week after the other Southeastern states asked for help from the EPA before he thought it would be necessary to ask for help. Nevermind that Georgia has the largest city in the southeast and we would probably need to ask for help before anyone else. Nevermind that people asked him to call off the UGA – Bama game to avoid a bunch of out-of towners taking the little gas we do have. Nevermind that there are about a million alternatives that he could implement. However, since he doesn’t fill up his own tank, the state does it for him, he has no clue what the rest of us are dealing with.  I sincerely hope that Georgians take this as a clue as to the mismanagement of a Republican government and finally overturn a red Gerorgia to a Blue state. It’s about time!

I propose that one of these big department store hold a gas shortage sale; giving 15% off online purchases and free shipping to keep people at home and that all of these big Atlanta-based companies get their employees to telecommute until the crisis dies down. Let’s everyone stay home!

 

To The Democrats

Dear Congresspeople of the Democratic Party:

For the good of this nation, stand up, dig in your heels and DO NOT pass Bush’s Bail Out plan. It is the single worst thing that culd happen to the economy at this point. A cabinet member would wind up with more power than the president and without any checks or balances.

Do not allow yourselves to be pushed into passing a flawed proposal simply because “something has to be done”. That is not the solution. Stop wasting time with this garbage plan and get a bipartisan commitee together to analyze and study the best way to get the country out of the hole we’re falling deeper and deeper into and to protect the everyday American person.

The Bush Bail OUt will leave the country more indebted, with less power, and no solutions.

Something has to be done, but this is not it.

Sincerely,

Me, average American