It is hard to write about some things in the Bible. Especially those things and times known as the End Time. Just bringing it up can cause some people to go into a rage. Others refuse to discuss it as being irrelevant and not worthy of discussion. To the last group I have an answer. If it was important enough for Jesus to spend his whole last night on earth discussing it with his disciples he evidently felt it was important. If not why didn't he spend his time sharing and reminiscing with his followers. Jesus prayer in John 17 shows that Christ prayed not just for those who were with him at that time. He also prayed for us that would follow him based on their testimony. (verse 21) Going to Luke 21:31 Jesus made it clear, "So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is at hand." In the book of Luke, Jesus proclaimed, "This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled." In the 21st chapter Jesus is giving all the signs and things that will come to pass as the end of time approaches. One of the prophecies he gives makes it clear that Israel for a time will not exist as a nation..He makes it clear in verse 24, "They shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled."
The above quotes raise two questions. At least in my mind. How long is a generation? Also what and how long are the "Times of the Gentiles" that he speaks of. They are related issues and they are important as they are the triggers. These two events set the stage so those who follow Jesus will know that the end of time is drawing near. If you have studied the events to come at the end time. You will want to know. It will not be a pleasant time. Knowing that it will come to an end may give us courage to face the trials that are happening.
Let me deal with the "Time of the Gentiles" first as it is easier to see and to explain. Basically Jesus was saying there would be a period of time that the Gentiles would rule the world. Israel would not be a part of world of events as the Jewish people would be scattered. Yet Israel is important in the Bible's description of end time events. Therefore Israel had to be on the scene for the Bible's end time events to be fulfilled. In 1947 the matter of Israel being a nation was bought before the United Nations and a vote was taken. It was approved in November 1947, but Israel did not become a physical nation till May of 1948. With Israel's return to the world scene and the Jews having a place to call home "The Time of the Gentiles" was over and prophecy was fulfilled. Read Isaiah 66:5-24, especially verse 8, "a nation born in a day." The rebirth of Israel started the end time clock ticking. The question now is how long is a generation.
There are several interpretations of what a generation is. I will give a couple and hopefully it will make sense to you. In the book of Numbers the 32nd chapter verses 11 to 13 give a couple time frames. Verse eleven says that none of the men from twenty years old and upward would enter the promised land. So is generation twenty years. If you continue to read the Bible verse thirteen says God made them wander in the wilderness for forty years so that all those who were twenty or above would pass away and not enter into the Promised land. Well twenty and forty equal sixty years of age. So sixty years could be used to describe a generation. Some people believe that Numbers 32:15 declares a generation to be forty years. Often I hear people say it is a seventy year period, but I have found no justification for it. There are some seventy year time periods, but nowhere did I read that seventy was a generation. I have been wrong before. so if someone finds the time frame I would appreciate if they would share the verses with me.
So the question is what does God say a generation is. God gives us some facts that narrow down what a generation is according to him. Genesis 15:12-16 says Abrams children would be in a land not theirs and that they would be afflicted for 400 years. It also says they will come out of that land in the fourth generation. Well none of the previously mentioned numbers work. Four times seventy only adds up to only 280 years. So the number has to be a number greater than 100. Reading further we find in Exodus 12:41 it says they left Egypt after 430 years to the day. Then they wandered in the wilderness for forty years before entering the Promised Land. God made clear that they would enter in to the Promised Land in the fourth generation.
If we go to Genesis 6:3 it declares mans days shall be 120 years. There are many life terms given of the people and leaders before Moses. All lived longer time periods than 120 years. The first to die at less than a hundred and twenty years was Joesph who died at 110 years of age. Moses was 120 when he died. If you multiply that number times four you come up with 480. Which is a number that works and would put them in Promised land in the fourth generation.
Moses lived 120 years and spent forty years in Egypt, then forty years on the back side of the desert before being called to lead Israel to the promised land. So God did his work in Moses's life in his last forty years. From the birth of Jesus to the destruction of the temple was seventy years. Jesus did his work and ministry in the middle of that seventy year period. The nation of Israel went into the Babylonian captivity for a period of seventy years and spent all seventy years there. I thought there was no seventy year period at the time of Moses, but I was wrong.
So what does all this mean. Not a lot till you do some more research and put it all together. If Israel became a nation in 1947 and you add 120 years to that date you come up with the year 2067. Many people do not know that Sir Issac Newton was a Biblical scholar and he came up with an end date of 2062. There is another number that seems to pop up frequently and shows another timeline, within a timeline. From the birth of Jesus till the destruction of the temple which he prophesied was a period of seventy years. Israel was in the Babylonian captivity for seventy years. I did not think that mattered at the time of Moses because they wandered in the wilderness forty years. If you pay attention to what it says though, there is a seventy year period at the time of Moses. In the book of Joshua it says, "Joshua died being 110 years old. The significance of that is found in Joshua 14:7. It says that when Moses sent Joshua to search out the land he was forty years old. That was before the forty years of wondering in the wilderness. If you subtract 40 from 110 you come up with another 70 year period. If you go seventy years from Israel becoming a nation that gives you a date of 2017.
The generational time period of 120 years is consistent with what God proclaimed a generation to be. I have a much longer writing where I show what I think it all means. It shows God is the same yesterday, today and forever and that he works in a consistent pattern. There is a seven part post on my blog called, Further Down the Path. Part one is dated 3/23/2012 and is basically a book I decided to print an give away free to those interested. It was a 168 pages but was turning into a biography. I went back and cut most of me out. Some had to stay to explain how I came to the understanding that I have of what the Bible says on the End Time. I invite you to read it. If nothing else read part seven and it may open your eyes to some things that have always been there for us to see, but I learned more by changing how I looked at the Bible. It is nothing knew, but it is how it is explained that makes it say anything. We are beyond the middle point of a 120 year period. We are approaching the seventy year mark and in my book I explain why that may be significant. Jesus said we would not know the day nor the hour. He said we would be able to discern the times though. The question is are we in that time frame. You have to make up your own mind on that.
One of the only prophecies in the Bible that has not been fulfilled as far as I can tell is the coming of the two witnesses to the End Time mentioned in Revelation 11. That prophecy could not have been fulfilled till this day and age, but now it can. Why couldn't it have happened before? It says the witnesses shall be slain and lay dead in the streets of Jerusalem for three days. It also says they shall be viewed by the whole world and people will celebrate their death. That prophecy has only been able to be fulfilled in the last few years.
So now it can come to pass. To me that is the point at which the Rapture happens if you believe in it. So the stage is set.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Saturday, October 13, 2012
The Deficit, The GDP and Other Media Lies
The media loves to spin things to make it look like they have a complete understanding of all that is going on in the world around them. They really do not have a clue. They are victims like the rest of us. When crisis happens they feel obligated to spout some form of understanding of what is going on. The recent attack on our embassy in Libya is a perfect example. They took what they heard the government say and ran with it. They published it loud and wide. Only a few weeks later the facts came out. Now they want to point fingers and scream with indignity that they were lied to. Well their job is to check the facts and put them out and not create their own facts. Here is an example of what I am talking about.
All through this election cycle the media has been screaming. "No President has ever been re-elected when the unemployment rate has been over 8%. Well the facts do not back that statement up. The unemployment rate in 32 when FDR was elected was 23.6%, by 1936 he had managed to trim it 19.9% and by 1940 the rate was down to a respectable 14.6%.. What those numbers fail to show is that in 1937 FDR thought the economy was getting better and they increased taxes. Growth stopped dead in its tracks. They back tracked and the numbers were coming down as we approached World War II. The war is the only thing that created a stimulus. The rate did go down to 1.2% by the 1944 election.
Today we are facing mandatory tax increases in January of 2013. If Congress fails to act, and the taxes are allowed to go up it will end any forward motion the economy is having. The recent public debates have shown that neither party has a clear answer to the problems. Candidate Ryan showed clearly that he is still for wasting money on war. He said he did not approve of pulling out troops. He did not say how he would pay for that continued commitment to Afghanistan. The failure to appropriate funds to pay for the war is half of why our national debt is skyrocketing. My personal opinion is I am far more willing to spend money to help my fellow Americans. Spending money to help people who still have a stone age mentality is a waste of time. You can put a suit on a gorilla and it may look nice, but that does not mean it is any smarter.
Neither party has a definite plan to create jobs. All through the roaring twenties the property markets were losing ground. The industrial growth more than compensated for the losses experienced by farmers. In 1928 unemployment was 4.2% and things seemed rosy. The problem was that people were starting to feel the effects of the losses in the real estate markets and cutting back on investing. As soon as the little guys quit buying things the markets started to dry up. Suddenly the demand for steel to make cars and planes was going down. It started a movement that turned into a tidal wave. It is the little people that drive the markets with their expenditures, not the wealthy. The wealthy add to the problem by hoarding their money instead of reinvesting it.
While I personally do not like FDR he did understand the situation pretty well. He made the comment,
"We have nothing to fear, but fear itself." He understood that if people felt threatened they tended to hold on to what they had and ride out the storm. They did not want to lose what they had. The problem with that mindset was that as they held on to their money it created a snowball that just kept growing. America is at the same point again. Americans are showing signs that they believe that things are getting better. The snowball is half ways down the slope and whether it continues to the bottom or melts where it is at depends basically on perceptions.
The media has also been saying this is the worse recession since the Great Depression. Based on that fact higher unemployment numbers should be expected. The present administration does not have some magic bullet to fix the problem. The media is screaming that the GDP is the greatest sign we have of a problem. Well they do not get it at all. The national debt at the start of Great Depression was only 38% of GDP, and the economy collapsed. Yet in 1945 at the end of World War II the national debt was 122% of the GDP and it did not stop the economy. In fact the economy took off and boomed for years. The difference was jobs.
I hear the candidates all talking about the need for jobs, but they are not talking about how or what kind of jobs they will create. They talk about creating an environment for growth, but they do not say how they will create that growth. They do not say what kind of jobs they will encourage. If the mandatory tax hikes are allowed to happen millions of jobs will be lost. If the Republicans win and they make all the cuts they are proposing millions of jobs will be lost. Neither of these situations will stop pushing the snowball down the hill. Cutting business taxes and doing away with loopholes will help the situation. Creating jobs fixing infrastructure may spend money, but it does create jobs, that may help create more jobs. This in turn creates more tax revenue which gives the government more money to pay its bills and reduce its debt.
Reducing the debt is one thing that has to be a priority. After World War II the government paid down the debt. We need to focus in that direction again. Building infrastructure to support the war machine and rebuild the World after World War II is what drove our economy. The problem was we were so busy helping the World we failed to take care of our own problems. As we modernize an rebuild America it will create a new wave of jobs and prosperity. While I agree with candidate Romney that the Government is not the one that creates jobs. It is the one that creates the demands for improvements that drives the need for jobs. We need to build the infrastructure that will help us compete in the 21st Century. It is also not the governments job to support industries such as solar and wind energy. The government however can help create markets by reducing the political obstacles to growth. Tariffs not thought out can cost as many jobs as they create. We need to keep our eye on what really levels the playing field.
What would help is if the media would read Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution and ask Congress why they are not doing their job. Why have they failed to do the duties assigned to them in the Constitution. What are they going to do about their duty to manage the governments spending? What are they going to do about the military that they no longer seem to be in charge of? Finally when are they going to define what providing for the Welfare of America covers? They need to wake up and do their job. I think Welfare can be defined pretty clearly by what the average person provides for their own family. Shelter, Food, Clothing, Healthcare, Education and Security which are all the things they need to grow. Just as our nation needs the same things to grow. Wasting funds as they are in Afghanistan is shortchanging Americans that could put the funds to much better use.
We still need to defend America but how we do it could change. We could and can use the drones, cruise missiles and sniper units that are supplied with intelligence from an Army of undercover spies that makes each engagement with enemies of our country a terminal event. We need to use a surgical strategy and the not the sledgehammer approach we used kill a few cockroaches. We need to cut off all aid to countries that support our enemies, like Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Put all those nations on a target list and let it be known if they support terrorist they will receive appropriate retaliation for any attacks originating from their countries. A bomb on the home neighborhood of all the 9/11 terrorist might have been cruel, but it would have be just payback. Those people would not be less innocent than were the Americans killed by their friends and neighbors. They would understand their is a price to be paid for supporting terrorism. That may sound barbaric, but it would be speaking to them in a language they may understand.
All through this election cycle the media has been screaming. "No President has ever been re-elected when the unemployment rate has been over 8%. Well the facts do not back that statement up. The unemployment rate in 32 when FDR was elected was 23.6%, by 1936 he had managed to trim it 19.9% and by 1940 the rate was down to a respectable 14.6%.. What those numbers fail to show is that in 1937 FDR thought the economy was getting better and they increased taxes. Growth stopped dead in its tracks. They back tracked and the numbers were coming down as we approached World War II. The war is the only thing that created a stimulus. The rate did go down to 1.2% by the 1944 election.
Today we are facing mandatory tax increases in January of 2013. If Congress fails to act, and the taxes are allowed to go up it will end any forward motion the economy is having. The recent public debates have shown that neither party has a clear answer to the problems. Candidate Ryan showed clearly that he is still for wasting money on war. He said he did not approve of pulling out troops. He did not say how he would pay for that continued commitment to Afghanistan. The failure to appropriate funds to pay for the war is half of why our national debt is skyrocketing. My personal opinion is I am far more willing to spend money to help my fellow Americans. Spending money to help people who still have a stone age mentality is a waste of time. You can put a suit on a gorilla and it may look nice, but that does not mean it is any smarter.
Neither party has a definite plan to create jobs. All through the roaring twenties the property markets were losing ground. The industrial growth more than compensated for the losses experienced by farmers. In 1928 unemployment was 4.2% and things seemed rosy. The problem was that people were starting to feel the effects of the losses in the real estate markets and cutting back on investing. As soon as the little guys quit buying things the markets started to dry up. Suddenly the demand for steel to make cars and planes was going down. It started a movement that turned into a tidal wave. It is the little people that drive the markets with their expenditures, not the wealthy. The wealthy add to the problem by hoarding their money instead of reinvesting it.
While I personally do not like FDR he did understand the situation pretty well. He made the comment,
"We have nothing to fear, but fear itself." He understood that if people felt threatened they tended to hold on to what they had and ride out the storm. They did not want to lose what they had. The problem with that mindset was that as they held on to their money it created a snowball that just kept growing. America is at the same point again. Americans are showing signs that they believe that things are getting better. The snowball is half ways down the slope and whether it continues to the bottom or melts where it is at depends basically on perceptions.
The media has also been saying this is the worse recession since the Great Depression. Based on that fact higher unemployment numbers should be expected. The present administration does not have some magic bullet to fix the problem. The media is screaming that the GDP is the greatest sign we have of a problem. Well they do not get it at all. The national debt at the start of Great Depression was only 38% of GDP, and the economy collapsed. Yet in 1945 at the end of World War II the national debt was 122% of the GDP and it did not stop the economy. In fact the economy took off and boomed for years. The difference was jobs.
I hear the candidates all talking about the need for jobs, but they are not talking about how or what kind of jobs they will create. They talk about creating an environment for growth, but they do not say how they will create that growth. They do not say what kind of jobs they will encourage. If the mandatory tax hikes are allowed to happen millions of jobs will be lost. If the Republicans win and they make all the cuts they are proposing millions of jobs will be lost. Neither of these situations will stop pushing the snowball down the hill. Cutting business taxes and doing away with loopholes will help the situation. Creating jobs fixing infrastructure may spend money, but it does create jobs, that may help create more jobs. This in turn creates more tax revenue which gives the government more money to pay its bills and reduce its debt.
Reducing the debt is one thing that has to be a priority. After World War II the government paid down the debt. We need to focus in that direction again. Building infrastructure to support the war machine and rebuild the World after World War II is what drove our economy. The problem was we were so busy helping the World we failed to take care of our own problems. As we modernize an rebuild America it will create a new wave of jobs and prosperity. While I agree with candidate Romney that the Government is not the one that creates jobs. It is the one that creates the demands for improvements that drives the need for jobs. We need to build the infrastructure that will help us compete in the 21st Century. It is also not the governments job to support industries such as solar and wind energy. The government however can help create markets by reducing the political obstacles to growth. Tariffs not thought out can cost as many jobs as they create. We need to keep our eye on what really levels the playing field.
What would help is if the media would read Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution and ask Congress why they are not doing their job. Why have they failed to do the duties assigned to them in the Constitution. What are they going to do about their duty to manage the governments spending? What are they going to do about the military that they no longer seem to be in charge of? Finally when are they going to define what providing for the Welfare of America covers? They need to wake up and do their job. I think Welfare can be defined pretty clearly by what the average person provides for their own family. Shelter, Food, Clothing, Healthcare, Education and Security which are all the things they need to grow. Just as our nation needs the same things to grow. Wasting funds as they are in Afghanistan is shortchanging Americans that could put the funds to much better use.
We still need to defend America but how we do it could change. We could and can use the drones, cruise missiles and sniper units that are supplied with intelligence from an Army of undercover spies that makes each engagement with enemies of our country a terminal event. We need to use a surgical strategy and the not the sledgehammer approach we used kill a few cockroaches. We need to cut off all aid to countries that support our enemies, like Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Put all those nations on a target list and let it be known if they support terrorist they will receive appropriate retaliation for any attacks originating from their countries. A bomb on the home neighborhood of all the 9/11 terrorist might have been cruel, but it would have be just payback. Those people would not be less innocent than were the Americans killed by their friends and neighbors. They would understand their is a price to be paid for supporting terrorism. That may sound barbaric, but it would be speaking to them in a language they may understand.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Big Bird An Endangered Species, Under Romney's Axe
Mitt Romney may have seemed to win the debate on Wednesday night, but at what cost. The truth came out about how ruthlessly he will cut and downsize the government. His goal is to get rid of PBS and Big Bird. The spending on Big Bird is just a sign of the problem, but getting rid of him is definitely not the solution to the problem. Romney showed there are no sacred cows, or birds, when the budget ax is in his hand. Does the government need to be down sized. Yes it does need to be downsized, but in doing so we need to look at the worth of the programs we are axing. Big Bird is an educational icon.
I doubt many people knew that Big Bird, in reality, is one of "Those People." He is one of the deadbeats in Romney's 47% living off the government, that candidate Romney plans to give the ax. While Romney professed to be pro-education he threatened to get rid of an education program that has been around for over 40 years. It shows the absolute ruthlessness of his cost cutting measures. Yes the government needs to be downsized, but it needs to be done with some common sense. Article 1. Section 8 says clearly that it is Congress's duty to promote the progress of science and the "useful arts." Education is considered useful by most people. The people who get the ax under the "Romney Plan" will join the ranks of the unemployed. Putting more people on unemployment. That may not be a problem though, as that may be another program, Romney plans to do away with.
One of the few comments of Romney worth mentioning was his slam of Obama's renewable energy programs. Yet he defended giving the rich oil companies their tax breaks and handouts by the government. That only proves his willingness to help the rich get richer and while keeping the poor in their place. He did, however, make the point it is not the governments duty to invest in renewable energy companies. The only roll of government in promoting renewable energy should be the elimination of regulatory road blocks. The putting in place of tariffs to level the playing field is not a solution either. Many companies that buy parts overseas create assembly jobs here in America. Decisions on tariffs should be better thought out before putting them in place.
While the Constitution was mentioned, the issue of infrastructure was not. The failure of Congress and the the government to perform the duties delegated to them by the Constitution was totally ignored. If you wonder what I am talking about on the duties of the Congress, type Congress in the search bar on this blog and it will take you to my discussions on this issue. Almost all the problems facing America today have been created by and aggravated by total government incompetence. Most of the Congress have no clue what the view of the Constitution is. Many of the programs that should be run by the states have been taken over by the Federal Government. Also many of the programs created by the Federal Government have no validity under the Constitution.
Romney may have technically won the debate, but I feel one sacred cow (Bird) he stepped on may have been a big enough gaffe to cost him the election. Only time will tell, but he definitely may have lost the youth vote. He let the cat out of the bag as to what his intention really are. While he may have been good in the debate, the real Romney came out in force. Yet he never gave definition or defined what cuts he would make, and to what programs, other the axing of PBS and Big Bird.
President Obama could pick up on a couple of Romney's business ideas and implement them himself after he is re-elected. Obama could implement the across the board cuts Romney spoke of. In fact Obama could offer Romney a job as middle man between him and the Republican Congress. If Obama put forth Romney's ideas they would be shot down. Mainly because they would be coming from the President.
There is a deep seated bias and racism in Congress's attitude. I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer. However, when I was in the Army they made me the token white in a twelve man room. For quite awhile I was the minority and I did learn what bias and discrimination are all about. When you offer an idea that your enemy advocated and they reject it, it is a sign of bias and bigotry. When I see some of the Congressmen talking I can almost picture them using the N__ Word in their speeches. In private conversations I am sure some of them do use the Word. They were not elected to get rid of the President. They were elected to serve the country. The first thing many of them need to do is read the Constitution and come to an understanding of what it says and means. That would give Congress direction and solve many of the problems facing this country today. If nothing else they need to understand, and define the word Welfare and what it means in relation to the Constitution and their duties to this country. That would be a big step toward fixing the problems with our country. It is "their duty" to control the spending, taxes and budget of the United States. So our present situation stems from "their failure" to do "their job."
Maybe a petition needs to be put forward to make Big Bird the national bird. Then he could be protected as an endangered species. I am sure they could create dozens of agencies and an programs to ensure his safety as a national icon.
I doubt many people knew that Big Bird, in reality, is one of "Those People." He is one of the deadbeats in Romney's 47% living off the government, that candidate Romney plans to give the ax. While Romney professed to be pro-education he threatened to get rid of an education program that has been around for over 40 years. It shows the absolute ruthlessness of his cost cutting measures. Yes the government needs to be downsized, but it needs to be done with some common sense. Article 1. Section 8 says clearly that it is Congress's duty to promote the progress of science and the "useful arts." Education is considered useful by most people. The people who get the ax under the "Romney Plan" will join the ranks of the unemployed. Putting more people on unemployment. That may not be a problem though, as that may be another program, Romney plans to do away with.
One of the few comments of Romney worth mentioning was his slam of Obama's renewable energy programs. Yet he defended giving the rich oil companies their tax breaks and handouts by the government. That only proves his willingness to help the rich get richer and while keeping the poor in their place. He did, however, make the point it is not the governments duty to invest in renewable energy companies. The only roll of government in promoting renewable energy should be the elimination of regulatory road blocks. The putting in place of tariffs to level the playing field is not a solution either. Many companies that buy parts overseas create assembly jobs here in America. Decisions on tariffs should be better thought out before putting them in place.
While the Constitution was mentioned, the issue of infrastructure was not. The failure of Congress and the the government to perform the duties delegated to them by the Constitution was totally ignored. If you wonder what I am talking about on the duties of the Congress, type Congress in the search bar on this blog and it will take you to my discussions on this issue. Almost all the problems facing America today have been created by and aggravated by total government incompetence. Most of the Congress have no clue what the view of the Constitution is. Many of the programs that should be run by the states have been taken over by the Federal Government. Also many of the programs created by the Federal Government have no validity under the Constitution.
Romney may have technically won the debate, but I feel one sacred cow (Bird) he stepped on may have been a big enough gaffe to cost him the election. Only time will tell, but he definitely may have lost the youth vote. He let the cat out of the bag as to what his intention really are. While he may have been good in the debate, the real Romney came out in force. Yet he never gave definition or defined what cuts he would make, and to what programs, other the axing of PBS and Big Bird.
President Obama could pick up on a couple of Romney's business ideas and implement them himself after he is re-elected. Obama could implement the across the board cuts Romney spoke of. In fact Obama could offer Romney a job as middle man between him and the Republican Congress. If Obama put forth Romney's ideas they would be shot down. Mainly because they would be coming from the President.
There is a deep seated bias and racism in Congress's attitude. I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer. However, when I was in the Army they made me the token white in a twelve man room. For quite awhile I was the minority and I did learn what bias and discrimination are all about. When you offer an idea that your enemy advocated and they reject it, it is a sign of bias and bigotry. When I see some of the Congressmen talking I can almost picture them using the N__ Word in their speeches. In private conversations I am sure some of them do use the Word. They were not elected to get rid of the President. They were elected to serve the country. The first thing many of them need to do is read the Constitution and come to an understanding of what it says and means. That would give Congress direction and solve many of the problems facing this country today. If nothing else they need to understand, and define the word Welfare and what it means in relation to the Constitution and their duties to this country. That would be a big step toward fixing the problems with our country. It is "their duty" to control the spending, taxes and budget of the United States. So our present situation stems from "their failure" to do "their job."
Maybe a petition needs to be put forward to make Big Bird the national bird. Then he could be protected as an endangered species. I am sure they could create dozens of agencies and an programs to ensure his safety as a national icon.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
End The Insanity, Vote Libertarian, Make A Statement
It is time to end the insanity in American politics. The definition of Insanity is "Doing the same thing, over and over, the same way and expecting to get different results." Which is a perfect description of the present political system in American. We vote one party in and they pass rules. Then we vote the other party in and they undo what the previous party did. This has been done over and over again for years. It is starting to take its toll on America.
Almost all the problems America is suffering under have come from poor leadership of the parties in power. The government has done nothing to solve the problems, they created the problems. Whether you are talking about the job situation, the housing problem, the banking problems, international relations or the big ones like the the deficit and the economy. They all stem from poorly planned and laid out government policies. It is not a matter of who is in charge. Both sides contribute to the problems. Whether it's the Republi-can'ts who will not raise taxes to cover the spending on wars and programs they created. Or if it is the Dum-ol'crats who keep approving programs and spending every penny the country has. The only upside of either party is that the Dum-ol'crats at least raise taxes and appropriate the funds they intend to spend. They also offer a budget. Well at least until Obama came along. The Republi-can'ts on the other hand just spend it and keep saying they will make cuts to pay for their spending. Which they never do.
So the question is, "If you are tired of the same stupid incompetence in Washington, why do you keep voting for it?" The only way to change the pattern is to break the cycle that is causing it. That means either voting for a third party or starting a third party. If we fail to do so we must by definition be insane. Well I like to at least think I am sane. That being said I am attempting to set up my own party. It is called The Constitutional American Reform Party. It is based entirely on what I perceive the Constitution to say are the duties of Congress and what the Constitution says about our rights. Yes I have some radical ideas. Most of them have to do with things where the Congress has exceeded its authority under the Constitution.
I am not afraid to say I am voting for the Libertarian Party this fall. First it comes closer to expressing my point of view than either of the mainstream parties. Maybe if enough Americans would wake up and send a message that we are tired of business as usual. If enough people voted for the Libertarian ticket it could make a difference. It could send a message that we are tired of the "Status Quo." However, like sheep going to slaughter most Americans will do the same things they have always done. The problems will continue on till the country marches off the fiscal cliff and plunges the nation into depression. Then the only thing that may save individuals is either anarchy or revolution. That is scary stuff. It is the reality facing America, and not that far down the road. Maybe the problem is that most Americans figure the world is going to end the 21st of December so their decisions do not matter. All I can say to that matter is that if it does not end physically on the 21st. It will start collapsing financially on January 1st, 2013.
From what I have been hearing and reading the state of Colorado may be the hardest to determine in the voting equation. Several states have marijuana legalization issues on the ballots. The only one supposedly in line with the majority of the voters opinion on the issue is he Libertarian candidate. Their presidential candidate is an ex-governor who is pro-pot. So there are a couple states that could swing away from the mainstream politics. That would happen simply because neither of the mainstream candidates is pro-pot.
The issue could be a game changer in Colorado.
Admittedly even if a candidate was elected to the presidency he could not get much done. He would be bucking both parties. What he would have behind him is a mandate that Americans are ready for change. The incumbents are smart enough to see the writing on the wall. They will quickly see if they do not change directions and figure out how to be competent, they may soon no longer be incumbents.
People say well if you vote for a third party you are throwing your vote away. Well I would rather throw it away voting for a candidate I agree with. That would be far better than voting for someone who I do not only disagree with, but question their competence to do the job. At least then I can look at the mess and say I voted against that.
Each person has to do what they think is right for them. My goal is to vote for the change we did not get with Obama. I can take four more years of him before I can vote for Romney and I have always voted Republican when I have voted for a mainstream candidate. It will not be the first time I have voted Libertarian. I always do when the choice is between the lesser of two evils. Vote your conscience, but do not whine to me if you vote for the main stream candidates.
You are invited to read my party platform and make comments. You can find it on the internet at
constitutionalamericanreformparty.blogspot.com The Constitutional American Reform Party, or C.A.R.P. which translates to carp which means to complain. It is also a type of fish which is thought to be distasteful, but if you know how to prepare it is good eating. Yes it is also a Christian based party. I can no longer follow the self righteous conservative views of the Republican Party and I certainly can not be part of a party that booed God at their convention. Maybe I march to a different drummer, but at least the music is more pleasing to my taste.
Almost all the problems America is suffering under have come from poor leadership of the parties in power. The government has done nothing to solve the problems, they created the problems. Whether you are talking about the job situation, the housing problem, the banking problems, international relations or the big ones like the the deficit and the economy. They all stem from poorly planned and laid out government policies. It is not a matter of who is in charge. Both sides contribute to the problems. Whether it's the Republi-can'ts who will not raise taxes to cover the spending on wars and programs they created. Or if it is the Dum-ol'crats who keep approving programs and spending every penny the country has. The only upside of either party is that the Dum-ol'crats at least raise taxes and appropriate the funds they intend to spend. They also offer a budget. Well at least until Obama came along. The Republi-can'ts on the other hand just spend it and keep saying they will make cuts to pay for their spending. Which they never do.
So the question is, "If you are tired of the same stupid incompetence in Washington, why do you keep voting for it?" The only way to change the pattern is to break the cycle that is causing it. That means either voting for a third party or starting a third party. If we fail to do so we must by definition be insane. Well I like to at least think I am sane. That being said I am attempting to set up my own party. It is called The Constitutional American Reform Party. It is based entirely on what I perceive the Constitution to say are the duties of Congress and what the Constitution says about our rights. Yes I have some radical ideas. Most of them have to do with things where the Congress has exceeded its authority under the Constitution.
I am not afraid to say I am voting for the Libertarian Party this fall. First it comes closer to expressing my point of view than either of the mainstream parties. Maybe if enough Americans would wake up and send a message that we are tired of business as usual. If enough people voted for the Libertarian ticket it could make a difference. It could send a message that we are tired of the "Status Quo." However, like sheep going to slaughter most Americans will do the same things they have always done. The problems will continue on till the country marches off the fiscal cliff and plunges the nation into depression. Then the only thing that may save individuals is either anarchy or revolution. That is scary stuff. It is the reality facing America, and not that far down the road. Maybe the problem is that most Americans figure the world is going to end the 21st of December so their decisions do not matter. All I can say to that matter is that if it does not end physically on the 21st. It will start collapsing financially on January 1st, 2013.
From what I have been hearing and reading the state of Colorado may be the hardest to determine in the voting equation. Several states have marijuana legalization issues on the ballots. The only one supposedly in line with the majority of the voters opinion on the issue is he Libertarian candidate. Their presidential candidate is an ex-governor who is pro-pot. So there are a couple states that could swing away from the mainstream politics. That would happen simply because neither of the mainstream candidates is pro-pot.
The issue could be a game changer in Colorado.
Admittedly even if a candidate was elected to the presidency he could not get much done. He would be bucking both parties. What he would have behind him is a mandate that Americans are ready for change. The incumbents are smart enough to see the writing on the wall. They will quickly see if they do not change directions and figure out how to be competent, they may soon no longer be incumbents.
People say well if you vote for a third party you are throwing your vote away. Well I would rather throw it away voting for a candidate I agree with. That would be far better than voting for someone who I do not only disagree with, but question their competence to do the job. At least then I can look at the mess and say I voted against that.
Each person has to do what they think is right for them. My goal is to vote for the change we did not get with Obama. I can take four more years of him before I can vote for Romney and I have always voted Republican when I have voted for a mainstream candidate. It will not be the first time I have voted Libertarian. I always do when the choice is between the lesser of two evils. Vote your conscience, but do not whine to me if you vote for the main stream candidates.
You are invited to read my party platform and make comments. You can find it on the internet at
constitutionalamericanreformparty.blogspot.com The Constitutional American Reform Party, or C.A.R.P. which translates to carp which means to complain. It is also a type of fish which is thought to be distasteful, but if you know how to prepare it is good eating. Yes it is also a Christian based party. I can no longer follow the self righteous conservative views of the Republican Party and I certainly can not be part of a party that booed God at their convention. Maybe I march to a different drummer, but at least the music is more pleasing to my taste.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Electric Power? Why Not Air? It Could Save Your Life
Gravity Powered & American Made
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Are there any real solutions to the energy problems. Global warming is really not an issue. The earth warms and cools on regular cycles. If mankind is worried about anything, it should be worried about global cooling not warming. You can see why by looking at the chart in my 24 July 2012 blog "2012, Global Turmoil In The Making?" The problem is that there is a finite amount of fossil fuels and we need to move toward renewable energy sources. All the fossil fuels that exist were created by the work of the sun. So the sun is the one true constant form of energy and thereby the most dependable. Looking way, way down the road there will be no fossil fuels left by our presence on the planet. We consume things as fast as they grow. It will take a rather cataclysmic event to replace the fossil fuels we have used. When you think about it and look at all the coal fields and the depths they are at. Then look at oil and the depths it is at, all over the world. Well there evidently have been numerous cataclysmic events in the past and so why could one not happen now. Which is the topic of the previously mentioned blog entry.
Many people think that electric cars are the answer. All electric cars do is extend the length of the tailpipe to a power plant. Yes a car could be charged by wind turbines and solar panels. That is not what happens in most situations though. Most drivers simply plug into the grid. Instead of emissions coming out of their exhaust they come out of a smoke stack some distance away. The trick to solving the problem is to eliminate emissions altogether. There is a way to do that. It could be done with an air powered car. First let me show you that air powered vehicles already exist so this is not a pie in the sky statement. Check out the following links. It will be a few minutes well spent.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRpxhlX4Ga0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBeky4EuyBc
If you bothered to take the time to look at the links on You Tube you can see that in some parts of the world air power is already being developed. The second link shows a project bike by some California college students. It appears to be powered by some type of air tool and is homemade. They used two scuba tanks for an air storage system. It shows that with development it would be a feasible power source. My dream situation would be a compressor run by a bank of batteries. Which in turn would be charged by solar chargers and wind chargers. Absolutely no emissions which should be the goal. Even this system is going to generate emissions indirectly. The processes that build the wind turbines, solar panels and batteries will create emissions.
The nice thing about the air powered system is that it would be capable of operating totally off the grid. It also would eliminate the need to string power lines all over the country. Each home unit would be independent and in event of some kind of natural disaster the homes not hit would be able to provide power for the community. What kind of disaster am I talking about. I am not trying to pump my blog, but some of my articles are inter-related. One will show how or why the other is important and this is just such an example. My 25 April 2012 blog, "America Under A Threat, Worse Than Katrina" show what could possibly happen and how America could prepare for it. It would not only save tons of energy, it would make better use of the energy that is bring used. In the process it would create jobs and it would not have to be government money that is spent doing it.
The Obama administration is spouting off that it is all for renewable energy. Their actions, however, contradict their statements. They have imposed tariffs to level the playing field. Tariffs do not level the playing field. They make prices go up so businesses that can not compete do not have to operate efficiently and competitively with the world markets. That means you and I pay more, which is not how the free enterprise system is suppose to work. Things do not have to be the cheapest to be the most competitive. Many heavy equipment manufacturers such as America's Caterpillar Company are not cheap by any means. They have learned to build a quality machine that has no competition in the markets. Yes there are other brands, but Caterpillar is known for their durability. The market studies I have been reading say our solar panels are not competitive, because they have issues and do not last as long as the foreign ones. It is time for the manufacturers to examine their products and fix the problems and become competitive, like Ford did in the automotive industry. When you build the best you do not need tariffs to level the playing field. Your product will dominate the field. That is something that is being lost in America. The drive and desire too not only be the best, but too make it the standard we aspire to in our business practices.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Welfare? Whose Problem Is It.
One has to wonder what the word "Welfare" means in the context of the United States Constitution. It is mentioned a couple of times. It does not mean food stamps and unemployment checks I am sure. With one out of every six Americans on food stamps it might be something to look at. The Preamble to the Constitution states as follows.
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
Based on the Preamble, providing for the general Welfare is one reason the Constitution was created. It certainly must not have been Welfare in the sense it is understood in this day and age. Welfare in this day and age is almost a curse word. When people talk about Welfare they are talking about something low down and almost sinister and certainly not something our Constitution should be concerned with. Yet when you read the writings of Paine, Franklin and Jefferson it is clear they felt society had a duty to care for its own. Of course they lived in an era when everyone was expected to pull his own weight.
When I think of Welfare in the framework of my family it means providing shelter, education. clothing, food, safety, healthcare and any other of the necessities of life. It is a duty of a parent to provide for his family and those who fail to do so are looked down on. Is a nation any less responsible to its citizens. Why did the Founding Father's even mention Welfare if that is not what they meant. I have come to my own conclusions from what I have read of the Constitution. Article 1, Section 8 lays out the duties of Congress. The parts prior to Section 8 basically lay out who is to do what and how they will be appointed to the positions in Government. So what are the duties of Congress.
Section 8 1: The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;
Reading and applying what the Constitution says should be pretty simple. It says what it means and means what it says. The Congress is to handle the financial obligations, provide for the Defense and General Welfare of the United States. Notice they are all in the same sentence so they all have equal importance and obligation under the Constitution.
Based on that simple understanding Congress has failed the country and not done their job. They have definitely not managed the finances in a responsible manner. They have abdicated their duty to provide for the defense of the United States by allowing the Presidents to commit America's military. Finally they have also failed to provide for the General Welfare. If you read all the duties in Section 8 it is a Congressional duty to provide for the infrastructure and its upkeep.
The job problems we have today are because of the failure of Congress to perform its duties. If they were taking care of the "Infrastructure as they are supposed to, it would create jobs. Contrary to Mitt Romney's claim that government does not create jobs. He is full of nice warm fertilizer. The government creates thousands upon thousands of jobs. They are not directly created, but come from government duties and mandates. The military and the contractors that are jobs created by the government. The interstate and highway systems in America were created and funded by government mandate. So was the internet system that so many business participate in and which has created so many billionaires. No they are not government jobs, but they were created by government decree.
The poor in America today and the welfare programs are not the problem with America. The failure of Congress to do what it is suppose to do is the problem. Those who are suppose to be in positions of leadership in America have no clue what the Constitution says. They are to busy lining their pockets and trying to make sure they keep their jobs to worry about the citizens.
As for Ryan, and please note I am a Ryan also, is a nutcase from the same state as Joe McCarthy and makes about as much sense. The Republican attitude of stripping the poor of their benefits and ending social security as we know it are asinine. He says he wants to save his "Mother's" benefits as they are, but he wants to strip the next generation. My kids already accept that there will be nothing left for them unless things change and change drastically.
Do not think that I am for Obama just because I am not for Romney and Ryan. We have not had a true choice of a person to vote for since Reagan left office. The last several elections have been about choosing the lesser of two evils. The Democrats have never seen a program they did not want to adopt. They spend every cent they can get their hands on. Yet they at least appropriate the money to pay for the programs they create. The Republicans start wars and spend money like drunken sailors, but they then cut taxes and try to put the cost of their stupidity on the backs of the poor.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing, the same way, over and over and expecting to get a different outcome. The Democrats do something and then the Republicans want to undo what the Democrats did. They do not want to create a better system. However, stupidity is not limited to the Republicans. The Obama administration says it is all for renewable energy and making it grow and creating American energy independence. Yet they have created tariffs and duties to keep China out of the American solar markets. Their efforts have almost put companies they showed off as examples of American enterprise out of business.
They supposedly want a level playing field, yet they are stacking the deck in favor of American companies. That is not a level playing field. Two of the largest companies in the world thrive on beating the competition through lower prices. Wal-Mart and McDonald's are both expanding while the world markets are on the verge of crashing. Maybe Congress needs to go to these companies and take some lessons. When politicians stack the deck in favor of American companies they are making American consumers pay the price for American businesses inability to compete.
America can compete on world markets. That can be proven by looking at all the foreign car manufacturers that have moved their plants to the U.S.A. Sure they did it to avoid tariffs and taxes, but they use American labor. There is nothing wrong with American labor. The problem is with American management and American government. Having run my own business I know that the government regulations are a burden that many small businesses do not have the means to cope with. Regulations create hardships that cost more than many businesses can charge and still be competitive.
The only thing I hear either party saying that is right, and that is not from the ones still standing, is that we need to reform the tax code and make a level playing field. No business should get a tax break or a subsidy. If they can not compete with the world markets they need to go out of business and start something that can compete in the world markets. Innovation and creativity are the hallmarks of America. We have always rose to the challenge and if the government would get out of the way or lead by creating infrastructure jobs we can be leaders again.
At the start of the Great Depression the National Debt was only 38% of the GDP. Yet America failed to stay in business. It was a cycle that had reached its peak and we are in the middle of another cycle. Yet at the end of World War II the national debt had risen to 122% of the GDP. The economy did not collapse when the World War ended. It took off. All the damaged infrastructure overseas needed rebuilt and the only ones who were still in a position to supply the materials to rebuild was America. That carried us clear up into the seventies. Then the balances started to shift. The key to surviving and bringing America back is restructuring and rebuilding American industry and infrastructure to compete in the 21st century.
The solution is not starting wars. Which seems to be the mindset in this day and age. The wars today do not cause enough destruction to justify the cost. That may sound crude but it is the truth. As I said earlier foreign car manufacturers have moved their plants here to get a piece of our market. It is their financial war strategy. The shooting war may be over but they are still trying to destroy us. Many American businesses have moved manufacturing out of the country trying to increase their profits. They have unwittingly or intentionally joined the enemy. My last few years in trucking I hauled many factories to the Mexican border and the plants were taken into Mexico. The irony was that just before I retired many of the same factories were coming back north because they could not get the quality of labor they needed to run the equipment or manage their plants to be competitive.
It is my opinion that the renewable energy industries offer great opportunities to compete in world markets. Just take a trip to You Tube and look at renewable energy projects, fish farms and gardening. Americans are moving toward self sustaining industries that may not get them rich but will enable them to survive. Anytime the economy creates hardship it creates bartering and off the grid enterprises that sustain those who can not make it in the regular markets. After awhile it becomes a lifestyle. In my estimation that is a part of where the several hundred thousand people have gone that dropped out of the job market. Thanks to America's experience in the Great Depression many people have learned to take care of themselves. That is why the recession does not feel as bad as it sounds.
Many people are paying off their debt and accumulating no knew debt. They have awakened to the fact that if you have no debt, you do not need as much to get by. They no longer want to be bled by the system. They no longer want to support those who are bleeding the system and it is slowly creating a very divided and different America. The sad or good part, depending on how you look at it, is that the politicians and leaders do not have a clue as to what is going on.
They do not understand that economic slowdowns do not start from the top down. They start from the bottom up. Those who have the least learn to adapt and get by on what little they have. They suddenly quit spending and buying in the markets. Why not trade or barter for a second hand item instead of spending what little you have. As long as both parties are happy. When the lower end consumers quit consuming things start slowing down. It is a fact of life.
The one truth in the whole political and economic picture that is a fact is that without jobs there will be no recovery. So the government better start making it attractive to start a business and hire a person. They better start giving incentives and tax breaks. Not to big business, but to the little businesses that create the majority of the jobs in America and that make the wheels of commerce spin. If they do not take some kind of action America is headed for the recycle bin.
The average American will learn how to survive and provide for his own and his families welfare. It is an American tradition. The failure of the government to provide for the Welfare of the nation will determine whether we stand or fall as a nation. The only solution I see that may save the day is a Constitutionally based third party or it may turn into a nation of anarchy. That is a scary thought but we may find out which way it is going by the time America gets to the edge of the financial abyss in January or February of next year.
If you would like to see a way jobs could be created and a possible worst case scenario you might read my blog of 4/25/2012 America Under A Threat Worse Than Katrina. It is not meant to be scary. It is meant to show how preparing can save lives and help the economy at the same time.
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
Based on the Preamble, providing for the general Welfare is one reason the Constitution was created. It certainly must not have been Welfare in the sense it is understood in this day and age. Welfare in this day and age is almost a curse word. When people talk about Welfare they are talking about something low down and almost sinister and certainly not something our Constitution should be concerned with. Yet when you read the writings of Paine, Franklin and Jefferson it is clear they felt society had a duty to care for its own. Of course they lived in an era when everyone was expected to pull his own weight.
When I think of Welfare in the framework of my family it means providing shelter, education. clothing, food, safety, healthcare and any other of the necessities of life. It is a duty of a parent to provide for his family and those who fail to do so are looked down on. Is a nation any less responsible to its citizens. Why did the Founding Father's even mention Welfare if that is not what they meant. I have come to my own conclusions from what I have read of the Constitution. Article 1, Section 8 lays out the duties of Congress. The parts prior to Section 8 basically lay out who is to do what and how they will be appointed to the positions in Government. So what are the duties of Congress.
Section 8 1: The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;
Reading and applying what the Constitution says should be pretty simple. It says what it means and means what it says. The Congress is to handle the financial obligations, provide for the Defense and General Welfare of the United States. Notice they are all in the same sentence so they all have equal importance and obligation under the Constitution.
Based on that simple understanding Congress has failed the country and not done their job. They have definitely not managed the finances in a responsible manner. They have abdicated their duty to provide for the defense of the United States by allowing the Presidents to commit America's military. Finally they have also failed to provide for the General Welfare. If you read all the duties in Section 8 it is a Congressional duty to provide for the infrastructure and its upkeep.
The job problems we have today are because of the failure of Congress to perform its duties. If they were taking care of the "Infrastructure as they are supposed to, it would create jobs. Contrary to Mitt Romney's claim that government does not create jobs. He is full of nice warm fertilizer. The government creates thousands upon thousands of jobs. They are not directly created, but come from government duties and mandates. The military and the contractors that are jobs created by the government. The interstate and highway systems in America were created and funded by government mandate. So was the internet system that so many business participate in and which has created so many billionaires. No they are not government jobs, but they were created by government decree.
The poor in America today and the welfare programs are not the problem with America. The failure of Congress to do what it is suppose to do is the problem. Those who are suppose to be in positions of leadership in America have no clue what the Constitution says. They are to busy lining their pockets and trying to make sure they keep their jobs to worry about the citizens.
As for Ryan, and please note I am a Ryan also, is a nutcase from the same state as Joe McCarthy and makes about as much sense. The Republican attitude of stripping the poor of their benefits and ending social security as we know it are asinine. He says he wants to save his "Mother's" benefits as they are, but he wants to strip the next generation. My kids already accept that there will be nothing left for them unless things change and change drastically.
Do not think that I am for Obama just because I am not for Romney and Ryan. We have not had a true choice of a person to vote for since Reagan left office. The last several elections have been about choosing the lesser of two evils. The Democrats have never seen a program they did not want to adopt. They spend every cent they can get their hands on. Yet they at least appropriate the money to pay for the programs they create. The Republicans start wars and spend money like drunken sailors, but they then cut taxes and try to put the cost of their stupidity on the backs of the poor.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing, the same way, over and over and expecting to get a different outcome. The Democrats do something and then the Republicans want to undo what the Democrats did. They do not want to create a better system. However, stupidity is not limited to the Republicans. The Obama administration says it is all for renewable energy and making it grow and creating American energy independence. Yet they have created tariffs and duties to keep China out of the American solar markets. Their efforts have almost put companies they showed off as examples of American enterprise out of business.
They supposedly want a level playing field, yet they are stacking the deck in favor of American companies. That is not a level playing field. Two of the largest companies in the world thrive on beating the competition through lower prices. Wal-Mart and McDonald's are both expanding while the world markets are on the verge of crashing. Maybe Congress needs to go to these companies and take some lessons. When politicians stack the deck in favor of American companies they are making American consumers pay the price for American businesses inability to compete.
America can compete on world markets. That can be proven by looking at all the foreign car manufacturers that have moved their plants to the U.S.A. Sure they did it to avoid tariffs and taxes, but they use American labor. There is nothing wrong with American labor. The problem is with American management and American government. Having run my own business I know that the government regulations are a burden that many small businesses do not have the means to cope with. Regulations create hardships that cost more than many businesses can charge and still be competitive.
The only thing I hear either party saying that is right, and that is not from the ones still standing, is that we need to reform the tax code and make a level playing field. No business should get a tax break or a subsidy. If they can not compete with the world markets they need to go out of business and start something that can compete in the world markets. Innovation and creativity are the hallmarks of America. We have always rose to the challenge and if the government would get out of the way or lead by creating infrastructure jobs we can be leaders again.
At the start of the Great Depression the National Debt was only 38% of the GDP. Yet America failed to stay in business. It was a cycle that had reached its peak and we are in the middle of another cycle. Yet at the end of World War II the national debt had risen to 122% of the GDP. The economy did not collapse when the World War ended. It took off. All the damaged infrastructure overseas needed rebuilt and the only ones who were still in a position to supply the materials to rebuild was America. That carried us clear up into the seventies. Then the balances started to shift. The key to surviving and bringing America back is restructuring and rebuilding American industry and infrastructure to compete in the 21st century.
The solution is not starting wars. Which seems to be the mindset in this day and age. The wars today do not cause enough destruction to justify the cost. That may sound crude but it is the truth. As I said earlier foreign car manufacturers have moved their plants here to get a piece of our market. It is their financial war strategy. The shooting war may be over but they are still trying to destroy us. Many American businesses have moved manufacturing out of the country trying to increase their profits. They have unwittingly or intentionally joined the enemy. My last few years in trucking I hauled many factories to the Mexican border and the plants were taken into Mexico. The irony was that just before I retired many of the same factories were coming back north because they could not get the quality of labor they needed to run the equipment or manage their plants to be competitive.
It is my opinion that the renewable energy industries offer great opportunities to compete in world markets. Just take a trip to You Tube and look at renewable energy projects, fish farms and gardening. Americans are moving toward self sustaining industries that may not get them rich but will enable them to survive. Anytime the economy creates hardship it creates bartering and off the grid enterprises that sustain those who can not make it in the regular markets. After awhile it becomes a lifestyle. In my estimation that is a part of where the several hundred thousand people have gone that dropped out of the job market. Thanks to America's experience in the Great Depression many people have learned to take care of themselves. That is why the recession does not feel as bad as it sounds.
Many people are paying off their debt and accumulating no knew debt. They have awakened to the fact that if you have no debt, you do not need as much to get by. They no longer want to be bled by the system. They no longer want to support those who are bleeding the system and it is slowly creating a very divided and different America. The sad or good part, depending on how you look at it, is that the politicians and leaders do not have a clue as to what is going on.
They do not understand that economic slowdowns do not start from the top down. They start from the bottom up. Those who have the least learn to adapt and get by on what little they have. They suddenly quit spending and buying in the markets. Why not trade or barter for a second hand item instead of spending what little you have. As long as both parties are happy. When the lower end consumers quit consuming things start slowing down. It is a fact of life.
The one truth in the whole political and economic picture that is a fact is that without jobs there will be no recovery. So the government better start making it attractive to start a business and hire a person. They better start giving incentives and tax breaks. Not to big business, but to the little businesses that create the majority of the jobs in America and that make the wheels of commerce spin. If they do not take some kind of action America is headed for the recycle bin.
The average American will learn how to survive and provide for his own and his families welfare. It is an American tradition. The failure of the government to provide for the Welfare of the nation will determine whether we stand or fall as a nation. The only solution I see that may save the day is a Constitutionally based third party or it may turn into a nation of anarchy. That is a scary thought but we may find out which way it is going by the time America gets to the edge of the financial abyss in January or February of next year.
If you would like to see a way jobs could be created and a possible worst case scenario you might read my blog of 4/25/2012 America Under A Threat Worse Than Katrina. It is not meant to be scary. It is meant to show how preparing can save lives and help the economy at the same time.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Deadhead? Or Not? How to Judge.
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Deadhead? Or Not? How to Judge
Sometimes things are not cut and dried. It can be difficult to decide which is the least costly, sitting or deadheading. As an owner operator I had to come up with my own decision of what was acceptable. When I started trucking over the road. I worked for a union flat bed company. We were paid a percentage of whatever the load paid. That means if you were running empty, you were making nothing. You do not get paid for your deadheading. We used to do a lot of it and I had issues with it. After a particularly bad week of deadheading I just happened to get an opportunity to talk to the owner of the company. As I was fueling up my truck before parking it he showed up on the fuel island. He asked me how I was doing. "I told him fine, but I had a question about why we deadheaded so much?"
His reply shaped my whole trucking career and over the years probably kept me in business. It worked for him and he had over a 150 trucks running at any given time. He answered, "It is really pretty simple. If a truck is not moving, it is not making money. If a truck is sitting, it is still costing money. So if the freight is not moving where you are at, you move to where the freight is moving." Over the next three years I watched pieces of that logic come into play.
On any given Monday we would have as many as fifteen to twenty trucks on the East Coast in the area of New York City. Our dispatch was first empty, first choice. The exception to that rule was Fridays and weekends which were seniority first. There would usually be far fewer loads available than trucks. The key to getting a load was getting empty first. A couple times I thought I would have to deadhead because a couple other people emptied before me. However, on a couple of occasions, the first empty guys passed and did not take a load. They then had to deadhead to the Pittsburgh area. All the loads had to be covered and when it got to the point all they had was five loads and five trucks you did not get a choice. You had to take one. The more senior drivers were passing on the cheap East Coast freight and deadheading the 400 miles to Pittsburgh.
After a couple of years I figured out why. The loads on the East Coast were cheap and heavy. They also usually did not load till late in the day or evening and had to be tarped. One of the chief loads we hauled were "slinkies" out of Raritan Steel in Perth Amboy, NJ. They were coils of steel wire that resembled a slinky in appearance, hence the nickname. After a couple years I figured out why the senior guys would deadhead to the Pittsburgh area. The loads in that area paid a lot better and they usually took you to an area where the company had more "good" freight. Usually you would have two and a half days tied up in the cheap load. A day waiting to get it loaded. A day hauling it. Then you would get empty so late you had to wait till the next day to get reloaded. You quickly learned that leaving the East Coast early let you load in the Pittsburgh area on Monday evening and deliver sometime Tuesday back in the Midwest. Which was also in the good freight area. So your weekly pay check could be better even though you deadheaded 400 miles at the start of the week.
The second thing that influenced my view of deadheading was my last job before becoming an owner/operator. I deadheaded to Alabama every Monday, Wednesday and Friday to pick up a load of chickens for the wholesale meat distributor I hauled for. That job lasted five years and I made good money, but half of my income was from deadheading 500 miles to pick up the load of chicken.
Those situations shaped my trucking attitude and career. As my first boss pointed out to me. It cost money to own a truck whether it is moving or sitting. Even when it is sitting the payment on the truck and insurance is still going to come due. The permits and fees are still going to come due. Finally your personal bills are going to come due. You can figure out how much you should make per month with a truck if all goes well. The trick is figuring how much does a day sitting cost you. If your truck payment is $2000 a month that is $66 a day whether it is running or parked. Insurance and permits can easily add another $30 per day. Then you have to eat whether you are running or sitting. So either way the truck can be costing you $100 a day. Notice we have not figured in your house payment, car payment, utilities, credit cards and etc. Sitting is not cheap
Theoretically if the truck is moving it is making money. However sometimes through no fault of your own. There is no freight where you are at. So if you sit four or five days you have added up well over $500 dollars worth of expenses. If you deadhead it may cut the amount of the sitting cost. The determining factors are the availability of freight. The companies you work with or for can be a big factor in this kind of decision.
Throughout my trucking career I deadheaded from L.A., CA and Phoenix, AZ to Indiana more times than I care to admit. The trick was that I was deadheading to a very good paying load. It is a judgement call. I knew if I sat very long the freight my companies hauled off the West Coast would not repay the cost of sitting and waiting for it. I could have made shorter deadheads to maybe Oklahoma or Texas, but again the good freight for my company was in the Midwest.
My last four years of trucking I hauled mostly kitchen cabinets to the New England area. My loads paid very good revenue per mile. They also paid stop pay and unloading pay. Sometimes the loads with 20+ stops paid more for stops and unloading than they did for hauling. When I emptied Wednesday morning I put it in the wind and went home to Indiana. I would spend Thursday evening, Friday and half a day Saturday at home. Then I would go pick up my preloaded trailer and head back to the East Coast to start delivering on Monday morning.
Many people asked me why I would do that. It was really pretty simple. The good paying loads always shipped on Friday and Saturday with delivery starting on Monday. If I spent time on the East Coast getting a cheap load as back haul sometimes I would miss the load going back east. Also I would miss my at home time. It was a decision I had to make, but I looked at what my previous employers had done. They made good money and so I just adapted their game plan to the way I operated and I survived.
There were a couple other factors I figured into the equation of what to do. Cabinets were light. Usually a full load was under 10,000 pounds. That meant better fuel mileage, less wear and tear on my truck, tires and other components. In the long run and hindsight. It all worked for me. Each person has to decide what works for them. Some people make a decent living hauling heavy freight and are home often. Coal and gravel haulers are just a couple of examples. Short runs like that do not appeal to me though. I preferred the longer runs. Each driver has to figure what works for him. With fuel prices where they are at today. I do not know for sure my tactics would work today. I retired in January of 04 just as fuel prices were starting to get crazy.
It is my hope this helps someone to figure out what works for them. I watched a lot of guys go out of business when I was trucking because they would not deadhead for nothing. They would sit in Dallas or L.A and still be there a week or two later when I returned with my next load. My number one rule of thumb was that if I took a load into a cheap freight area, it had to pay good enough to pay for the fuel to deadhead back out of the area to start with. A couple of my other simple rules. Do not haul cheap freight period. Let it rot on the dock. Do not haul heavy freight unless it pays good or takes you to where freight does pay good. Have a good time and keep jamming. If you see an old Chevy panel van with "Turtle" on the driver's side door. Honk and say "HI" I may be downsized a bit, but I still get out an go when I can.
Deadhead? Or Not? How to Judge
Sometimes things are not cut and dried. It can be difficult to decide which is the least costly, sitting or deadheading. As an owner operator I had to come up with my own decision of what was acceptable. When I started trucking over the road. I worked for a union flat bed company. We were paid a percentage of whatever the load paid. That means if you were running empty, you were making nothing. You do not get paid for your deadheading. We used to do a lot of it and I had issues with it. After a particularly bad week of deadheading I just happened to get an opportunity to talk to the owner of the company. As I was fueling up my truck before parking it he showed up on the fuel island. He asked me how I was doing. "I told him fine, but I had a question about why we deadheaded so much?"
His reply shaped my whole trucking career and over the years probably kept me in business. It worked for him and he had over a 150 trucks running at any given time. He answered, "It is really pretty simple. If a truck is not moving, it is not making money. If a truck is sitting, it is still costing money. So if the freight is not moving where you are at, you move to where the freight is moving." Over the next three years I watched pieces of that logic come into play.
On any given Monday we would have as many as fifteen to twenty trucks on the East Coast in the area of New York City. Our dispatch was first empty, first choice. The exception to that rule was Fridays and weekends which were seniority first. There would usually be far fewer loads available than trucks. The key to getting a load was getting empty first. A couple times I thought I would have to deadhead because a couple other people emptied before me. However, on a couple of occasions, the first empty guys passed and did not take a load. They then had to deadhead to the Pittsburgh area. All the loads had to be covered and when it got to the point all they had was five loads and five trucks you did not get a choice. You had to take one. The more senior drivers were passing on the cheap East Coast freight and deadheading the 400 miles to Pittsburgh.
After a couple of years I figured out why. The loads on the East Coast were cheap and heavy. They also usually did not load till late in the day or evening and had to be tarped. One of the chief loads we hauled were "slinkies" out of Raritan Steel in Perth Amboy, NJ. They were coils of steel wire that resembled a slinky in appearance, hence the nickname. After a couple years I figured out why the senior guys would deadhead to the Pittsburgh area. The loads in that area paid a lot better and they usually took you to an area where the company had more "good" freight. Usually you would have two and a half days tied up in the cheap load. A day waiting to get it loaded. A day hauling it. Then you would get empty so late you had to wait till the next day to get reloaded. You quickly learned that leaving the East Coast early let you load in the Pittsburgh area on Monday evening and deliver sometime Tuesday back in the Midwest. Which was also in the good freight area. So your weekly pay check could be better even though you deadheaded 400 miles at the start of the week.
The second thing that influenced my view of deadheading was my last job before becoming an owner/operator. I deadheaded to Alabama every Monday, Wednesday and Friday to pick up a load of chickens for the wholesale meat distributor I hauled for. That job lasted five years and I made good money, but half of my income was from deadheading 500 miles to pick up the load of chicken.
Those situations shaped my trucking attitude and career. As my first boss pointed out to me. It cost money to own a truck whether it is moving or sitting. Even when it is sitting the payment on the truck and insurance is still going to come due. The permits and fees are still going to come due. Finally your personal bills are going to come due. You can figure out how much you should make per month with a truck if all goes well. The trick is figuring how much does a day sitting cost you. If your truck payment is $2000 a month that is $66 a day whether it is running or parked. Insurance and permits can easily add another $30 per day. Then you have to eat whether you are running or sitting. So either way the truck can be costing you $100 a day. Notice we have not figured in your house payment, car payment, utilities, credit cards and etc. Sitting is not cheap
Theoretically if the truck is moving it is making money. However sometimes through no fault of your own. There is no freight where you are at. So if you sit four or five days you have added up well over $500 dollars worth of expenses. If you deadhead it may cut the amount of the sitting cost. The determining factors are the availability of freight. The companies you work with or for can be a big factor in this kind of decision.
Throughout my trucking career I deadheaded from L.A., CA and Phoenix, AZ to Indiana more times than I care to admit. The trick was that I was deadheading to a very good paying load. It is a judgement call. I knew if I sat very long the freight my companies hauled off the West Coast would not repay the cost of sitting and waiting for it. I could have made shorter deadheads to maybe Oklahoma or Texas, but again the good freight for my company was in the Midwest.
My last four years of trucking I hauled mostly kitchen cabinets to the New England area. My loads paid very good revenue per mile. They also paid stop pay and unloading pay. Sometimes the loads with 20+ stops paid more for stops and unloading than they did for hauling. When I emptied Wednesday morning I put it in the wind and went home to Indiana. I would spend Thursday evening, Friday and half a day Saturday at home. Then I would go pick up my preloaded trailer and head back to the East Coast to start delivering on Monday morning.
Many people asked me why I would do that. It was really pretty simple. The good paying loads always shipped on Friday and Saturday with delivery starting on Monday. If I spent time on the East Coast getting a cheap load as back haul sometimes I would miss the load going back east. Also I would miss my at home time. It was a decision I had to make, but I looked at what my previous employers had done. They made good money and so I just adapted their game plan to the way I operated and I survived.
There were a couple other factors I figured into the equation of what to do. Cabinets were light. Usually a full load was under 10,000 pounds. That meant better fuel mileage, less wear and tear on my truck, tires and other components. In the long run and hindsight. It all worked for me. Each person has to decide what works for them. Some people make a decent living hauling heavy freight and are home often. Coal and gravel haulers are just a couple of examples. Short runs like that do not appeal to me though. I preferred the longer runs. Each driver has to figure what works for him. With fuel prices where they are at today. I do not know for sure my tactics would work today. I retired in January of 04 just as fuel prices were starting to get crazy.
It is my hope this helps someone to figure out what works for them. I watched a lot of guys go out of business when I was trucking because they would not deadhead for nothing. They would sit in Dallas or L.A and still be there a week or two later when I returned with my next load. My number one rule of thumb was that if I took a load into a cheap freight area, it had to pay good enough to pay for the fuel to deadhead back out of the area to start with. A couple of my other simple rules. Do not haul cheap freight period. Let it rot on the dock. Do not haul heavy freight unless it pays good or takes you to where freight does pay good. Have a good time and keep jamming. If you see an old Chevy panel van with "Turtle" on the driver's side door. Honk and say "HI" I may be downsized a bit, but I still get out an go when I can.
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