Our Careful Reality             March 20, 2013

            Your income tax bill should demonstrate that the US has a representative government of the people, by the rich, and for the rich.  It’s still the best place in the world, but Washington has failed to stimulate the creation of jobs, or even seem, by its actions, interested in doing so.  Protesting their desire to create work, doing nothing, and waiting for the economy to ungrind itself is not leadership.  It’s a cheap way to let the wealthy off the hook.  While debates continue on other important issues, the people who could end this depression are quietly keeping their money in their pockets.  Add in the twelve-year assault on our freedoms & principles, and the prognosis can seem a little pessimistic. 

Around here, as optimists we still believe in contacting our AWOL* gang members in congress to let them know what we expect.  We still need to support future leaders and vote.  But if we fail to live our lives in the light of reality, we place ourselves at risk.  The organized attack on safety-net programs will not stop.  There will not always be enough money.  Public education is increasingly inadequate because too many would gain by having private schools and vouchers.  Infrastructure goes begging and absurd Scrooge-like cutbacks abound.  The power of wealth is increasing.  Your power to bargain by withholding you services has almost vanished.  So, get real.  It’s time to be increasingly careful with your decreasing share of the wealth.        

*Absent Without Leaving

 

March 16, 2013

Dear U.S. Postal Service:

            You District, Area, and HQ executives are doing poorly.  I guess it’s plain that micromanagement does not work.  Your performance is unsatisfactory.  We need to schedule a meeting soon to explain your Performance Improvement Plan and give you your required achievement benchmarks.  That way you can focus on trying to do the right things.  I suppose you know that you are not getting any merit bonuses this time.  What do you mean, “Oh yes we are!”?  Well that’s just wrong! 

Sincerely,

                        Everybody

Titus Boogerworth’s Advice           March 12, 2013       

            Financial Advisor Titus Boogerworth, FFC, AWB, says investment requires care and due diligence.  The novice should park funds in a money market or Credit Union share account until proper investigation is done.  Boogerworth (T.B. to his friends) strongly recommends value investing.  “Think Warren Buffet” he is fond of proclaiming.  “Start by learning what value investing is.  There are many good sources of info.  My favorite,” Titus tells everyone, “Is The Intelligent Investor by Graham, Zweig, Buffett—an oldie but a goodie.” 

            Contrarian Boogerworth gleefully goes against trends when research warrants, being a natural enemy of authority:  “A few savvy contrarians prospered when the housing bubble burst, but they were high dollar gamblers, a category that excludes most investors, and all of my customers.  My people,” T.B. reveals, “are usually in the ‘one to fifty thousand’ camp, and should start with mutual funds.  These provide investment diversity on a used-car budget.  By the way,” he adds, “Never buy a new vehicle.  Mutual Funds also require due diligence.  Find one that’s used, meaning it has been around a long time, with a history of success.”

            “Finally,” says Boogerworth, “never bet the grocery money!  That means you have adequate life, health, and disability insurance, you have your Food-Shelter-Clothing-Transportation-Medical-Entertainment-Charity costs covered, you have three to twelve months of net income in your emergency fund, you are saving 15% of your gross income for retirement, and you are saving to pay cash for all major expected purchases and expenses.          

Money Talks in our Nightmares       March 7, 2013

            I kept telling my wide awake self it was not a nightmare.  Sadly, it IS a nightmare.  2016 has begun.  They haven’t even finished wasting ’13, ’14, or ’15 and they’re already sullying the airwaves with the 2016 campaign.  Break is over.  Our 21^st Century national nightmare is back.  It makes me so mad I just want to pull up my shrubs.

            Jeb Bush debuted with his first flip-flop.  We are informed of his belief that a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants is not something he supports.  Plus, he believes that there should be a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, and he supports that too.  It’s like a neat little belief, with a fringe.  As former Governor of the “voting fraud” state, he will probably provide the 2016 campaign with a full range of facts-that-never-were and policies-that-never-should-be, much like so many candidates we have encountered.

            Around here, we know that for every Presidential (and congressional) candidate, the first run is for the money.  If they have to court the fringes, they do it.  While eighty per cent of Americans are left or right centrists, if the money is in the hands of 1% of our citizens, or in outer space, candidates go there.  By watching which fringes the candidate courts, you can tell who will pull the strings in his or her term of office. So in choosing a candidate, you may just be selecting whose money will talk.

This Ain’t Rocket Surgery                February 28, 2013

            Face facts.  If you are of lower or middle income, the U.S. congress won’t be doing you any favors.  They have, by acts of commission and omission, been causing you financial harm for over forty years!  High income mouthpieces can say all they want about class warfare, for low and middle income people, the motto of the U.S. congress is, “We hurt you less when we recess.” 

Are you and yours working harder and more than ever, and still struggling? These days, congressional help is unreliable.  Do you depend on Social Security, unemployment insurance, food stamps, Medicare and/or Medicaid?  There are many in congress, and in state legislatures, earnestly trying to reduce or eliminate these things, and who want the government to keep subsidizing employers with below poverty minimum wages. 

That is why you MUST put together an emergency (or independence) fund.  You must insure yourself against death, disability, and health problems.  You must avoid interest by eliminating debt.  You must save for retirement, and for the costly items you need.  Around here, all of us brain surgeons, rocket scientists, and hammer slammers have no idea HOW you’ll do this.  Maybe you’ll work three jobs, and garden, and avoid restaurants, and walk or bus instead of drive, and buy used clothes, and adjust the thermostat.  How ever you do it, we know year 5 will be easier than year 1, and despite the casual cruelty of congress, year 40 might be really pleasant.      

Exercise is Good For You              February 19, 2013

            Politicians often fail to agree.  The 112^th congress is an historic benchmark of such failure.  The 113^th is trending apace.  Two things are surprising—that so many were reelected, and that the language of disagreement, in congress, and abroad in our land, is so crudely disrespectful. 

It seems many Americans are taking communication cues from the sewer of political campaign advertising.  Those ads call a candidate’s opponent a lying two-faced charlatan.  They do it every ten minutes, for months.  How hard is it to imagine that that message and attitude adheres, especially with voters who are inclined to oppose the person anyway.  Comments like, “liar” and “thief” and “idiot” and sometimes even, “anti-Christ” and “Hitler” thus appear in public conversation ever after.  And that’s just the mild end of the scale.  The really nasty stuff, the product of mental illness, is sickening.  Upon reflection, you can see that lack of civility demeans the poor soul who displays it, exponentially more than the object of the criticism.  It belies an attempt to manipulate, or a conditioned response and the absence of reason.  If you hear such criticisms and get emotionally angry at the targeted individual, beware—the manipulation has worked!

As for the politicians who are disrespectful in the face of differing opinions, they are insecure, and/or currying anger, and/or believe their own campaign advertising. 

Around here, we think the exercise of public politeness is worthwhile, even when it calls for significant effort.           

It Ain’t Easy Being Purple  February 15, 2013

            Congress is crippled.  It cannot or will not deliver the governance this country needs and deserves.  Polarized seems inadequate to describe the ongoing congressional malfeasance born of gotcha politics on both sides of the aisle.  The old rule that you get the government you deserve is proven by this magnificent exception—this shameful display of the terrible two’s—this sorry soup of incompetence that none of us deserves.    

            Take heart, there is a path to adulthood.  It’s called conflict resolution.  There are many proven healing tactics that can be applied.  Individuals and committees can start by earnestly seeking compromise in structured ways that have been used for decades in the business world.  No, they are not perfect.  And yes, the birthers and the tree huggers are going to have to shut up and deal.  Fringe-group obstructionism, evident in nearly everything congress does, has to fall out of vogue.  There may be cause for optimism in the recent activity of newly elected members who have expressed their determination to turn things around.  Some of the rhetoric is familiar; some is encouraging.

            The key is that congress has to want to resolve differences.  Around here, we think that’s where all of us come in.  Repeatedly reminding our elected AWOL gang members that we want disputes resolved or we’ll support and vote for their opponents in the next election, could actually be a healing tactic.  That means work for us.  It ain’t easy being purple.

Reality Check            February 1, 2013

            OK people.  Let’s can the bullshit.  An armed society is a polite society?  Bullshit!  An armed society is a frightened society.  Think about the last twenty minutes you spent in traffic.  Do you really think we live in a polite society, or that guns can make that happen? The truth is that polite people make a polite society.  Cultivate civility.

            We have a right to keep and bear arms.  The Constitution does not limit that right.  That does not mean that you should believe everything some idiot is saying about “they’re going to take away our guns!”  That’s just bullshit!  It’s designed to whip you into a storm of emotional anger so you’ll go out and buy whatever is legal, and throw a tantrum if anyone tries to do ANYTHING regarding guns, magazines, and ammo.  Check your emotions.  You don’t want to be the measuring pole in someone else’s pissing contest.

            The way to resist the fed gov is to pass unconstitutional state laws?  C’mon people, that’s emotional bullshit.  The correct way to resist has already been demonstrated by all those state attorneys general who wanted to undermine affordable health care—file suit in court and show that a federal act is unconstitutional.

            So now if you polite folks will excuse me, I’m going to exit the media bullshit factory and call my congressman and senators to let them know what I would like them to do…unless you need to use the phone first.