Bill wrote: Where's the email? Who from and to whom? What did it say? This article is garbage as it provides no documentation. Not to mention that the source of the article has a bit of a slant.- Almost Union Free: ACLU, Union Caught in Reform Kill Plot
Dear Comrade Bill,
Did you really think I would write an article that goes to a million readers about a non-existent email? If you want a copy of the email and others like it, you can see this article by education expert Ben DeGrow. There are apparently a lot more just like it waiting to be released.
OK, so it’s not fair, because you’re a liberal and you operate from the liberal playbook, but the reason why I didn’t publish the original email is because I wanted liberals like you to call me a liar. I mean you are SO predictable.
Yawn.
And yes, my articles are always written from a point of view. But are so are your comments. Get over yourself.
I’m a conservative and proud of it; you’re a liberal and pretend to be “non-partisan.”
Now I understand your reluctance to be identified as a card-carrying member of the ACLU liberal conspiracy, but wouldn’t it make more sense just to be a conservative?
I mean it must be awfully hard “defending the indefensible” day after day.
Dana wrote: This is making the rounds for sure- it would be interesting to see all of the email rather then just a snip-it. I would caution any reader to dig a little deeper into Townhall finance. - Almost Union Free: ACLU, Union Caught in Reform Kill Plot
Dear Comrade Dana,
I would tell everyone to dig deep into Townhall Finance.
If you had done that in the last year, you’d know that our experts- including me- have been consistently right about where this economy is headed.
Here’s what I wrote in December:
While I don’t think GDP will be negative, it will be anemic; not enough to drive job growth or consumer confidence. Expect GDP to be lower than 1 percent for the full year, below the forecast by the OECD, although it probably won’t be apparent until the last half of the year. I expect that GDP forecasts will rise through the 2Q of 2012 as the Federal Reserve uses the last little liquidity tricks it has at its disposal to inflate GDP. By mid-summer however it will be apparent that the economy is slowing down- again.
Slow growth or outright contraction in Europe and in Asia will negatively affect US industry, but this will be offset a little by falling commodity prices, which will be beneficial to the domestic economy in that imports will be cheaper.
Let’s get something straight though: A year ago we were hearing about a dominant China or a dominant Europe. Both Europe and China are dependent upon a robust US economy for success. The world economy will not get better without the US as the driving engine of recovery. In order for the global economy to be jumpstarted, the world needs regime change in the US of A.
Market will rally as economy apparently expands through the 1st quarter. By the end of the 2nd quarter the market will reverse course as it becomes apparent that GDP is not expanding due to organic growth. Market to finish flat-ish for year. Marginal gain or loss.
Choppy bottom in the market through the fall when change-of-party rally takes place as election looms.
Obama defeated; gains in Senate (too many seats for Dems to defend) and House for GOP.
GDP to come in at 1 percent or lower for 2012
That forecast wasn’t dumb luck.
We are that good at Townhall Finance. I read the stuff we publish. If you all, regardless of political persuasion, care about your money, you should read all of the articles. OK…most of them ;-). OK…at least mine.
Cindra wrote: [Editor’s note: Cindra deleted her comments. But they were signed by Taxpayer’s for Public Education, which is a local group that advocates only unionized, neighborhood schools. In her comments she pointed out that one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit opposing vouchers is a registered Republican.] - Almost Union Free: ACLU, Union Caught in Reform Kill Plot
Dear Comrade Cindra,
I was so disappointed that you didn’t get the original memo from your handlers to ignore me and had to come back here to delete your comments. Always looking for willing victims, err, debaters for my Sunday column.
Yes. There is a Republican who sided with the liberals to sue the school district with the ACLU over the voucher program.
His name is Kevin Leung. He ran for school board and failed to get the GOP endorsement because he already accepted the endorsement from the union. He also tried to involve me in an episode where a sitting board member- who is also Republican- got a contract from the district to renovate schools. I told them I thought that was wrong and didn’t mind saying so publicly. You can read about that here.
Well Kevin was running for that seat because the board member who got the contract was termed limited out and Kevin had been hand-picked to replace him. Not so fast, I said. Looks like I was right.
As to why Kevin might side with the ACLU against conservatives in his own party, Comrade Cindra? I don’t know.
Bear Trax wrote: This goofy crowd always announces some lofty, high minded, reform program that accidentally turns out to require 40,000 new education bureaucrats to administer it. Again the children get zip. - Almost Union Free: ACLU, Union Caught in Reform Kill Plot
Dear Bear Trax,
Unions sure love “accidents” don’t they? You be careful. “Accidents” happen.
Doctor Roy wrote: Hold on a second. You mean to tell me that a few tree hugging environmentalists have dictated US energy policy for the last 30 years? You realize that is as preposterous as Barney Frank single-handedly bringing down the financial system don't you? - The Pixie Dust Energy Source
Dear Comrade Doctor,
I have to give you marks for consistency doctor. All the other liberals eventually bolt. I guess they get tired of making the Sunday column, but not you.
Yes. I do think that a few environmentalists have been dictating energy policy over the last 30 years. How else do you explain the fact that we have abundant sources of domestic energy that we don’t use? Is it because they are too expensive? Is it because they are too far away?
Obama punted on the Keystone Pipeline because of environmental concerns. The EPA’s war on coal is because of environmental concerns. Generally we become more dependent on foreign oil year after year because of environmental concerns.
Please tell me Comrade Doctor, what other concerns exist with the use of domestic coal and oil besides environmental concerns?
Let me tell you what I really dislike about liberals.
Liberals like to hide their true intentions. They won’t just admit: “Yes, we have environmental concerns. That’s how we write all of our policy, through the prism of the enviro-left.”
If you are so darn sure that you’re right and everyone else is wrong, just sing it from the highest rooftop like I do when you all are wrong and I am right. It's not hard when you know what you really believe.
Jeez.
MForti wrote: Why do liberals LOVE the idea of using solar energy from the sun shining today, but ABHOR the use of solar energy from millions of years ago (fossil fuels). What's the difference? When it comes right down to it, almost all of the energy sources we use are forms of solar power including nuclear, wind, waves, coal, etc. - The Pixie Dust Energy Source
Dear M,
Energy is energy. But none of this is about energy. It’s about control.
Liberals love stuff that requires government intervention to make it work.
You know one of the worst things to ever happen was?
NASA.
NASA lulled America into believing that we can do anything “good” if we just come together and approach it with a project-minded attitude like we did NASA.
NASA was an exception not a rule.
MGoodell wrote: With this column Mr. Ransom seems to be presenting symptoms of Obama Derangement Syndrome. Really, John, you are trumpeting the actions of the sort of low-life attorneys who troll the market in search of disappointing earnings in order to pad their pockets with predatory lawsuits. This is the playground of lib-dems, and it is shocking to see you embracing such pond scum simply to make an attack against Obama. All the more so since you don't need to bury yourself in the muck in order to make the attack. - General Motors: Obamacare Wrapped in Solyndra Inside Some Misery
Dear Comrade Goodell,
You’re not fooling me. I know a liberal Trojan horse when I see one.
But anyway, I mentioned the lawsuit, yeah.
So sue me.
He, he, he. ;-)
Steve 138 wrote: How did Bush start the GM bailout? "All the money" came from the almost $800 billion 'Obama' Stimulus. The only thing Bush was partially responsible for was TARP, & none of that money went to GM. Please explain. - General Motors: Obamacare Wrapped in Solyndra Inside Some Misery
Dear Steve,
Bush used money under TARP- about $19 billion- to bail out the automakers in December of 2008 right before the end of his term.
Reports the Associated Press:
"If we were to allow the free market to take its course now, it would almost certainly lead to disorderly bankruptcy and liquidation for the automakers," [the president] said.
"Under ordinary economic circumstances, I would say this is the price that failed companies must pay," the president said. "And I would not favor intervening to prevent the automakers from going out of business. But these are not ordinary circumstances.
"In the midst of a financial crisis and a recession, allowing the U.S. auto industry to collapse is not a responsible course of action."
HarrySaxon wrote: In Israel, Romney criticized Palestinian and Arab culture! WOW! What a future Mitt has with 2 billion Arab peoples? Bumpkin or complete idiot?
Won’t Romney be great on foreign policy with the Arabs and other cultures! It will DEFINITELY be time for more Bush43-like wars to prove how tough Mitt is. - The Public History of a Campaign That Failed
Dear Comrade Harry,
Once again, I think you misunderstand. You’re from the UK, so I wouldn’t expect you to get it.
Mitt, unlike Obama, isn’t running for president of the Middle East. He’s running for president of the United States.
Even the Democrats understand that those 2 billion Arabs- actually it’s more like 300 million Arabs worldwide- can’t vote in the U.S. however much liberals would love to figure out how to get them to.
As far as wars go, I think Obama’s fought more wars than Bush did. Now he’s aiming to try to get us involved in Syria too.
Oh, that’s right. That’s a “good” war because European interests are involved.
Louie13 wrote: Dream on Gordon, Romney also supports the man-made global warming theory and mandatory world carbon taxes. He is NOT a Conservative, but a flip-flopping, Liberal, Democratic Trojan Horse in the Republican Party, a RHINO who will say anything to get elected, and the only Republican candidate endorsed by Obama. Dream on. - The Public History of a Campaign That Failed
Dear Louie,
That would make Romney pretty much a normal, run of the mill politician.
If you think that Marco Rubio would be a “Tea Party” candidate if the Tea Party hadn’t existed, then you don’t get politicians.
Politicians do and say things to get elected. Politicians today are no different then they have ever been. What’s different today is the ability of average people like you and me to organize and communicate.
For the first time in a long time ordinary citizens can influence public policy to a degree that is forcing politicians to reexamine their beliefs and to start standing up for the things that made this country great.
But here’s the deal with that.
You want a balanced budget and a fair tax? It won’t happen unless we force it on the politicians. That’s not to say that all politicians are weak. But they do need to know that they aren’t alone.
We need to be the shock troops who will give politicians the cover to reform.
Don’t wait for Romney.
Lead him instead.
Natch wrote: Maybe now would be a good time to ask the government to stop helping us. They've done enough already. -My Apologies: The White House is Always the Last to Know
Dear Natch,
Actually they have done far too much really.
Rhanson wrote: Well here we go. The Republicans in congress have done everything they can to obstruct any effort to help the economy the Republican minority leader stated that his # 1 priority is defeating Obama . The congress has not passed a single jobs bill yet they've repealed healthcare reform 31 times. If you want to blame someone for the ecomomy I point my finger at the tea party and the Koch brothers. -My Apologies: The White House is Always the Last to Know
Dear Comrade Hanson,
Well then thank God for a Republican Congress.
Bill Clinton’s most braggadocios accomplishments happened under a Republican Congress. Ronald Reagan worked with a Democrat Congress to get things done, like the overhaul of Social Security.
Memo to Obama: I know it’s easy to forget, but you weren’t elected King of the United States, even if you are a royal pain in the…beep.
Presidents who get things done work with Congress, period.
Obama had two years of a friendly Congress and couldn’t even pass a budget.
Face facts man: Those who can, do. Those who can’t wrote Dreams from My Father.
PhillupSpace wrote: John, I've never been able to really get my head around the GDP thing. Just what is the meaning of it to us consumers of Friday Night Data Dumps? If Government spending is counted as part of GDP then wouldn't the worst behavior, increased Government spending actually make the GDP look better?-My Apologies: The White House is Always the Last to Know
Dear Phillip,
You’ve just explained Keynesian economic theory in a nutshell. Except Keynesians aren’t just excited about increased government spending, they want the government to borrow money too.
Here’s the hidden effect of government spending. Because government doesn’t operate on a profit motive- actually government tends to reward poor economics- returns on investment from government spending greatly lag private investment returns.
While most spending will create some return on investment, free markets do so more efficiently than entitlement payments for example.
Yes. Someone with an unemployment check will spend money at a grocery store, but someone with a paycheck will spend that money AND make something that increases productivity or wealth.
Government spending is the first resort of politicians who far too often have little experience beyond government work or politics.
Politicians should be forced to do internships in the real world every few years getting lattes for small business owners, construction workers and entrepreneurs.
That’s all for this week,
V/r,
JR