Good morning!
I am up early. Pitch black outside. This morning, golf!
There is a message in the Wisconsin recall election results. Beware!
As far as I am concerned, the good guys lost.
The results clearly indicate the way America wants to go. Conservatism. Radical conservatism. Not the good old fashion kind.
The pendulum will swing back some day. It is too far to the right not to. In the mean time, middle class America will further erode. Many of those who supported the Wisconsin recall results will realize the error of their ways. They are middle class also and will feel the deprivation.
The result is a victory for corporate America over the working class.
When people in general realize what is happening, they will be in the streets. It is inevitable.
Mary Jo died. I wrote about her yesterday. Everyone wrote about her. One terrific obituary in the Key West Citizen. It suggested she danced through the pearly gates.
Mary Jo, you touched many. Keep dancing!
I spent two hours yesterday in the dentist chair. No pain. Worked on fitting the implants.
I am totally impressed with the procedure at this point. Just wish it were over!
Got a haircut yesterday. Lovely Lori.
Lori looked terrific. Better than usual. She was out on her boat Sunday. The blond hair and deep tan are a perfect combination. She leaves this weekend for a two week trip up north to visit family. One of her stops will take her as far north as Maine.
Barbara is visiting. We hit the Chart Room first last night.
Keith Little was at the bar talking to Mary who was bartending. Her one night a week.
Keith is brother to Ed Little who died a couple of days ago. I never knew Ed Little, nor was I even aware of him. Strange! Because the Chart Room was his favorite haunt also.
Turns out Ed came in around 10 every evening. I would be long gone. My Chart Room time is 6-8.
I learned much about Ed last night. He was a diver, was with Mel Fisher when the gold was first discovered, etc. And…..a nice guy to boot! I telephoned son in law Corey. Do you know Ed Little? Yes. Well. We dive together. We also served on the board of the Key West Historical Newspaper as officers at the same time. A good guy!
I feel bad we never met. His friends are having a Key West send off for him this weekend at the Chart Room. I hope to be there.
Barbara and I had dinner at the Hot Tin Roof. John was all excited. His Wisconsin team is ranked #10 preseason in football. I told him to beware. I recall almost 25 years ago when Syracuse was ranked #1 preseason in basketball. The opening game of the season was at Springfield, home of the National Basketball Hall of Fame. Syracuse was playing North Carolina. I chartered a plane to fly to the game. Syracuse lost!
So much for preseason rankings! Based on my Syracuse experience, I consider them a jinx!
Golf this morning. I have to hustle. The guys I play with tee off earlier and earlier.
Enjoy your day!
I disagree with your political assessment.
The pendulum is just STARTING to swing back to the right from swinging way too far to the left. This is a good thing.
I agree: A very good thing!!!
The issue is if we could grab the pendulum and stop it and govern from common sense for all the US would be in much better shape.
Are entitlements out of control? Yes, but the polticos of both parties promised and promised to get reelected. Are pensions in some states high? Yes, but these were negotiated contracts between politicos and workers. Now the contracts are being voided and that is a slippery slope.
Perhaps a bank may wish to void your mortgage or perhaps your 401K can be confiscated as it is only a contract after all. Maybe we make Roth IRAs fully taxable? All is fair game so investing is a true crap shot. Not too good for the markets.
When and if, we ever rule from the center, the US may have a chance at modest recovery. Corporations, most now multinational, will pay their fair share for market access and individuals will bear responsibility for their own futures with a bare bones safety net to keep them off the streets and out of the riots.
And, of course, our multiple loser wars will be completed. The nations of Iraq and Afghanistan will revert to their true form once again and defense contractors will be pissed. The trillions burned away on the trash heap of history, we will long for them back; not to mention the lives of the heroes who have no choice but to follow the orders of rich, armchair generals and political idiots and then die for them.
Too much government!!!! People are expressing that they want the gov't out of their pockets and their lives. If "conservative" means the gov't will back off from their involvement, then it's a good thing.
But different perspectives make the world interesting. Thanks for sharing yours!
How can the Unions in Wisconsin, bitch and cry about paying A LITTLE MORE for their own Health Care, yet the Union pumped $30 MILLION into the races.
Can you say hypocritical…..
Very curious view of what is happening in Wisconsin. I am always interested in what those outside of the state think and the basis for their views.
I am a lifelong resident of Wisconsin and come from a middle class working family. I cannot conceive of what changes people have perceived that will harm the middle class.
Governor Walker took office facing a huge budget deficit – he balanced it without raising taxes and doing very little aside from requiring teachers to kick in a bit more for their retirement and health insurance benefits.
Limiting the collective bargaining of certain groups of public employees is going to lead to the deprivation of the middle class? Good grief.
I'd like to see Governor Cuomo try the same with New York as Governor Walker did with Wisconsin.. But, he won't.. He has already added to the state workforce..
I don't believe public employees need or should have collective bargaining rights, most don't.. As long as wages are fair, partial payment for benefits is fair..
We need to realize that the socialist nanny state of entitlements doesn't work.. Like said in the first post, the pendulum needs to keep swinging to the right.. Government is for protection and infrastructure only..
OK, I'll get off my soap box.. Patrick
entitlements,I paid for some of those entitlements. If it wasn't for collective barganing our saleries would have been less than appropriate. I spent 37 years risking my life and health on a city FD. If our Govt would stop giving our moneies to every Tom, Dick and Harry who wants to come here, entitlements wouldn't be a problem.
Obviously a good topic on the blog today.
Personally, I could never understand the big fat pensions and bennies given to so many in my former profession (I am a retired police officer). In my state I get no health care and a very modest pension that was based on a very low salary. I knew the score going in and worked my ass off to get even my modest pension. The state also kept the poltico's hands off the pension fund through a Constitutional amendment so they couldn't raid the money for their own pet projects and cronies.
My entire issue is that these some dreamland states did negotiate these fat contracts and now, suddenly, they see the light and change their minds? Total political expediency in my opinion. A true leader would have told the unions years ago that no, we can't pay this amount and if we do, here is what we cut in the budget. Where were they?
If going forward they negotiate a hard employment contract with unions or whoever, more power to them. But to repudiate existing agreements is not right and ultimately undermines the validity of all contractual arrangements.
In the end, if you haven't figured out that you are out for yourself and responsible for yourself then you will indeed suffer in the future. You had best have a skill set that is badly needed and then you will be rewarded, otherwise it is a minimum wage job and life. These are personal choices and decisions about how one lives their life.
Lou –
If your son and daughter would pay their million dollar tax bills we'd be one step closer to breaking even.
Who is Barbara and where is she visiting from???
MartinBK – I tend to agree with you. At least as it relates to Wisconsin, however, it is important to be clear than no existing contracts of any kind where repudiated. You may appreciate that – but it is a common misconception that I think tends to confuse a lot of people.
Lou – good topics – keep up the great blog.
I think what I said was misunderstood.. I never said or believe that a pension, social security or medicare is an entitlement.. I think we all know what an entitlement is..
I'm also a firm believer in helping someone willing to help himself.. If that help happens to be in the form of welfare, so be it.. Once that person is back on their feet, they should pay it back.. After all, shouldn't that be a loan on that persons future?
Patrick