Mike Rants - Obnoxious political opinions herein!

2010 Midterm Elections - NSFW language, as usual

2010-11-02T23:22:00.000-07:00

Over the course of the day I've been watching political results as much as possible, as well as watching with enthusiasm and camaraderie as my Twitter and Facebook feeds overwhelmingly reflected the number of people I know who participated in elections today. I believe that educating yourself about the issues and options and expressing your opinion via the ballot box is the most critical function we have as members of this democracy.

HOWEVER - I have seen an increasing number of people state the opinion that "If _______ (fill in candidate, party or issue) wins, I'm moving to ________ (fill in country name that isn't the USA).

What the fuck? Do you not get how this works? I've got four words for everyone who thinks that they should leave if they don't like the election results -

FUCK YOU, LEAVE NOW.

Seriously. If losing an election is enough to make you give up your country, then you shouldn't be participating in the first place. And if you've already decided that the OTHER 50% OF THE COUNTRY is so awful that you can't stand to be around when they're doing things, then you aren't part of the solution, you're part of the problem. Hell, you ARE the problem. The reason so little has gotten done these last two years is because we've got two political parties that each think they have the God-granted right to run the country unopposed, and refuse to work together toward any sort of common goal. Even when they have the same goals in common, they run in opposite directions to try to mask what's going on.

And the reality is that both parties are so beholden to the same corporate interests (make no mistake, unions and corporations are the same damn thing - organizations that have grown so large they've lost sight of what mattered in the beginning) and will never effect any real change.

What's gonna happen now that the GOP has the house - are we gonna bomb another country that hasn't done anything to us? NO. Not only can we not afford it, nobody has the political will to push that through. And we do still have Obama in the White House, in case you haven't noticed. Will HCR get repealed? NO. The GOP only has control of one house, and even then doesn't have the supermajority to get past a presidential veto or a Democratic filibuster (something I'm so annoyed by it deserves its own blog post). Will gays lose the right to marry or to serve in the military? WAIT - WE COULDN'T FIX THAT WHILE WE HAD CONTROL OF EVERYTHING. WTF. Pay attention, and be a part of the bigger picture.

We need to stop defining the "other" as an enemy. Liberal and conservative are not dirty words, and they're definitely not black and white definitions. I don't know anybody who perfectly fits the stereotype of either description (don't get me wrong - I'm sure they're out there, but they're definitely not the norm). Most people have some opinions that could be considered liberal, some that could be considered conservative, and some in the middle. Many may hold more liberal or more conservative views, but still can't be classified as exclusively one or the other.

That's the reality of our country - and the sooner we all realize it and get over our self-righteous bullshit, the better.

And, by the way, I voted for Democrats, Republicans, Greens, Libertarians and a few independents all on one ballot today. Because I could.

Political spectrum quiz

2009-08-03T01:45:00.000-07:00

This one was kinda fun, particularly since unlike nearly every other political spectrum quiz I've taken, I actually think the results make sense!

My Political Views
I am a center-left social libertarian
Left: 1.92, Libertarian: 3.96

Political Spectrum Quiz

Debate Reactions...

2008-10-02T23:11:00.000-07:00

Okay, the first thing I have to say, and this is really inspired by clips of Sarah Palin at her rally immediately after the debate, is that I am sick to fucking death of conservatives, and especially Republicans, thinking that they own patriotism. Kill first, think later. Drill first, conserve later. Those are NOT patriotic values, no matter how fucking loudly you chant "USA, USA, USA".

Okay, with that off my chest, here's my reaction to the debates.

I'll criticize my side first, which if you've been reading, you know is the Obama/Biden ticket.

It's really hard to claim that you're going to eliminate partisanship in Washington when your entire line of attack is "the Republicans screwed it all up". Every attack equating McCain with GW without examples of Republicans who are different (and I mean real Republicans, not Lieberman-as-Democrat style Republicans) is a partisan attack, whether you think it or not. Nobody actually thinks that saying "God love him, but he's wrong" makes you bi- or non-partisan.

I'm sick and tired of lying or stretching the truth when the actual truth is bad enough. McCain is not giving a $4 billion tax break to Exxon Mobil, he's giving it to all big corporations. To keep claiming he's in the pocket of big oil because of this is misleading, particularly when there's an easy case to make that he's in the pocket of big corporations, who conveniently enough are currently responsible in large part for the tanking economy.

I'm also sick of the folksy bullshit. I'm not sure who these "ordinary people" are who all the informality is supposed to reach, but I think they need a punch in the nose. If you really think that any politician who reaches a position of this altitude really relates to you, I've got a bridge in Alaska I'd like to sell you. Therefore, no more talk of your neighborhood in Scranton. Sure, you lived there as a little kid, but you really didn't grow up there.

Finally, quit dodging questions. You look like an asshole. The moderator asked you a question, so answer it and quit deflecting by restating it and then moving on to vaguely related talking points.

Now, the Palin side. Damn, do I have enough paper here?

Talk about dodging questions - I'd like to ask you about the bankruptcy bill. Well, I'd like to talk about energy. WTF?? Did anybody ask you about energy? No, you jackass, even though you've brought it up as an answer to the last three questions on the economy!

Folksy, my ass. I'm sick of the idea that we need to vote for somebody who's just like us. I don't want somebody just like us running my damn country, I want someone smarter than me. And since I know for a fact, from my ACT tests to my IQ tests that I'm smarter than many, I want a damn intelligent person running this thing. Haven't we had enough with the last eight years of someone who can't pronounce "nuclear"? Holy crap - repeat after me. Noo - Clee - Ar, not nucular. Damn. How is it elitist to not just have an education, but sound like it? You know, GW went to Harvard, but he sounded like an "aw-shucks" hayseed. Did voting for the hayseed do us any good? LOOK AT THE DAMN ECONOMY. LOOK AT ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS. LOOK AT OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM. LOOK AT OUR STANDING IN THE WORLD! I'm sure there are many other things you can look at, but I'm sick of typing in all caps.

Okay, can we quit claiming that a minor side effect of a bill is the intended purpose? Obama voted against funding the troops? Obama voted to raise taxes on people making less than $42k a year? Bullshit. By the same standards, McCain did the same if not worse. Those standards are stupid, and untrue.

The "Castro Brothers" are on the level of Ahmadinejad and Kim Jong Il? Seriously? Next you're gonna try to tell me that Saddam was as dangerous as Bin Laden, and is trying to get his hands on weapons of... Oh, wait, you do think that.

Maverick, Maverick, Maverick, Maverick, Maverick, Maverick, Maverick, Maverick, Maverick, Maverick, Maverick, Maverick, Maverick, Maverick, Maverick, Maverick, Maverick, Maverick

Yeah, right. We all believed it about 8 years ago. Not any more. Plus, it doesn't matter - YOU'RE NOT ONE!!

Oh well, I've burned off the worst of the irritation, and the beverages are starting to kick in, so I'm going to bed.

Laters

Seriously??

2008-09-12T10:24:00.000-07:00

In Remembrance

2008-09-11T10:03:00.001-07:00

I got a phone call from my brother-in-law at 7am the morning of September 11, 2001, telling me to turn on the television, that we were under attack. From then on, I was glued to the screen, in complete disbelief at what was happening. That shock turned to grief as I watched the towers collapse, one after another, while people in the streets fled in terror.

I find it immensely saddening that our country, which tries so hard to do so much good in the world, can be hated so fiercely as well. People offer reasons, both valid and invalid, but there is never justification for hatred so complete that it can extend to a minimum-wage filing clerk who just needed to pay the rent; or to an airline flight attendant who had just given you a cup of water; or to a security guard at the front desk who smiled and waved when workers dragged themselves in to the office in the morning, still sucking on a scalding cup of coffee in a futile attempt to wake up; or, realistically, to anyone who died that fateful morning.

If anything good can possibly be said to come from the deaths of over 3000 people whose only offense was to be in a building that was a symbol of American economic strength, it is that on one day a year, we can put aside politics and just be Americans, citizens of the United States of America, brothers and sisters in the spirit of this great country. For another 364 days a year we debate the meanings, the causes, and the appropriate reactions to the events of September 11, 2001. Today, we mourn together, and we remember together, and hopefully, we grow closer together.

May God bless you, and keep you.

May God lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.

One more rant against my own peeps - the self-identified liberals.

2008-09-08T12:17:00.000-07:00

I've described before how I, despite my revulsion at the actual procedure of abortion, have remained an advocate of choice. I cannot state enough how much getting an abortion goes against what I believe is right, but I still believe that the choice is up to the woman for whom that fetus is an integral part of her body.

However - I have had it up to fucking HERE with people attacking (otherwise referred to as "that nutcase") Sarah Palin for not aborting her child, who happens to have Down Syndrome. Attack her for her stance on abortion, sure. I don't agree with her, and don't want her anywhere near the White House trying to force her beliefs on the rest of the country. HOWEVER - the fact that a child has a disability is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON to get rid of it. In fact, that train of thought is absolutely the worst justification for abortion I've ever heard of. In my personal, yet violently held opinion, aborting because of a possible disability is one step beyond rounding up all the Jews for the ovens.

Yes, that's right. I believe that anyone who espouses abortion because you know the potential child has Down Syndrome, Dwarfism, a Cleft Palate, Club Foot, Male Genetalia, etc, is as bad, if not worse, than a Nazi. I make no bones about it. If you want to kill people because you don't like the way they look, or the way they act, then you're no better than those who do it because you don't like the cut of their foreskin.

I strongly disagree with Sarah Palin's politics, but I cannot and will not condone attacks on her for deciding to keep her Down Syndrome child. Her son now has a chance to grow up, learn better, and move out of the house, and will hopefully vote Democrat in years to come, meanwhile educating people that the right to choose does not justify the right to selective breeding.

Sick bastards...

Quick note about the 10 Commandments

2008-09-05T17:53:00.001-07:00

It seems like the only time the 10 Commandments come up these days is in a debate over whether or not they should be displayed on a public building. I have to say for a second that I'm completely amazed by the lack of attention to the content of that document from the ones who purport to care about it. Allow me to name a few of the commandments that seem to escape their attention.

1. Thou shalt not kill.

This one's pretty straight forward, and seems to be the most difficult to get around. The GOP, supposedly the party of church and God and good old fashioned family values, seems to really enjoy killing. The death penalty? It's God's will, and part of the natural order. The only problem with it is that pesky liberals keep pointing out things like the inequity in how it's applied, or the frequency with which innocents are sentenced to death. Also, there's that whole war thing. I absolutely believe that we should defend ourselves when attacked, but they seem to believe that the best defense is a good offense - when in doubt, attack pre-emptively. It'll solve all our problems. So what part of "Thou Shalt Not Kill" is confusing to you? Is it not actually killing if the dead guy is a bad guy?

2. Thou shalt not bear false witness.

I know the RNC is not technically a court of law, but it certainly is a court of public opinion, so I hold that this counts. There were so many lies and misstatements it was amazing! Seldom were the lies outright, but the truth was stretched and mangled so badly that it was frequently unrecognizable...

3. Thou shalt not covet.

Oil, anyone? Eesh...

Obviously I have a real issue with any particular party claiming to own a concept like Christianity or patriotism. I hate to break this to you, but I believe that God wants me to be a good steward of the planet - therefore I'm an environmentalist. I believe that God wants me to help "the least of these my children" - therefore I support social services. I believe that God wants me to do unto others as I would have them do unto me - therefore I believe in equal pay for equal work. I believe that God wants me to "render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's, and unto God that which is God's" - therefore I believe in the separation of church and state. Is that too difficult? Can y'all just try actually reading the book you keep trying to beat me over the head with??

That is all for now...

This evening at the RNC

2008-09-03T20:31:00.000-07:00

So I tried - I really did. I have frequently respected the opinions and performances of politicians whom I disagree with, including Mike Huckabee, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and until recently, John McCain. I tuned into the RNC tonight really hoping to feel better about Sarah Palin than I had after reading about her positions. As you may have read in previous posts, I refuse to judge her by the actions of her daughter, and I continue to insist that although teen pregnancy is absolutely a topic that needs discussion, I don't believe that it reflects on her ability to govern. I actually have a few reasons to want to identify with her - not only does my wife work in disability services, but my daughter actually has a disability. Mrs. Palin's son, who has Down's Syndrome, gave me a good reason to hope that she would legitimately be a change from the pro-business, screw people with differences, politics that have come out of the RNC for the last 20 years at least.

Instead, I watched one of the most painful evenings of television I have seen in a long time. I've already stated (although maybe not on here yet...) how annoyed I am with the Obama campaign participating in the strategy of personal attack as a replacement for debating the issues, when I think the Obama campaign has the right take on most of the issues. I can't stand this style of politics, which makes this time of year extremely difficult for me. I think it's irresponsible not to follow what's going on, but following this stuff is stomach-turning. Tonight, I watched two speeches in a row filled with nothing but "McCain got shot down and tortured in Vietnam, and Obama is a Commie/terrorist supporter/helpless idiot/member of the Washington Elite/inexperienced loser who flip flops so badly that Biden needs to have his nomination in writing." Giuliani was particularly painful, as he had no problem whatsoever being the public face of the rednecks in the room, leading the chants of "drill, baby, drill" and laughing at everything Obama does. I'm still kinda confused how Obama managed to have no experience and yet manage to be a member of the Washington Elite and know his way around the Chicago Political Machine. It's impressive.

Then there's Palin. She was far less glib, thank God, but no better at dealing with facts. She said "thanks, but no thanks" to the bridge to nowhere? Not when she was campaigning for office, she didn't! In fact, she got into office as Governor of Alaska by asking how it felt to be referred to as "nowhere" and saying that she identified with them! Then she accepted the funds for the bridge, and redistributed it to other construction projects so she could claim that she was against it from the beginning! How about those impressive vetos to spending? They were still a fairly small percentage of the spending she allowed, while Alaskan government spending actually increased dramatically, on the back of the taxes she increased on corporations in Alaska! How's that for confusing??

To top it off, she refuses to believe that humans have anything to do with the crap in our air, thinks we should require religion to be taught in a science class, thinks that an unborn child's life is more important than the living mother's, and believes that drilling for oil in a wildlife refuge is more important than protecting an endangered species, despite the fact that drilling there won't help us anytime soon, and money spent drilling there could actually help in about the same amount of time if it were applied to developing the alternative energy sources she claimed to support in the same speech.

I think knocking her for her pregnant daughter, large family, flight to Alaska before delivery, and lack of a masters degree is crap. Half of that wouldn't even matter if she'd been male - if McCain had made his wife fly home after her water broke no one would care. If his daughter had gotten pregnant, no one would care. And the degree thing is only important because an advanced degree is a level of experience, and I think she has as much as other candidates that were being considered. I don't even care that Alaska has a smaller population than most states - it's still executive.

I disagree first on politics - nearly everything she represents is something I believe is wrong. I disagree second on behaviour - I think treating each other respectfully is critical, and is the type of behaviour I want in a president/veep. Yes, this means I'm frustrated with Biden's run-at-the-mouth disease, and with Obama persisting with this "$5 million means you're rich", "how many houses do you have" crap. But these two tonight took it so far over the top that it almost inspires me to go from a passive Obama supporter to an active Obama supporter just to make sure that Palin and her party don't get back into the White House for another four years... and this is a really big deal for me, since I have never believed in voting for the lesser of two evils - I, despite the hatred I hear from angry Dems, voted for Nader in 2000 and 2004, although I had to write him in to do it in 2004.

Okay, that got most of it off my chest for now... feel free to respond with your own opinions...

As usual, I'm conflicted...

2008-09-03T01:12:00.000-07:00

Women's hospital staff back more liberal abortion law

This article really highlights why I'm so torn over the issue of abortion. Personally, I am strongly pro-life. I dislike killing in any form, and believe strongly in protecting things that can't protect themselves - it's one of the primary beliefs that makes me a liberal. The very name of the procedure gives you an idea of how abhorrent the process is. On the other hand, the conservative side of me (which rears its ugly head every now and then) believes that the government shouldn't regulate what its citizens do with and to their own bodies, and is willing to accept that, on rare occasions, abortion has been necessary to save lives. My problem is that I continue to assume that people are smart enough to handle responsibility when it's given to them, and this article provides evidence to the contrary. They aborted a child at 32 weeks, nearly the age of my son when he was born, for no better reason than because the baby had dwarfism. I simply cannot comprehend the type of person it takes to end a life because it comes in a package that looks different. This, to me, is absolutely mindblowing. I know that I have a different perspective since my daughter has dwarfism, but I think that difference is telling. We didn't find out about Caitlin's difference until well after birth, but we would have never considered removing her chance to live.

In many ways this goes back to my frustration with partisan politics. Not only does the alignment of this issue make absolutely no sense, with the protectors of whales and trees refusing to protect an infant, and the proponents of small government and less federal intrusion pushing for regulations over what to do with your own body, but the reality is that neither side will be happy with any sort of compromise. Most pro-choice proponents will refuse to accept any restrictions on the availability of abortion, and most pro-life proponents will refuse to accept that there are times when it can be justified, and that decision should always be made by the parents, not by completely uninvolved parties.

I may be a liberal/Obama supporter, but...

2008-09-02T21:30:00.000-07:00

Two things that I want to say that I'm tired of hearing from other, supposedly intelligent, liberals.

First, stop trashing McCain because of his age. If I hear one more person say that Palin is likely to be the next president because McCain is absolutely gonna die in office, I'm gonna snap. That's just plain stupid, and it's incredibly prejudiced. How the hell can people who claim to fight against prejudice show such ageism??? McCain has provided us with plenty to dislike. He used to be a maverick who stood up against the right-wingers time after time when he thought the issue was right, from immigration to campaign finance reform, but has turned into a "toe the line" jackass who supports almost every one of GW's policies, and runs commercials claiming that supporting Obama is little more than celebrity worship along the lines of Paris Hilton or Brittany Spears fans, a comparison that made even the Hiltons, who were maximum donors to the McCain campaign, angry. I used to really respect the man, but over the last few months have come to believe that he is a complete sleazebag.

Second, stop saying that Palin is a hypocrite for supporting her pregnant kid while preaching abstinence in school. Is there a single person out there who hasn't done something that your parents' disapproved of? Holy crap - I know I've done plenty. That's not my parents' fault, and they're not hypocrites for teaching classes in not smoking because I've smoked, or for not breaking the law when I've spent the weekend in county lockup. There are enough things to dislike Palin for, from her belief in teaching religion in public schools, to her refusal to accept a woman's right to choose, to her flip-flops on earmarks and ethics. For God's sake, the woman campaigned for office in Alaska by promising to keep the funding for the "bridge to nowhere", asking residents of that island if they were tired of being called "nowhere", and changed her mind as soon as she got in office - now claiming to have always been against it.

Ergh. I really hate misdirection - unjustified attacks are unjustified attacks, whether it's comparing Obama to Paris & Brittany, or knocking Palin for her pregnant daughter. Just stop it already - let's make the debate about actual issues!!!!!!!

Is everyone seriously this stupid???

2008-07-24T03:30:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know I never finished my last rant, and I do promise to come back to it, but I've gotten myself seriously irritated about stuff on the news right now and have to rant or I'm gonna explode.

First, there's no such thing as an unbiased cable news channel - for a long time, MSNBC was at least less blatantly "liberal" than CNN, and obviously Fox is just plain whacko. But now, MSNBC is unabashedly anti-McCain/pro-Obama, and this drives me nuts. Drives me nuts, in fact, despite the fact that I too am pro-Obama, and am rapidly becoming more and more anti-McCain. Can't anybody just report the frickin' news anymore, without all the adjectives that actually do pass judgement on the story? Seriously folks, it's your damn job.

Okay - on to the main point to my rant. I was watching news coverage of Obama's campaign speech in Germany, being amused by McCain whining about how he would love to go there as president, when they cut to two opposing comments by a "man on the street" about what they thought about Obama's speech. The first one, and reasonably so I think, said that she thought it was probably a good thing that we had people from the countries that we're allied with actually liking us and being excited about the prospects of change. The second, and this is where I hit the roof, said that she was concerned that "foreigners might be confused as to who the leader of this country actually is".

What the F^(&*Y&T*)&()(*(&)^^(^)(*???????

That's right, let me say this again.

Obama's appearance in Germany left this woman concerned that people from other countries would not be able to figure out who the US's current president is.

Holy crap. This can't be a conservative thing. I've known far too many intelligent conservatives - witness the number who stopped calling themselves Republicans after they got sick of GW making them look bad. I've also had far too many conversations with people whose views I disagreed with who could nonetheless articulate them clearly and make their case without resorting to stupidity.

This lady, on the other hand, exemplifies the kind of people who would vote for bread and circuses (I said I'd come back to my previous blog!) for the rest of their lives without caring if it brought the country down around us. She seriously thought people in other countries were too stupid to know the difference between a president and a candidate campaigning for the position. Now I know that many, many Americans can't name the leader of a single country outside our own (and some have a hard time coming up with ours!!) but unlike us, many other countries (particularly in Europe) have figured out that we all need each other to survive. After all, they survived two world wars by banding together, along with a great deal of help from us. They've now merged into the European Union because they need each other to coordinate on the economy as well. They pay lots of attention to the election campaigns of the countries who affect them - and we affect them possibly more than anyone.

Have you ever noticed how many people believe that if you don't speak English as your primary language, that you're stupid? I've heard this from B&C'ers frequently (Bread and Circus'ers, if you didn't get that... I'm gonna just abbreviate it from now on because I'm lazy) - they discount the ideas and opinions of anyone who speaks another language, just because the B&C'er doesn't understand the foreigner. This is the epitome of egotism, and since it's usually exerted by an idiot, it is also the epitome of stupidity.

Argh. I'm pissed off at the world right now, and this really isn't getting it out of my system. God, I just hope that this election season passes soon so I can go back to not watching for every possible political/election story that comes along, since every one of them has a strong potential to unleash this vast pool of irritation in me.

Anyway, I shop at WalMart for groceries now, because they're 35-60% cheaper than any other grocery store out there. This also pisses me off, for many reasons. First, because I hate WalMart for perverting the goals of Sam Walton, who believed in selling US made products and making his employees part owners of the company so that they would really want to make the business better. Instead, they now outsource as far as possible, squeeze manufacturers to the point that they will make a lower grade of an identical product for sale at WalMart in order to still be able to turn a profit. And second, because WalMart is filled with B&C'ers. You can't even drive in front of a WalMart unless it's the middle of the night, because people just walk in front of your car without caring if you've been waiting for 20 minutes for the crosswalk to clear, and they're usually not in the crosswalk because that would require caring about the rules that make our society livable. It would also mean they would have to start using their turn signals when driving and throwing their trash in an appropriate receptacle, and maybe bike to work once a week so that we don't have to breath this damn much crap in the air. They live in Amurica, by god, and them commies that want clean air and water can just go to hell.

Okay, this rant has turned pointless, and it's three in the morning so I'm going to bed. Night, all.

Democracy... Mildly deep thought

2008-05-14T19:30:00.000-07:00

So there's been quite a discussion of democracy on several of the NPR shows that I listen to lately. I have to say that I'm quite fascinated by the discussion, since I'm a big fan of democracy and all. The guest on Forum (KQED public radio) this morning was talking about her upbringing and how her dad treated the kids very democratically growing up, explaining all his decisions to them rather than just telling them "because I said so". While I wasn't particularly raised that way, it was the way I always tried to be - driving my parents nuts routinely by asking them questions when they just wanted me to listen. Of course, I'm paying for it now, with my son doing the same thing to me. I have to make deals with him - I'll explain why I want him to do what I want him to do only AFTER he's done it, so that if it's time sensitive (as safety sometimes dictates) - to get him to do what I want!

The interesting thing about this, is that it allows me to see some of the weaknesses inherent in democracy as well. Should my 4 year old son, who knows far less than me even though he means well, and very likely has mac and cheese in mind far more often than the survival and success of the family, have a vote that is equal to mine? Well, in practice, in our household, that answer is a resounding NO. This is where I become conflicted! As soon as I take the position that some members of a group are more qualified than others to vote on issues, may have a better or more important or more educated position than others, I feel like I'm speaking bad juju. It hearkens discussions from before emancipation - those poor darkies don't know what they're doing, they're just children, so I'll decide for them. It's best, really! Eesh - as a supposedly enlightened progressive that's terrifying!

On the other hand, Robert Heinlen makes a really good arguement for restricting the right to vote to a certain class in his book "Stormship Troopers", which is dramatically different than the movie, before you jump all over me for using a piece of fluff as justification for an argument. In that book, he makes the statement that if you allow the general public to vote on everything, they will end up choosing "bread and circuses" for themselves for eternity, not making many of the difficult and sometimes painful choices that are necessary for improving the state. Two good examples of that recently are the controversy first over the gas tax - many in the public thought lifting the gas tax this summer was a good idea, and thought Barack was being obstinate for saying that it wouldn't work, until loads of economists lined up on his side. A second example is the issue of bonds in California. California voters have a history of being very conservative when it comes to approving tax increases or additional fees for things - the supposed Vehicle License Fee increase is a perfect example that got then-Governor Grey Davis booted from office - but they have no problem passing bond measures to help fund whatever the current pet project is. Somehow the populace has gotten it in mind that bonds are free money, and never come back to haunt us. They've even used bond measures to help fill in the budget gap now that California is in such a crisis financially. Somehow the fact that every bond has to be paid back with interest never seems to come up, which may explain a lot about the mentality that caused the current mortgage crisis!

Alright - this is turning into a book, so I'm gonna save my thoughts on what we might need to do to fix this problem for my next post. Stay tuned for part two of the blog!