Jason Monastra

My life and thoughts out on the web

With the anticipation subsiding and the polls coming in, the race appears to be shifting strongly in the way of Barack Obama.  With a win projected in Ohio, the reality is that the path to the White House will require a clean sweep to get John McCain in the door.  Most likely not what will happen.  Barack Obama appears at this time, 10:03pm in evening on November 4th 2008 to be the presidential elect for the US.  Surprised - not completely.  Disappointed - very much.  With this election the US as we know it will cease to exist and the movement to a government controlled people is bringing in the new day.

Most people do not realize the impact of such a decision, blaming the GOP for the recent economic climate and of course the financial crisis of these past months.  How quick we forget the benefits of free enterprise and how we arrived here.  When things go bad, we are quick to point a finger -  blaming the process or a person, looking for anything but simply not understanding that things are not perfect.  There are ups/downs, and extremes on both ends.  We will suffer the same under a Democratically controlled government, as there will be little difference when it comes to that.

What will be different is how much less of a voice we have.  The people have voted, and appeared to have voted for a king.  They are looking for more government, less control of their own destinies, and a ruling process that has not worked in other countries for hundreds of years.  US has been the beneficiary of the only free market and non-governmentcontrolled people.  Our expertise and knowledge base has been the backbone of nearly 200 yrs of progression.  But withthe new ideas on acceptance, immigration reform, and welfare - the requirement of people working and the need for standing up on one’s own two feet has been lifted.  No longer must a person work to eat, but simply fill out a form and send it in for the handout each month the government is willing to give you.  That process, and the true keeping down of the poor and disenfranchised has what has brought us to this point - leading us to choose leadership that will take more from us and give little to nothing back.

I am saddened.  No doubt about it…this is a hard day for me and all people, no matter your party, that look at this country as a place where we can set our own dreams and experiences.  We are now bringing in the day where nothing will be our own, and we will be accountable for nothing other than working when we want, giving all our money to a central fund to be redistributed across the people, thus deemphasizing hard work and encouraging laziness.  I go to sleep not knowing what tomorrow brings other than things are changing…..that is what people voted for.  However, they did not know where they wanted to go and where Obama plans on taking us.  It might be sadder that they did not even bother to ask.

Polls are an interesting science, better call it art to be safe.  They are intended to offer a sample of the general public thus giving the idea of what the nation is thinking.  Polls tend to go back and forth, some offering wider amounts of disparity than others.  As most know I lean in the conservative camp, but find myself glued more to the liberal media channels such as CNN (like there are many conservative ones to choose from).  In any case, I find interesting the the polls and their truth over the last week.

It appears that the gap between McCain and Obama might not be as large as once proposed.  Why is that?  Disenchantment.  Liberal media channels that happen to control most of the outlets into peoples’ homes want people to believe that there is no hope for the McCain/Palin ticket.  To do so, their polls are skewed, only calling on registered liberals and people know to support Obama as a candidate.  Looking then at the sampling of say 1200 people, the guise is that the nation is leaning towards Obama.  Frankly that is quite simple given the sampling that they collect.  If you ask a sampling of 1200 dogs if they enjoy being around cats or dogs, most will respond emphatically not with cats (as they chase them around barking).

But what about the most recent polls, with the lead dropping from 11 to 5%, I even saw a poll yesterday with a spread of 3%.  That same poll had a margin error of 2.5% meaning it could essentially be a dead heat.  Why the changes?  Simple….they cannot look so out of touch as the election begins.  If they continue to report such disparity and the election results are very close or McCain wins, they will look like they are not reporting the news independently.  Like they ever were.

Liberal media has launched a campaign that has brought the Obama campaign to unprecedented heights, one that is formidable and difficult to overcome.  But certainly not impossible.  McCain and Palin have a valid chance at creating history themselves - McCain as being the oldest President and Palin as the first female VP.  Polls are what they are, but do not take them as they are presented - as most media outlets have their own agenda and care little for the truth.  They are painters of a picture, hoping to generate results that make them look the best.

The backwards talk and the constant change of wording by all accounts for most people is disturbing, however in watching this video I recently saw on the Huffington Post, I found myself asking why?  As I understand it, there was a time that Biden was considered the rising star amid the Democratic party -someone to look to for the future, offering impact and change on the national level.  Well with that fizzling out as he has been in the Senate with little to show over the last 20 yrs, he is interviewed back in 2007 with the subject of drawing parallels between his campaign and that of Barack Obama. Click Here for Video Now you ask where is the confusion?

Simple….Biden sits on the ticket of Barack Obama has a puppet simply placing himself there since he will never get the national support and opportunity to be in office otherwise.  However, in this interview - he claims that Obama is not ready for the job.  Sound weird…..you probably are thinking the same as I.  In addition, he declares the following: “It would be hard for me to go out and make the case for my president that I had strong disagreement with,” he says. “It would be a hard thing for me to do. And I don’t criticize those who do because you must be a team. So I would not recommend that anyone pick me for vice president.”  LOL.  Are you kidding me…is not he sitting on the ticket?  Is not he the one supporting Obama and smashing McCain/Palin?  Is not he now wanting to be VIce President?  What changed?

What changed is that he will never see the oval office other from the hip pocket of another presidential candidate….bottom line. He has spent numerous years offering the Senate nothing more than a running dialogue of “more of the same” thus making him inadequate for a larger post.  Obama found out quickly that he needed Biden to overcome issues of experience, but nothing more.  Biden will sit happily by eating bon-bons and enjoying the sites from the VPs office, while Obama does whatever it is he does.  I am pretty certain that Obama will not ask Biden, because according to him Obama is not ready and they should have never picked him for VP.

I have been following the tragic decline of AIG since it made the headlines, waiting and hoping for a sign that shows the leadership change that is drastically needed to make the company move in the right direction.  However with the bailout, additional funds, and increased timeline - we have seen nothing but some of the lowest aspects of financial leadership and economic responsibility.  All this being done at the cost of the taxpayer with little to no oversight by our government which gave them the money.

First out, the $442,000 that was spent on the retreat and rewards event for the top sales people.  This occurred right after the bailout plan was announced, spitting in the face of companies and people that are nickel and diming by during this time.  Secondly the golf and hunting trips that have cost the company near $100,000 continue along the path of lavish expenditures which the company’s elite have become accustomed and have no issues continuing even with public funds.  Lastly and most recently announced, the consulting dollars assigned to the former division chief who oversaw the company’s management of their credit derivatives.  $34,000,000 in a one time payment plus $1,000,000/month is going out for these services.

Are there no laws.   Recently, the State Attorney General of NY - Andrew Cuomo, has raised the flag that enough is enough.  But even with his most recent requests, spending has not declined.  There must be more than simply talk of action, but action required.  People need to know that their public funds are not being wasted for the benefits of a few people.  Personally, consulting and offering large payouts to someone that was instrumental in your downfall makes no sense.  Are there are committees and government appointed experts in the field that should be assigned to a company such as AIG to oversee critical business operations should such a loan be made?  Instead, we feed the process that has failed, offering little more than a bucket to move water from a sinking ship.  How many buckets will they need next year?

We are entering one of the more tragic times in the history of our country.  When the country was formed, we were focused on the development of business and the running of commerce from a private sector perspective with little government interference and no inclination of government ever owning any of the enterprises that would develop our country into the greatest economic landscape of the world. 

But now the landscape has changed.  Businesses are failing, people are floundering, and the governement is putting out their hand.  What is that?  Goverment controlled business is a socialist characteristic that other countries do, but not the US.  Right?  What has changed that we must feel that the federal stooges must place their hands in the private sector to keep the economy afloat.  Simply - fear.  There are certain economic principles that are concrete, ones that allow for viable companies to survive and others to fail.  Certain companies that have become so leveraged and so critical to the overall sector that we have forgotten what it is like to run without them.  Bottom line, we can run without them.  Will be leaders - of course not.  More like the one legged guy that just came out of the accident who is learning how to walk with again.  But walk he shall. 

The private sector has made some major mistakes, ones that have caused people their homes, their savings, their lives in some cases.  But the thinning of the pack, the death of icons, etc allows for the innovative change that keeps this country ahead of the curve.  It is an effect and an event that should have been welcomed, unleashing a new order that would allow non followers to look at the issues and solve them.  Instead, we sit back and allow the passing of a bill that will place us deeper in debt and band aid one of the worlds fastest failing financial systems.  Who exactly is that helping?

The Washington Post reported that was an evolution of the capitalism.  That the government has always played a role in the development and financial success of private companies and this is the latest of many interventions that they have made.  I disagree.  If the government manages the overall infrastructure development of the country and outsources the labor of those intiatives to private company - how can that be compared to the bailout of the recent months?  Economist Robert Shiller said that this country has never been a true beacon of unfettered market principles.  No where does it state the the government cannot align the betterment of the country and enrich those private companies that are willing to place their assets in place to help deliver for the country’s mission.  So his play on words and his poor judgement is yet another step in the favored direction of all the liberal media - Robin Hood.  Steal from the rich, give to the poor, stifle innovation, ruin the currency, and bring everyone into the middle class as they so define.  Oh, by the way while keeping the democratic leadership rich.

As a born again Christian and Republican, I find myself in one of the hardest political times of my brief life.  Currently, we are in one of the most turbulent economic times since the 1980s, and if you believe the liberal media hype we are on our way to another Depression.  I do not see soup lines and a jobless rate above 25% so someone needs to tell me about the depression.  So where does this leave us since over the last 8 yrs we have been led by a conservative President and a disabled Congress that has been so fervent in their efforts to lead us astray, that they have not only led us the wrong way but alienated us from the entire world at the same time.

I read this past week that the approval rating of our Congress was less than the President.  Is that possible?  I did not think anyone approved of the President, but it appears some people do.  However, there are 18% of the US people that think that the people in DC are doing a good job.  Can anyone that is reading this believe that? 

In any case let us look at the most recent flood of ridiculous behavior by our great elected folks on the hill.  The secretary decides that it is time for us to bail out the financial system, a monumental move and something of a nightmare if you are a member of the capitalist system that we were founded on.  But without that, no matter….let us focus on the debacle.  So the people decide that this is the direction we are going and we cannot get Congress to move on it.  Our good friend Nancy Pelosi gives one of our partisan speeches and turns up the heat so the crowd decided that going cross isle would not be helpful.  Better yet, let us remain paralyzed, do nothing, make the country look even more unprepared and confused to the world, and continue down the path of being ruined.  So we do nothing, only a week later to produce a similar bill with nearly no differences except some pork, and lookie lookie - it gets passed.  Ridiculous.

So where does the good ol President fit into all of this.  You know as much as I do on that.  I have seen little of him lately, as the news is dominated with the current Presidential race and there appears to be no leadership from our current administration.  So with that being the case, can anyone not understand why the approval ratings are so poor?  It appears to not be too difficult for me to see it and I would love to be hooping and hollering over some Republican win…however there is none to be had.  Better yet, it has done such a good job just the appearance of loyalty to the current President has made John McCains race all the more uphill. 

Where does this leave us…who knows?  With leadership a thing of the past, no current administration in place, and a huge lack of future possibilities - it appears that we have little to be hopeful for.  I rest my head on the pillow at night knowing that God is in control, and that no matter the leaders or lack their of, that we continue to pray and He will remain in control offering us the only true hope there is for the future, and that is Jesus Christ.

It is not starting well for the good ol girl.  Palin comes out and asks if she is allowed to call him “Joe”?  What is that?  I am a Republican at heart, moral standards and all - anti-abortion, etc. etc.  But could we not pick a better candidate here.  This is not going well.  Then to offer a prelude to how things would go….Joe answers with a brief, direct, and highly programmed answer detailing specifics for the state of the economy and next steps reference the bailout and economic policy.  Palin runs to the soccer moms.  This is not looking good.

Are you kidding me?  The Senate just after the rejection of the bill that was supposed to be the ultimate bailout, has now surfaced with yet another bill to curb the growing financial crisis of the US.  The core issue with this bill is the same as the last.  The government (and yes that would be your tax dollars) are purchasing bad debt instruments to the tune of 700B dollars.  Does anyone else see an issue with this?

Oh and I love the description of this new plan.  One with SWEETNERS so as to better attract the people that blocked the first one.  If those people are so easily swayed, all of them should be removed and we need to start over with a national election for every post.  Look at some of the sweeteners - tax breaks for solar energy, extended tax breaks for taxes being removed on federal return, and my personal favorite which is relief from the AMT.  I am sitting here flabbergasted by the mere idea that so many people think this is ok.  The Senate just passed this garbage to the tune of 74-25.  And now headed to the house where they hit roadblocks earlier.

The house should veto this thing so fast it should make their head spin.  To simply replace the same language but offer so “bribes” so as to make the bill more attractive for those 10 or 12 people they need with zero conscious.  It is horrible.  Our system has broken down.  Morals have lost their value and our leaders need to be held accountable. 

In yet another wasteful tour down the legalistic lane of the US system, we see an alarming yet not too uncommon use of our tax payer dollars.  A Wisconsin inmate was forced to sleep on a mattress that had mold on it.  Following a prison riot, yes you read that correct, A RIOT.  In case anyone forgot, a riot is typically categorized in a prison setting as being a uprising of the prison population in attempt to disturb order or overthrow the guards in order.  Following this spat, our nice inmate was placed in a segregation unit.  Yet another unit meant to separate inmates that cause trouble from the general population and bring order back to the prison.  Yes, in that unit - this prisoner was forced to sleep on a moldy mattress.

Now with all of this being said, our inmate is allowed to turn around - hire a lawyer and then sue the system for what amounted to 60 days in these conditions.  Those 60 days were declared by the jury as not meeting ” the minimal civilized measure of life necessities”.  Placing a dollar amount on the suit, the inmate is awarded $295,000 for the 60 days that he spent in those conditions.

60 days is worth nearly 300k.  Wow, I need a job like that.  That is nearly 1.8 million for the year.  How does one arrive at that number?  Think of all the people that live in situations that are well below the standards that this inmate was exposed to.  People that live on the street or 20 people to home due to poverty.  None of these people are welcomed with a 300k check in their mailbox.  And most of them are innocent of the transgressions that landed this inmate in prison, much less the continued behavior that made this inmate the central part of a prison uprising. 

America is a great country but to protect the liberties that made this country strong, we need to maintain a sense of internal order and balance that does not allow those that break the law to benefit from the smallest of mistakes.  I am not saying what the prison did was right, but to award someone nearly 300k for the short term circumstances is ridiculous.  That money could be spent so much more wisely.  But then, this inmate needs the American Dream.  Looks like we just paid for it.