Posts Tagged ‘economy’

Ouch! There goes the exchange rate again

Posted: February 9, 2009 by datechguy in doctor who, employment, hobbies
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Was looking at some items at eBay and noticed the British Pound exchange rate had gone back up to about 40% rather than the 30 it had been. Went to the Big Finish site to check and sure enough subscriptions in US dollars for a year went from $192 to $208 for the main series and about $6 higher for the companion chronicles.

It’s a tad frustrating when you think that you could have gotten it cheaper if you just gave it and purchased when the price is lower but then again $5 when you are unemployed is a lot more expensive than $10 when you are working.

My Economic Plan B

Posted: February 9, 2009 by datechguy in opinion/news
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There seems to be a fair amount of people who don’t agree with my plan of doing nothing. Who will not be inspired unless actual government action takes place. For all those people here is my personal plan B for recovery:

Step 1 Stopgap measures for immediate relief:

1. Extension of unemployment benefits.
An additional 13-26 weeks of unemployment is funded federally. This will buy time for the other actions to take place and or effect. This will keep people currently looking for a job from defaulting on bills or going on aid, hurting the economy and depressing business.

2. Repeal of payroll tax indexed to the unemployment rate:
Set a sliding scale where the payroll tax would be reduced and/or deleted based on the current unemployment rate. This would not only effect all workers but can be scaled based on the current rate so a proper balance can be made between taxation and relief.

3. 3 month infrastructure review:
Each state will be required to in 3 months present a report on the current state of infrastructure prioritizing the most critical projects. The states will do this individually and will be granted a limited amount of funds to do this. This will accomplish two different things:

a. It will give a list of actual projects and costs that will be publicly presented and prioritized. Considering the emergency this will also allow people on the state level closest to the issues to make these decisions

b. It will give time to study and have hearings on any other potential recovery/stimulus/tax cut ideas without rushing a bill, thus people can make the case for their opinions with proper review.

Step 2 Stimulus funding:

4. Funding:
Once the reviews are done the specific projects will be funded. Projects selected will be based on the priorities set by the states with electoral vote being the tiebreaker projects will be federally funded. States will be given the choice of 90% funding with no adjustment for any future overruns or 75% federal funding with 20% overrun protection.

In addition any other funding/tax breaks etc that has gone through committee successfully can now get their votes.

The advantages over the current situation are huge:

All funding is reviewed and get actual hearing on the local and state level. It is defended or rejected accordingly

Relief to the newly unemployed and the still working takes place at once.

Since major funding is delayed 3 months it gives us flexibility to react to market or other actions that come up before the day.

It gives a specific time table, markets love time tables and certainty.

I still rather have my plan A but never let it be said that I don’t have a backup.

Illegal Aliens. The Mafia parallel

Posted: February 9, 2009 by datechguy in opinion/news
Tags: , ,

Can you find a parallel between illegal aliens and the mafia? I see one that should exist.

One things you notice about mafia or any large organization is the acceptance of the threat of organized crime and jail. This is one of the dangers of the job. The mafia guys all know that arrest and jail comes with the turf, they try to avoid it but they know that it is the price for the money.

It’s not a source of whining it is the way it is.

One of the things that hit me about illegal immigration and angers me is the idea that the risk of arrest and deportation is unfair. That we are somehow wrong in enforcing the existing laws.

I’ll say this bluntly: If I was in Mexico and had kids I’d do everything i could by hook or crook to get here. If I had a pregnant wife I’d do all I could to get my kid born in the US and be a US citizen. Particularly with the violence and drug wars that are going on now. The laws of the US be damned! I’d also take advantage of anything or anyone that kept me here too. I don’ blame them.

But likewise they shouldn’t blame us for having and enforcing the laws. This is part of the risk. If you are going to do this don’t expect us to be celebrating you for breaking the law. Don’t expect bailout money and don’t expect things to change at home when people run away from it either.

If you want the rewards then you have to accept the risks that come with it.

Update: Was this post timely or what:

An Arizona man who has waged a 10-year campaign to stop a flood of illegal immigrants from crossing his property is being sued by 16 Mexican nationals who accuse him of conspiring to violate their civil rights when he stopped them at gunpoint on his ranch on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Roger Barnett, 64, began rounding up illegal immigrants in 1998 and turning them over to the U.S. Border Patrol, he said, after they destroyed his property, killed his calves and broke into his home.

What a crock.

The talking point: Hypocrites

Posted: February 9, 2009 by datechguy in opinion/news
Tags: ,

It looks like the new talking point is that the GOP are hypocrites and have to business being critical of the bill.

Note that the argument is not that they are wrong it is now all about the spending of the last 8 years. Lets ignore the fact that the Fannie Mae mess is a wholly owned subsidy of the Democratic party.

Lets ignore the money for Acorn

A multi-million dollar liberal non-profit activist conglomerate reportedly under federal investigation may get a big piece of the economic recovery stimulus pie now under consideration by Congress.

It’s the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now – the infamous ACORN.

That’s right. ACORN, the activist group that has been implicated in voter fraud and registration deception in at least 14 states may get the financial bailout it needs to pull off another round of schemes in the next election season.

Or that the Tarp money has gone God knows where:

“What remains almost entirely opaque, however, is what has been done with the TARP money,” Barofsky says in January letter to Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., chairman of the Senate Banking Committee. “If the American taxpayer is to be expected to fund this extraordinary effort to stabilize the financial system, it is not unreasonable that the public and its representatives in Congress have some understanding as to how those funds have been used by the recipients.”

Ignore all of this; Lets just remember that the GOP spent money poorly so this bill should pass. If we fall for this we deserve everything we get out of it.

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