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You gotta love Ron White and his "tater salad" routine. I've seen it a hundred times but still laugh when I hear him do it. So, today is "tater salad" day. Besides, all the good blog names are taken.
Crime. 3 police related shootings in one week is a bit high, wouldn't you think? No, not really. The recession we are going through is going to bring about more and more crime as people resort to "the last straw". It is a known fact that crime goes up when the economy sours. So right now is a real good time for you to evaluate your home's security systems and make sure that your valuables are in a safe place when you are not at home. It would be a good thing if some of our local law enforcement agencies conducted some classes on home security, and make them security ideas that don't require a gun. The increase in crime also raises the question of is our local law enforcement agencies fully equipped, trained and ready to take on what could be several months of burglaries, assaults, and even shootings? My sense is they are. But I also sense it could be improved. Several local agencies petitioned their town council for more funding in the forthcoming budget, but did not get it. We are in different times that we were in a year ago. Budgets must be examined to put money where it can do the most good today. And frankly, the good citizens of Christiansburg would rather see their Police force get the tools they need as opposed to having a nice swimming pool. Circumstances change - our government needs to be flexible to change with those circumstances. The Economy. My wife and I are in the market for a home in the D.C. area - yes, that is our home up for sale. (OK – so you busted me. We’re probably leaving the area and going back to what we call “home”) No kids at home and all of them are in Maryland or Northern Virginia, so we are ready to get back to the area. What we have seen there is very heart breaking. Home after home after home with large "Foreclosure" signs on the house. We seen million dollar homes going for as little as $500,000. And we see a lot of young, first-time home owners who are forced into bankruptcy because of the way in which their home was financed. Frankly, I see this as a great morale dilemma of do I take advantage of someone’s misfortune? I don’t know. Sure, many deals are simply too good to pass up. But, in the back of my mind I also know that some family was pushed out of their home, leaving it to the sharks. And our Federal Government is doing nothing - not one damn thing. I understand the concern that if the Government stepped in and started handing out money or paying mortgages or whatever - the system will be abused. So, what's the answer? I am reminded of something that the FHA did several years ago when it declared many counties in southern states as disaster areas. Droughts, low prices and other conditions were driving the farmers to bankruptcy and foreclosures on their farms. The FHA program that took control was giving those who were FHA financed a 15-year moratorium on their payments, provided they started growing pine trees. This program saved many farmers, even some of those in Alabama who are close to me. Maybe an answer lies in programs such as this one, used before and worked. Gasoline Prices. Get over it. I am tired of listening to the opinions and reasons why we are getting screwed. It is too much of a conversation piece now. The prices are here to stay and I am not sure about some of the alternative fuel sources. Eventually, the Federal Government will have to raise, substantially raise, the cost per mile you are allowed to deduct. Employers who provide their people, especially outside sales representatives, a gas allowance, will simply have to raise that monthly figure. There's no negotiation there, employers simply must do it. Thirdly, the Government must heavily tax the oil companies to pay for the help the consumers need in this dilemma. John F. Kennedy had a similar situation with the steel companies in the early 60's. He simply brought them in and said he would tax them to death if they kept raising prices as they were. They believed him - the price of steel came down. One real quesation is, "where in the hell is the oil going from Iraq"? Are we not allowed to charge that country for ousting the dictatorship? No, and I’ll tell you why. Any move by the U.S. to take oil as payment for our services will reveal the very delicate situation over there and that is not something the Bush administration wants you know. Politics. On the national scene - ¡Amamos a Hillary! Pero nuestros votos don' cuenta de t aquí en el Puerto Rica. That's enough said on Hillary. With Hillary out of the way now, Obama can turn his sites directly on John McCain. I am still deeply troubled by Obama. And McCain is not the guy either. Obama is VERY liberal, and I am concerned that McCain's conservative values will give us 4 more years of George Bush. You know what? There are more of us out there who think this same way than one would believe. The race is Obama's to lose unless McCain can prove to America that he's no George Bush. He must change his tune about many issues, most certainly on Iraq. Yes, the polls say that over 70% of the American Public wants us out of Iraq, however, most Amercians want us out of Iraq with honor and leaving the Middle East stablized. That is the position that McCain needs to take as Obama's "get out now" message is not going to play well over the course of the campaign. Tuesday night, McCain acknowledged that change was coming, but said he country needed the "right change". It would seem that McCain understand that the candidate that gets to the middle and doesn't stray too far left or too far right - wins. I am a true blue Democrat, a liberal to the end. But, hear me now and remember where you heard it - Barak Obama is not ready to be the President of The United States. He is clearly out in left field with respect to the threat of terror and foreign policy. We need to leave Iraq honorably - in other words, we don't need to see the same scene we saw with helicopters evacuating Americans from the rooftop of our Embassy as we saw in Vietnam. Hillary saw that, and I believe McCain will begin to weigh in on a plan where we leave Iraq honorably as well and leaving it as stable as we can. I said it 4 years ago on the morning radio show amidst all of the Red, White and Blue being tossed at me - Iraq will become this generation's Vietnam. It has already.
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As crime is proliferating, there's some local law-enforcement needs (including bullet-proof-vests) that are not being met. Iraq "owes" us, not that oil will pay for deaths and emotions. With record oil company profits, someone is happy. Europe has paid lots more for decades, but that's because they tax fuel so heavily for their socialistic societies; at least they get free medical care.
The housing situation has often been facilitated via "insider" appraisers, real-estate brokers, and bankers. "Spec" building gone awry, with the "insiders" profiting greatly. So says many reports; it's not just my opinion. This immediate area has fewer problems, due to the universities, mostly.
Controversial: If McCain announces the proper V.P. candidate, he will win, comfortably. A virtually non-experienced candidate cannot win, no matter the party, hype, or other considerations. McCain's advisors will get him to hone-down some of his war viewpoints; folks will look at the V.P. very hard. Probably Romney. They're knocking on the door, and it will open widely for them.