Solo Shrink: Agitated Grumpiness

For about the past week I have been in a series of states, somewhere between moderate crankiness and full-out, “I’m madder than hell and I’m not going to take it anymore.” (Except for the fact that I don’t have much of a choice other than to take it.) I began to rearrange my financial affairs about three months ago such that they were so conservative as to be laughable – at that time. At least I was correct in doing that, although I had hoped I was just being silly. For all concerned, I hate the reasons I felt it necessary to act in that manner, but the simple perceived need for self-preservation took over. The Senate and the House lived down to my expectations when a three-page refusal to financially patch the economy, on a temporary basis, turned into a 451 page bill, laden with “pork” which, of course, passed today. The tactics were the same. Scare the hell out of us so that we were afraid not to act. This time, however, it seems that they scared themselves more than the citizenry. Deficit spending became so blatantly evident that hardly anyone could miss it. I’ve heard that roughly 90% of average citizens polled were against the bailout. That sounds a little high to me. I believe that we have more than 10% stupid citizens. It also becomes clear that our elected representatives do not follow the expressed mandates of their electorate, but do what they say is “necessary” and “in our best interest.”

I spent a good deal of time writing to assorted State and Federal Legislators and Agency Heads. All, from my State senator and representatives, Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates, Federal Reserve Board, Speaker of the House, and so on up to President Bush, received the same two-word message.

I started to research the Federal Reserve Board to write a post about it, but it appears that one can only get so far “in” before a wall of fog is encountered and names are not there. I’m sorry that I cannot be more factual, but as Carlin said in my last post, we are owned, and it becomes very difficult to determine by whom.

Rum tax relief? NASCAR subsidies? Wooden arrow shaft tax breaks? At least the shaft part sounds accurate when connected to the $110B of pork that was added by the Senate to the $700B to bring it up to even more monumental proportions. I can’t comprehend the enormity of that amount of money, but we are warned that this is likely to be just a beginning and that we can expect further spending and hardships.

I do have one tiny suggestion for Governor Palin that might generate some revenue for Alaska. The road to the bridge to nowhere has already been built but is not being used. Turn it into a Dragstrip.

Peace, Doc

“Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress; but I repeat myself.” - Mark Twain