No Brainer

In March 2001 I treated myself to a birthday present. My cousin had a Jetta and I was amazed by all the options the of VW at that price. So I test drove the car a bought a silver bullet. Couldn't stop there...changed the suspension and added 18" rims with low profile tires. The stereo needed no upgrading, because VW has a great sound system. Because this was a new model and body style, the VW sales people would actually come outside to see the car when I came in for service (New model, customized, but not overboard).

Ten Years Later

Fast forward 10 years and my need to impress everyone who sees me driving down the road is at a lifetime low. Basically, been there done that. Repairs...there's nothing easy or cheap about fixing a VW. All the parts that need repairing are tucked well inside the engine and require hours of labor. At $99/hour, mechanic labor on an import car ain't cheap. Every trip to the mechanic was a car payment and the number of trips were becoming more frequent.

Civics lesson

This isn't your ordinary civics lesson, nor does this have anything to do with education. A month ago I sold the Passat for $2000 and bought a 2002 Civic for $5000. As some used cars would have it, the Civic took all that $2000 to become reliable and ready for the road. It still aint no peach but it gets me from point A to B. I had plans to do minor cosmetic repairs, paint the exterior and add rims to the civic. Let's just say that I installed a stereo, four speakers and had the window tinted, nada mas. Since all the bumps and bruises are on the passenger side and I rarely go over there, no more repairs needed. Out of sight out of mind. Rims...yeah right. As stated previously, been there done that.

The No Brainer

The Passat had a 14 gallon tank, which had to be filled every week, with Super Unleaded. The Civic's tank is 10 gallons, which I fill every two weeks with regular unleaded. The passat gas bill was approximately $2,800 annually. The civic will cost me $949. That's already an $1800 savings.

No so happy ending

We also bought a used 2001 Yukon fit for a presidential motorcade, but we'll use it for the twins and mommy to ride in. I couldn't have momma and babies in no Smart car, tin can. So all the gas calculations will be poured into that beast. For a brief moment, I thought some extra pocket change was coming my way.

Consignment

Many US congressmen are upset that tax dollars are being spent on the missiles that are being fired in Libya. I guess the weapon manufacturers are selling bombs and missiles on consignment. We only pay for them after we use it. How can someone speak such nonsense every day and have people who believe it.

We do not want to use tax payer dollars on this war!!!!!!

Hello...all the bombs, missiles, jets, ships, and weapons are already paid for. Whether the US fires them or not, they have already been bought. Sadly enough, there are those who really believe this nonsense. Also, whether we are at war or not, the members of the armed forces get paid and the ships use fuel.

What if the US did not join the humanitarian mission and thousands were slaughtered? I could just hear them now...President Obama is soft and needs to get tougher. How could he sit by while innocent citizens are being killed. So, it didn't matter what he did. There will always be those who will say black when he says white.

I'm as anti-violence and anti-war as the next person, but I understand why this country does what it does at times. When the US does it with the consent and partnership of the UN, that's a far cry from the missions of the past.

What's the difference between a team owner and a player? The ability to walk and think clearly after the age 50.

I love football as much as the next person. Far too many people are on the side of the owners and look at the players as greedy. When owners look for more money it's good business. On the contrary, players who want their piece of the pie are plain ole greedy.

Roll Call of Owner's worth:

Jerry Jones...$2B

Robert Kraft...$1.5B

Dan Snyder...$1.1B

Athletes

In May 2009, Forbes magazine estimated that Tiger Woods's total net worth is $600 million. His career earnings total over $1 billion. Forbes has forecast that by the end of 2010 he will be a billionaire. There are no football players that are remotely close to the net worth of Tiger or any football owner.

There have been studies related to football that address the violence of a tackle. A football collision or tackle has been compared to a car crash. How many owners are willing to withstand the damage and abuse of repeated car wrecks? How many are willing to put their bodies in danger ever snap of the ball. Most of them sit in private booths with air conditioning and catered meals.

I won't owner bash without pointing out the lavish life style of the players as well. But, if I have to put the money in the hands of those who put it on the line everyday, I'm for the players every time.

I almost forgot about all the workers at the stadiums who will have no jobs this year. For all I care, they can just play college basketball and football all year.

None of Your Business

As I listen to the various talking heads, all I hear is business, business, business. What ever happened to people, people, people. As all the tax breaks and tax credits are given to businesses, what will the people get?

Sorry, you just get higher prices, lower wages and more worker rights.

There are presently representatives trying to lower the minimum wage in their state. Not only are you not able to collectively bargain, but now you'll also get a lower wage. Almost forgot; when public school is destroyed, you'll have to pay for private school.

How much money is too much? A great question that many of us will never have to wrestle with. When politicians talk about their state being "open for business", it's as if these companies and their executive officers are starving. The tax breaks and other compensations don't lead to more hiring or new job creation, it means more profit. #10, 20, 21 and 22 on the Forbes world billionaire list are all Walton's...as in Walmart.

When a gallon of gas hits $6 and a loaf of bread cost $5, who can afford it on $3/hour minimum wage? I'm all for profits and maximizing your worth. But, when everything is slanted on the side of the corporation, who will be able to buy their goods and services. You can only make so many cars and refine so much oil, before you're left with massive inventories and no one to buy it.

I listen to the Hannity's and Rick Scott's of the world and wait for the second shot that will be heard around the world. How much can people take? How many times can you punch and jab before there's retaliation? Egyptians weren't upset about government, they were upset about the price of food. We, America, slant every disagreement around the world and make it about democracy.

"Everyday you go a well, one day the bottom a go drop out." Bob Marley.

Translation: Everyday you go to the same well. One day it will dry up.

Third world or bust

Let me see if I can remember a few things that I learned about economics, during my Davidson days. Some stuff I'll just make up or assume to be true. You'll have to judge for yourself which arguments come from my own lack of intelligence.

The wave of privatization is strong and in full effect. Can you afford it? That's the question that no one seems to ask or think about answering. The purpose or premise of capitalism is very simple; maximize profits. If your police department has to post a profit, officers would be encouraged to write more tickets. Departments may even reward them with bonuses for large volumes of tickets written. Would the fire department come to your small apartment fire, when a 3,00o square foot house is ablaze? The larger the house, the greater the profit.

Many may think this sounds crazy, but just wait and see.

What if everyone had a job and no one was on welfare? Sounds like a great idea, but if that were a reality, inflation would be so high, you couldn't afford a head of lettuce. See, the more people employed, the larger the payroll. The larger the payroll, the higher the price of a good. Remember, this is capitalism. Though the government has no interest in a profit, private companies do.

What if the same company owned the police force and the jail? I think a small conflict of interest would exist. I heard the best argument in support of collective bargaining on an evening talk show. At that moment it all made perfectly good sense to me. How can a politician bargain with a union, when that exact union will be making donations to their campaign? So, it's not that collective bargaining on its own that costs everyone. The politician who needs a donation probably will cave instead on standing firm. Now we're getting to the root of the problem...corruption and greed.

Want to find where the bodies are buried, stomp out waste and fraud. If a government worker wants an item, they could purchase it for much less down the street. Unfortunately, in the name of fairness, approved vendors get all the business. Most approved vendors are mini-monopolies who charge ridiculous prices, well above a fair market price.

What's an Oligarchy?

The oligarchy is a form of power structure in which power effectively rests with a small number of people. These people could be distinguished by royalty, wealth, family ties, corporate, or military control. The word oligarchy is from the Greek word that means "a few" and the verb for "to rule, to govern, to command". Such states are often controlled by a few prominent families who pass their influence from one generation to the next.

Hmmm, I thought this was a democracy?