A Way to Help Out the Working Class

How about, if instead of Sen. Hillary Clinton continuing to fight fate, mathematics and reality, all of the working-class people she is constantly pandering to just stop sending her funds. That'd be $20, $50, $100 and up that could stay in the pockets of the people who need it most.

In fact, it'd be more money for them to keep than they would supposedly get in that bogus gasoline tax break she was calling for, which only amounted to maybe $30 over the course of the summer.

And guess what, Obama's policies and ideas help the working class, too, so they'd still have a friend in the White House.

Don't Be Fooled by the 2 Worst Candidates

So Sen. Hillary Clinton, a Democratic presidential candidate, and Sen. John McCain, the GOP-nominee in waiting, both want to cut the federal tax on gasoline as a way to help Americans this summer.

The idea doesn't sound that horrible, but when you put politics aside and listen to the economists and the people who aren't trying to be elected, you'll find a much more sensible position by Sen. Barack Obama, Clinton's adversary.

From a Reuters story on April 30:

"Score one for Obama," wrote Greg Mankiw, a former chairman of President George W. Bush's Council of Economic Advisers. "In light of the side effects associated with driving ... gasoline taxes should be higher than they are, not lower."

I've said this before in columns, conversations and blogs. Higher fuel prices, initially, lead to decreasing usage which cuts demand, which lowers prices. Americans already pay some of the lowest prices for gas in the developed world, and everyone wants SUVs and Hummers, so it was the consumer's decisions in the first place to put more of their money toward cars and gas.

The 18.4 cent federal gas tax goes into the Highway Trust Fund that builds and maintains roads. Cutting that takes away money sorely needed for bridge repairs. Remember the bridge collapse in Minneapolis, Minn., and the studies that came out after saying hundreds of billions of dollars is needed to improve the safety of the U.S. transportation network? Suddenly everyone has forgotten.

As Obama said: "It would last for three months and it would save you on average half a tank of gas, $25 to $30." To take that further, we're continuing to jeopardize the lives of Americans by not dealing with the crumbling bridges, roads, etc. etc. And a personal note: No new roads, let's maintain the crumbling roads we've got.

Also from the story:
Economists said that since refineries cannot increase their supply of gasoline in the space of a few summer months, lower prices will just boost demand and the benefits will flow to oil companies, not consumers.

"You are just going to push up the price of gas by almost the size of the tax cut," said Eric Toder, a senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center in Washington.

Of course McCain is for this as a Republican. Take more money from the consumers and give it to the oil companies who are already reporting BILLIONS of DOLLARS in profit each quarter.

Perhaps the oil companies could do something for America and absorb some of the losses. What's $4 billion or $5 billion when oil companies combined are making tens of billions of dollars in profits?

"We will pay for it by imposing a windfall profits tax on the big oil companies," [Clinton] said on Tuesday.

Yeah, because boosting the taxes on the oil companies has gone anywhere in the past 5 years. So what if we go with her plan, she gets the presidency and Congress fails to raise taxes on the oil companies, like they have repeatedly already? More windfall for them, less for consumer and more dangers on the nation's crumbling highways.

Obama. The sensible choice.

Uncle Brian

My sister went for her regular check up and to find out what the sex of her baby is ...

It turns out she's having a boy, which is a great relief to her (easier to raise and less money spent on dresses and girlie things, she says).

So now they must decide on a name. They had it picked out for a girl, but that's gotta change. And actually there is some relief from the family, I'm sure, as the name didn't go over so well with most.

In other medical happenings, my CT Scans came back fine, so I have another appointment in May to see what else might be causing these migraines ...

***
And CNN, telling it like it is:

Review: 'Harold and Kumar' is smokin' -- sometimes
Story Highlights
CNN.com's Tom Charity: "Harold and Kumar" scores some points
Movie full of gross-out jokes, but manages moments of satire
Film might be better if viewers are less than sober

Did you Barack the Vote?

That was the question from a copy editor today once I made it in to work. And yes I did.

I was No. 84 today and as I stood in line at the polling station, just a few minutes after waking up at 8:48 a.m., a camera man came through doing location shots and whatnot. The man was from the BBC. The BBC was at the Old Pine Street Community Center getting footage for its European broadcast!

So, if in Philadelphia there is a shot of a pair of legs in Adidas track pants, well, that's me. Thankfully they did not show any higher, because as I just said, I rolled out of bed, put on some clothes and a hat to cover the bed head and was off to do my civic duty.

Besides the election, I have other big news happening to me this week. Last Friday I went for my CT Scan to see what is up with these migraines and sinus headaches and what not. Beginning Wednesday I'll be waiting to hear back from my doctor to set up an appointment and what not. Sunday night was another migraine, but it only took 2(TWO) 800 mg ibuprofens and two migraine pills to get me on track. It did ruin about 4 or 5 hours of my evening though, including an excellent Filipino dinner, but I'm having leftovers today.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

A Weekend in Philadelphia

So this weekend was spent in Philadelphia. It's been awhile since that last happened, what with Miami the weekend before, the shore house before that, Lancaster next weekend and the shore house after that ...

But, to celebrate, I went on a 25-mile bike ride from home in Society Hill to the Schuylkill River Park entrance, along the river to East Falls and along the Wissahickon on Forbidden Drive all the way to the Montgomery County Line and back to King Drive to the Schuylkill Park.

If anyone visiting Philadelphia has the chance, definitely rent a bike and check out the greatest urban park in America. This weekend the trees were still in bloom along the river; the weather was beautiful; and the trees hadn't come in so much yet that you missed two additional pieces of sculpture along the Wissahickon that are normally concealed from the flora.

I also went out last night with the guys, with us in our Obama gear and my very loud shirt - Bros before Hoes. I have to stomp just one more time for the most charismatic politician these days.

Are you a Democrat? Are you tired of the partisanship in Congress? The inability to get all but the most dire and political suicide otherwise actions done? Then Hillary Clinton is not for you. Vote Barack.

The Clinton years in the White House, while good for the country, I truly believe, came at quite a price. And for moderates on the Democratic side, they were far more divisive than one would think. Why continue the problem with such a politically and socially divisive person in office? Hell, why even put that person in the General Election?

I have always thought it would be entertaining to have the Clintons back in the White House. But do you see the word I chose to best describe my reason? Entertain. We don't need entertainment. We need a do-er.

And, I think if you truly believe HIllary Clinton is going to end the partisan bickering that can be blamed on some of the problem, then you might as well believe Hillary Clinton landed in Bosnia under sniper fire ...

And, I'm not really a pro-Obama, Hillary basher. In the beginning I was more aligned with Edwards, but he wasn't getting anywhere, and the rest of the Democrats with new ideas who were adding to the debate at the time were getting nowhere either. Sorry Kucinich.