Yossarian

According to the Las Vegas Review Journal:

The Amonix solar manufacturing plant in North Las Vegas, heavily financed under an Obama administration energy initiative, has closed its 214,000-square-foot facility 14 months after it opened.

Officials at Amonix headquarters in Seal Beach, Calif., have not responded to repeated calls for comment this week. The company today began selling equipment, from automated tooling systems to robotic welding cells.

The solar power systems developer and builder received $6 million in federal tax credits and a $15.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to build the plant in North Las Vegas. Hmmm...Senator Harry Reid's state.

According to one of the former managers, "I don't think they had a lot of training," Kenerly said. "There were a lot of quality issues. A lot of stuff was coming back because it had some functionality issues."

Their stuff wouldn't work, so they went broke.

Senator Harry Reid was apparently unavailable for comment.

http://www.lvrj.com/business/amonix-closes-north-las-vegas-solar-plant-after-14-months-heavy-federal-subsidies-162901626.html

Raising the earnings threshold is pretty much a catch 22. I guess it depends if your idea of social security is having everyone else take care of your retirement or if you want to be able to take care of yourself. I have been paying in the max. for some time now. Problem is I won't be getting it back. Seems a little inhumane to increase the amount I have to pay in even further. The idea I like much better is being able to opt out of it all together. I am pushing 50 and I would still elect to opt out if it meant they would quit taxing me for it. Let's give a lot more people some incentive to earn and leave their golden years security up to them. I could have one hell of a retirement package if I had all the SS taxes back that the government bilked me out of and pilfered.

 

The scary thing is the amount of money most everyone has paid in and the way they trickle it back to you. When you die, you're done. Seems the reserve fund should be growing exponentially simply from the difference of the large amount you have paid in and the small amount most people get back. They should probably think about capping a persons lifetime benefit at the amount they have paid in. I guess there is no easy answer when the desire is to redistribute income in a free society. I don't think you can do both without being unfair to one group or the other.

the bold part is true and interesting. either way, you would be a fool to depend on social security, which is tragic. however, the government turned a person's forced savings account (you get out what you put in) into a well of funds to borrow from (you put in, they take out, subsequently forget to replace), they have to pay it back somehow. so, theoretically, raising taxes could technically be construed as paying back the borrowed funds from past projects. also, i do not think taxes should just be raised, but the maximum rate on taxable earnings should (it maxes out at just over $100,000 right now. that means a person making $105,000 and $750,000 are in the same social security tax bracket).

Your post was pretty solid but not enough to read it twice.

Crony Capitalism?

Crony capitalism is a term very much in vogue because of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's accusations that President Obama has engaged in the practice, allegedly rewarding the business interests of political supporters with federal taxpayer dollars.

 

That the term is being used as a cudgel by one presidential candidate against another is reason enough to be skeptical about the accuracy and fairness of the charge.

 

Indeed, Washington Post fact checker Glenn Kessler declared false at least one Romney claim of Obama administration crony capitalism.

 

Still, the allegations raise the opportunity to focus on a point made increasingly by critics of American politics and capitalism. Namely, that crony capitalism exists and that it is thoroughly bipartisan.

 

One of the most interesting and evenhanded recent discussions of the issue comes from David Stockman, the former congressman who served as President Ronald Reagan's budget director and later became an investment banker.

 

 

LINK

I particularly liked this quote from David Stockman:

DAVID STOCKMAN: "If you have a former community organizer who was trained in the Saul Alinsky school of direct democracy, appointing the worst abuser, the worst abuser of crony capitalism, GE, who came in and begged for this bailout, to head his Jobs Council, when obviously GE's international corporation, they've been shifting jobs offshore for decades, then it becomes so obvious that we have a new kind of system, and that we have a real crisis."

Claiming that it is somehow acceptable since everyone does it is somewhat amusing. Mitt Romney has not been throwing U.S. Federal dollars to any of his cronys - like President Obama has been doing with GE, the worst abuser of crony capitalism according to NPRs "expert." And all of those other politicians who are guilty of it, except for Barack Obama, none is running for President.

Barack Obama might be a great instructor. But WE DON'T KNOW.

Diversity is great except when it comes to allowing conservative instructors on campus. One survey showed that 75 percent of college faculty members considered themselves "liberal." http://archive.mises.org/4834/liberal-college-professors/

I believe that there is research out there that shows that throwing money into education doesn't do a lot for improving student achievement.

first, if you are relying on social security, you are screwed. second, they need to raise the maximum rate on taxable earnings. third, (everyone is going to hate this) people should have to qualify for social security (basically, you should not be receiving social security if you are a millionaire), or opt-out if they do not need it. fourth, they may have to raise the age, which would be horrible and we should be working to lower the age to withdraw. finally, the problem is that the gov't borrowed to much from social security without ever paying it back and there are not nearly enough workers contributing to it. the person who called it a ponzi scheme was right. the principal is that you get what you pay in with interest; but in practice, someone has already taken what you put in so you will need to take what someone else (x15, or something exorbitant) puts in.

The problem is that people have been led to believe that SS was some sort of savings account and that they were going to get it back. Then there was the myth of an actual pool of money - that could somehow be put in a "lock-box."

There has to be some means testing and the "retirement" age will have to be raised. Under Obamacare, the mythical death panels might just have to be instituted after all.

Bottom line: those people who truly need it will be provided for. No millionaires or anyone else who does not need it. That pool of people who will truly need it are a powerful voting bloc and will increase dramatically when those people who have been on the dole all their lives reach retirement age.

Since this is CBS, I don't know if it's fake but true. But since it might affect the upcoming election, I wll accept it as gospel.

 

you demonstrate an unwavering quest for truth with such staunch integrity.

Thanks. Debbie Wasserman Schultz keeps texting me trying to get me to join the Obama team. I'd like to join it, but there's a possibility that President Obama is a felon, and I can't be a part of that. He might be a felon, and he might not be. WE DON'T KNOW! He might have developed his hatred for the U.S. while sitting in Jeremiah Wright's church. Does he hate the U.S.? WE DON"T KNOW! President Obama's college records are sealed. Why? Maybe because his admission to college was race-based and his grades show that he really is as clueless as he appears. Is he really that clueless? It would appear so, but WE DON'T KNOW. And his use of Executive Privilege to stop the investigation into Fast and Furious appears to be a cover-up. Is it? WE DON'T KNOW. President Obama is funneling money to his cronys...you know, crony capitalism. True? YES. WE KNOW!

Since this is CBS, I don't know if it's fake but true. But since it might affect the upcoming election, I wll accept it as gospel.

I see quite a bit of difference from an elementary, middle, or high school teacher and those who typically make their way to the upper ranks of "teaching" at the university level. MInd you, not all of them are bad but, way too many and I'll include Obama, have a definite liberal left lean to them at that level. So, maybe it is not the profession so much as it is the typical person who undertakes that profession. If you have a great deal of respect for university level "teachers" then I guess we disagree.

 

I find the strife many conservatives hold against higher education instructor's liberal lean immensely concerning. Higher education is crucial to maintaining an innovative thriving nation. The simple fact that a professor embraces liberal beliefs does not make them incompetent to effectively educate the youth of our country. It is a grave mistake to judge someone's aptitude to preform their occupation based solely on their political ideology.

Who cares what the instructor's political leanings are if Johnny can't read after graduating from high school?

Great Romney ad says that a lot of it went overseas. Is that outsourcing? Did it happen in the 1990s?

http://www.therights...mulus-money-go/

Some of it got lost at the DOE. $500,000 in equipment bought with stimulus money - you know, the money that was to fund shovel-ready jobs.

http://cnsnews.com/n...-stimulus-money

And President Obama and the left-wingers believe the the problems with the economy are not in the private sector - it's that not enough Federal, state, and local jobs are being created. You cannot trust public employees with anything valuable - whether it's putting in a full day's work for a full day's pay or keeping track of batteries.

Oh, there were worse things said about GWB.

Fortunately no more than ten people saw it.

I have now come to the conclusion that Barack Obama will win a second term - enough people are probably going to vote for him for the same reasons they did in 2008 and he will likely win. In past elections, calling your opponent a likely felon would have drawn the ridicule of the media - just as claims that the President wasn't a U.S. citizen drew laughter back in 2008, and rightly so. I also believe that the Republicans will take back the Senate and increase their seats in the House just as they did in 2010. The reasons people will vote for President Obama (Government handouts, class warfare, white guilt) will not translate into coat-tail votes for the Senate and House. I believe the result will be continued deadlock, a back-lash against the growth of Government, and a double-dip recession. You will not end a recession through increased taxes and crony capitalism disguised as stimulus. We are in for another four years of Amateur Night at the White House.

In the context to bring it closer to home, the 95 Huskers do not deserve any of the accolades. It should go to the grounds keepers of Memorial stadium, the refs who had some calls go our way. The AD for scheduling the teams we throttled. The vendors, the TV crews who showed the games, the men who originally built the stadium so that we could have a team etc...... It has little to do with the actual players. Little to do with TO, McBride etc...You know, other teams had guys who "worked hard" or were "smart". We should be embarrassed by the success, the hard work, the perseverance and give the trophies back.

I think that the Huskers should spread some of their good fortune around. One MNC should be enough for anyone. Give one to Grambling, one to Slippery Rock, one to McNeese State, and one to Iowa School for the Deaf.

This all has to do with taking money from the rich and spreading it around. Giving it to welfare queens and public employees.

It was the President who said that if he didn't set things right, his would be a one-term presidency. Has he set things right?

 

Rather irrelevant question since his opponent hasn't got a prayer of defeating him, don't you think?

Then wonder why in the heck he said that...I mean, he's never said anything that was not relevant before. Right?

All you are doing now is trolling. Potential nuclear threat is something the U.S. plans against. look it up.

It was the President who said that if he didn't set things right, his would be a one-term presidency. Has he set things right?

Well, for someone who has made it where he has because of affirmative action and white guilt, I can understand how this guy could believe that. But that's not the way things happen. If he had ever started up a business, he would know. Maybe he should ask his billionaire, tax-dodging friend Warren Buffett about that.

 

The problem with this country right now is not that we have ideological differences, it's that we not only allow ourselves to be led by the nose of those who would exaggerate those differences for their own gain, but we revel in it, and willingly, eagerly regurgitate it.

The Democrats call those "talking points."

I believe there are Muslim terrorists who are capable of bringing a dirty bomb or CBR agents into the U.S. and killing thousands if not millions. I also believe the Iranians are capable of striking U.S. forces and facilities in the Middle East. Eventually, they will be able to deliver a nuke-tipped missile.

Desire drives the development of or the acquisition of capabilities. Period.

Or Slim Pickens

"We're going to drop this bomb if it hare-lips everybody on Bear Creek." - Major "King" Kong

On 13 July, President Obama was in Roanoke, VA, where he said the following:

"If you’ve got a business -- you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen. The Internet didn’t get invented on its own. Government research created the Internet so that all the companies could make money off the Internet."

Well, for someone who has made it where he has because of affirmative action and white guilt, I can understand how this guy could believe that. But that's not the way things happen. If he had ever started up a business, he would know. Maybe he should ask his billionaire, tax-dodging friend Warren Buffett about that.

Then, the President doubles down by claiming that the internet was created by Government research so that "all the companies could make money off the Internet." Surely, his speechwriters are not that stupid. Or maybe they know that DARPA developed the ARPANet so that the DoD could share information and databases among its research labs, but assumed that the folks in Roanoke wouldn't know that. Plus, the truth wouldn't have fit into his theme of collectivism. Still, he was smart enough not to say that Al Gore invented the internet.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/07/13/remarks-president-campaign-event-roanoke-virginia

You'd think that the Egyptians would admire Hillary for "standing by her man" since that's what all women are supposed to do, but apparently they do not. Her motorcade was pelted yesterday in Alexandria...looks like all of that bowing and scraping to Muslims have been wasted.

-----------------

"Protesters threw tomatoes and shoes at Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's motorcade on Sunday during her first visit to Egypt since the election of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi."

"Protesters chanted "Monica, Monica," a reference to the extra-marital affair conducted by Clinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton, while in the White House. Others earlier chanted "leave, Clinton" an Egyptian security official said."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/16/us-egypt-usa-clinton-idUSBRE86D07520120716

Hell 2007 Obama won by promising to bring home troops. 2012 we are still in Iraq, Afghanistan, in Yemen, Africa, was in Libya etc.....

Didn't you say in another thread that you closely follow our foreign policy?

 

Follow up question: do you really believe this? Crazy stuff.

 

Yes. He ran on that platform. Look it up. Let's see, we enforced a no fly zone in Libya, SOF troops in the hunt for Koni, SOF in Yemen etc....

http://latimesblogs....us-troops-.html

http://www.presstv.i...ail/167578.html

http://www.rawstory....ma-left-behind/

 

Obviously you do not. I get it, you like Obama. No worries. Before you blindly follow the guy, at least look at his record. we have increased troops around the world in foreign countries. we have not shut down Gitmo, we do continue the military tribunals, He did a troop surge in Afghanistan similar to Bush in Iraq, we have lost more troops in Afghanistan since Obama took over. These are facts. He ran on a platform to remove troops, Close Gitmo etc.... SAre you asking if I believed this, hell no. Enough of the country did to get him elected.

But...but....he's trying as hard as he can. That counts for something, doesn't it? So what if his best is not nearly good enough? He's trying and, like t-ball, that's what counts.

The strange part is this - Barack Obama didn't have to lie to win the election. Well, maybe he actually didn't lie. Maybe he was so inexperienced that he believed he could do the things he promised. We do not need another four years of Amateur Hour.

The Soviets were a great threat that could be and was deterred. Muslim fundamentalists are a great threat that cannot be deterred. Follow me thus far? They are perfectly willing to die just to kill infidels. Give them access to nuclear or CBR weapons and they are an even greater threat.

Before 11 September 2001, few people believed that a handful of these "fundamentalists" were capable of bringing down the Twin Towers, but they did.

It cannot be ignored, whether it's the current issue or not. His filter was very different than other minorities. And while Jews were oppressed in America "back then," it was very different than the way Blacks were treated. Business leaders compared to ditch-diggers.

Business leaders compared to Presidents?

Applying today's standards to the distant past is just fine, I suppose. If you do that, then one half of those 58,200 deaths in Vietnam should have been women - instead of the 12 who did die in-country.