Now we know who to vote out in 2010! Are you ready for an increase of up to 3000.00 dollars a year for your power bill?

This is not what people think it is. check out the link bellow.

http://winduprubberfinger.com/blog1.php/2009/03/04/cap-and-trade-your-life-away

More good news coming out of China!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8120835.stm

The report from the People's Bank of China (PBOC) said a "super-sovereign" currency should take its place.

Central bank chief Zhou Xiaochuan has loudly led calls for the dollar to be replaced during the financial crisis.

"An international monetary system dominated by a single sovereign currency has intensified the concentration of risk and the spread of the crisis," the Chinese central bank said.

The dollar fell after the report was released. The US currency dropped 1% against the euro to $1.4088, and declined 0.8% versus the British pound to $1.6848.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev recently joined Mr Zhou in saying it was time to consider an alternative benchmark currency for international debt.

This is much less a political issue, and an issue of survival for the United States. Our current stance on spending is not going to help with this issue.

The United States dollar has long been the majority currency of Global trade. The dollar is used as the reserve currency by a majority of the worlds governments. Because of this the Dollar is the "unit of world trade" items traded globally are priced in dollars. If the United States is in a position where its debt exceeds what the country can produce or pay out, then the United States becomes insolvent, and with it all of the currency which is gauged on the value of the dollar. China is making a valid point.

China is voicing concern that the U.S. dollar might fall too low, and offset the values of currency worldwide. What should the United States do to address this issue? What can the United States do to decrease its deficit?

I can't say that I have the answer, but I know that the answer doesn't involve borrowing more money. The debt currently being racked up by the U.S.is unimaginable. There is no logical reason for this acquisition of debt. There also is no historical justification to make such large spending increases - with the hope of buying our way out of a recession.

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Today is a sad day, as we say goodbye to Rabbit Ears. For nearly 100 years analogue television was the standard. Now analogue is considered outdated.

I remember when that was the only way to get television. There was always that kid down the street whose parents had cable. Of course that was back when we had those old slider boxes.

The first TV I had in my bedroom was one I found in a neighbors trash. The neighbor had thrown it away because it had no picture. I checked it out. There was sound, but no picture, so I checked the adjustments. I found that someone had turned the brightness all the way down. There was nothing wrong with the TV at all. So that became my first TV. Of course it was analogue, it was also black and white. It was a TV though, and I could play Nintendo on it, so that was all that mattered.

Up until about one year ago I was watching TV using rabbit ears. My wife and I didn’t watch enough TV to warrant the cost of cable, or satellite TV, so rabbit ears it was. As a matter of fact I recorded episodes of “House” using my old VCR. BigLots was the only place that had VHS tapes!

I think the impact of the switch will be minimal, because of the number of people now using cable or satellite TV. Any of the TV services, which require a converter box, will see no change. So we’ll just have to see what chaos ensues.

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I was thinking the other day; if there were some way to raise awareness, as to the impact of taxes on gasoline prices. I have come up with an answer.

Wouldn’t it be nice if instead of only seeing the total cost of the fuel with tax included; we could see the tax and the cost of the fuel separate. Have the pump show the amount of fuel being pumped, cost of fuel, and added taxes.

If you think about it; the receipts for items you purchase will list some embedded taxes. Gas receipts don't show any added tax, even the sales tax is hidden.

Most people only pay attention to how much money they take home after taxes. Perhaps if gas pumps would give some indication of where the total cost is derived; more people will pay attention to how much money they are spending on taxes. I think showing the taxes would open the eyes of many people.

Just a thought...

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http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124416737421887739.html

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration plans to appoint a "Special Master for Compensation" to ensure that companies receiving federal bailout funds are abiding by executive-pay guidelines, according to people familiar with the matter.

The administration is expected to name Kenneth Feinberg, who oversaw the federal government's compensation fund for victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, to act as a pay czar for the Treasury Department, these people said.

The government is also pursuing a separate revamping of financial-sector rules that could change industry compensation practices more broadly. For instance, the Federal Reserve is considering rules that would curb banks' ability to pay employees in a way that would threaten the "safety and soundness" of the bank.

Mr. Feinberg is expected to focus on pay restrictions related to firms receiving TARP bailout funds, helping companies to interpret the rules and ensure that they are being followed.

For instance, companies have been confused about whether to pay 2008 bonuses, since restrictions on incentive pay didn't go into effect until early 2009. Some firms have made the payments while others have held off. Many firms are also unsure whether the "top earners" targeted by Congress include rank-and-file employees or just executives.

Mr. Feinberg will report to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, but he is expected to have wide discretion on how the rules should be interpreted. Firms likely won't be able to appeal decisions that Mr. Feinberg makes to Mr. Geithner, according to people familiar with the matter.

There are companies out there right now, afraid to make-good on contracts, for fear of the law changing after the fact, and themselves being held accountable. This is a really big problem as it illustrates that those companies have no faith that the Constitution Of The United States will protect them from this administration.

United States Constitution:
Parts of two sections.

Article I

Section 9.

No bill of attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed.

Section 10.

No state shall enter into any treaty, alliance, or confederation; grant letters of marque and reprisal; coin money; emit bills of credit; make anything but gold and silver coin a tender in payment of debts; pass any bill of attainder, ex post facto law, or law impairing the obligation of contracts, or grant any title of nobility.

Many firms are also unsure whether the "top earners" targeted by Congress include rank-and-file employees or just executives. The Constitution also provides protection for individuals against direct government action. It is clearly stated in many different ways. The Constitution was written to LIMIT the power of government NOT grant it. Too many people have forgotten what the Constitution was written for, or in current times, have never even read any of it.

Another point requiring attention is the fact that the government is appointing a "czar" to oversee the implementation of pay restrictions. The scope, for now, is limited to those companies which received bailout money. If the goal was only to effect those companies which received bailout money; why would you need to appoint a czar. The U.S. Government already owns controlling interest in most of the companies involved with the bailout. The Fed could limit executive pay from the board of directors without the appointment of a czar. There is no need for a czar; that is unless the final goal is to control the pay of employees working for companies that had nothing to do with the bailout.

This is a move designed to sneak in control without people noticing. The idea is to have a bogeyman; in this case it happens to be the executives of companies. Most people have some degree of class envy; this salary control scheme plays to that envy like the sweetest music.

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