Dis ’N’ Dat

Again, I apologize for not posting for awhile but I’m starting a new business and that has been taking a large amount of my time. If you haven’t visited yet my initial store is at http://shops.half.com/quailbooks, take a look when you get a chance.

The title of this post says it all. I’ve included several unrelated items with short commentaries. Maybe I’ll expand upon some of the topics in later posts since the subjects have attracted my interest. Sorry about the title but I’ve been watching some Amos ’N’ Andy lately after a discussion with a friend about that old TV show and I couldn’t resist.

Academy Aboreds

I can’t take credit for the title as it was created by someone in a message board I visited on Monday. It does have the advantage of accurately describing the feelings of everyone that posted as to their opinion of the annual waste of time known as the Academy Awards Show. Most people seem to have watched other channels, movies, or worked on the internet. I was one of the movie people myself.

Social Security Reform

I’ve been deliberately avoiding this subject up to now, but the Sunday talking head shows and both the Republicans and Dumbocrats have me upset enough to make my opinion known. We need to reform the system and now is the time before it becomes a crisis even if that crisis if twenty or more years in the future. The Dumbocrats have only one solution that shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. There mantra of ‘Increase Taxes’ is really beginning to irritate me and a lot of other people. What really surprises me is that some Republicans are willing to go along with that idea.

I have my own simple solution that I would like to put forward. What should be done is to include everyone that currently does not pay into the system. This of course will not be liked by the public employee unions, teachers, railroad workers, and of course the U.S. Senate and House members that would have their plans absorbed into social security and have their benefits cut to those that social security pays or is scheduled to pay. Of course, they would also be required to pay into the system at whatever level is required by their salaries. This would have several advantages. First, the social security fund would be increased by hundred of billions of dollars for current pension funds like CalPERS. Next, everyone would be treated equally and that cushy pension that the legislatures get would be cut drastically.

Nevada Legislature

I have to say that nearly thirty days into the 120 days of the current Nevada Legislative session they haven’t accomplished much. Yesterday the Assembly, House of Representatives in most states, got around to passing a bill increasing the minimum wage by $1 per hour for businesses that don’t give their employees medical benefits. There are only two things wrong with that action. The people passed an initiative petition during the last election that does the same thing and after it passes again in the 2006 election it will become law anyway. Why did they even bother wasting time with this? Second, they have put in so many exemptions that the only people hurt will of course be the small businessman who can’t afford to pay the expenses involved in the measure. This is a ‘gimme’ since they were the only ones that didn’t have a heavy lobbying effort to protect themselves or the fund to by off the Dumbocrats next election. For those who don’t know the Dumbocrats control the Assembly and the Republicans control the Senate so I don’t see this bill surviving.

Syria

Isn’t it wonderful to see Syria’s current dictator being held to the fire by public opinion of its surrounding countries? I fully expect that another terrorist supporter will be departing this earth soon as his own people dump him! I really though that in a year or so the US and UK would have to go into Syria and clean it up like we’re doing in Iraq, but it seems that won’t be necessary. Wonderful news in that part of the world may just be around the corner finally.