blog de mian56

The RPOF brought this mess on itself with a too-clever-by-half deal with the devil by going along with Crist's effort to deny Florida rank

and file Republicans a real choice in a real primary fight. They were not only out-of-touch with the temper of Florida Republicans but

completely out of step with momentous times. The Crist fiasco is Exhibit A why real conservatives, tea partiers, et al need to keep a very

skeptical eye on establishment Republicans in this astonishing season for their arrogance is surpassed only by their bumbling. It is not yet

clear at all that they really get it and one more sad proof they ain't called the Stupid Party for nothing.

-- Mark Shepler

Jupiter, Florida

Charlie Crist, like the phoenix, continues to rise from the ashes, with help from statewide Republicans and at local levels. Local

politicians, some of them Democrats, have recently been quoted in the News-Press, our local paper, as "being right where he needs to be, in

the middle." One wonders what promises Charlie gave them or whether they still love him after he failed to show for his own fundraiser last

week, ostensibly to "view the oil spill". Probably a much better photo op!!

-- R. Mandraccia

WISHING BLACK WELL

Re: R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.'s Conrad Black's Victory:

Thank you very much for the update on Mr. Black. I am pleased to know that he remains confident in his eventual vindication and retains faith

in the American Constitution. I have read his wonderful book on Richard Nixon and am currently reading his excellent book on FDR. Please

relay to him that he has many fans and supporters and we wish him well.

-- David Harperhey

MISINFORMATION

Re: Eric Peters's Cars That Died:

Eric Peters is obviously misinformed in his article "Cars That Died." First of all, ALL Saturn's are dead, not just the Sky. All Pontiacs are

dead, not just the Vibe. SAAB is alive and well releasing 4 new models in the next 2 years. Mercury is ALIVE and selling new Milan's and

Milan hybrids. There is not really any truth to the entire article and Eric Peters is an embarrassment to your publication!!

-- Mike

ISOLATE THEM

Re: Tom Bethell's Barque of St. Peter in Troubled Waters:

/p> p> AQ TESTS br> Re: George H. Wittman's Terrorism Thoughts : /p> p>George Wittman is exactly correct. In Iraq, we have troops sitting between two groups of stone-age morons killing each other while cadres of sophisticated Muslims elsewhere are (perhaps) designing the logistics to get an atomic bomb into one of our ports on a container ship. br> -- Ty Knoy br> Ann Arbor, Michigan /p>

Interesting that I haven't seen any mention of the very recent so-called leadership changes among the generals in Iraq. McClellan-types being replaced by those who might be a tad less Politically Correct and actually have the words "win" and "victory" in their lexicons, maybe?

Can't help but sometimes wonder if the Pentagon isn't as screwed-up as the State Department (and, indeed, the White House) in its conduct of supposedly fighting a war; a bunch of guys with stars playing CYA.

It's mighty sad when the only superpower around acts like a bunch of wimps. This whole Iraqi mess should've been fully wrapped-up a year or two ago.

p>Should have been! br> -- frost /p> p> BACKWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS br> Re: Daniel Allott's A New Old-Fashioned Christmas : /p> p>The problem as I see it is not so much the atheists' getting their way. The problem is with the cowardly, so-called, Christians who are more concerned with being politically correct than they are with celebrating the Birth of Jesus. Add to the mix, the anti Christian left wing media and you wind up with a full scale attack on Christianity, validated by the left wing media. Now, add into the recipe, the recent take over of the legislature by the left, compliments of many Christian voters, and you have the same people in power who have been responsible for where we are today (school prayer, ten commandments, anti-Christmas, etc.). We get what we vote for folks. Go figure! br> -- Jim L br> East Sandwich, Massachusetts /p>

The U.S. government is effectively bankrupt. This year's deficit is $1.3 trillion, the national debt is $13.5 trillion, and the unfunded liabilities for Social Security and Medicare likely exceed $100 trillion.

Unfortunately, the U.S. Postal Service also is effectively bankrupt. The USPS expects to lose about $7 billion this year. The post office already has borrowed roughly $13 billion from Uncle Sam. At the end of 2009 USPS had $33.5 billion in outstanding liabilities and another $54.8 billion in unfunded retiree health and pension obligations.

In early July the post office, which can hike rates on its own if the increase doesn't exceed the inflation rate, filed for a special increase of two cents for first class mail and varying increases for other services with the Postal Regulatory Commission. The commission rejected the hike in September, ruling that the Postal Service's problems were structural, rather than a result of the recession. In any case, raising rates won't save the Postal System.

The USPS is in crisis. It is locked in a declining market. It can only survive with indirect taxpayer subsidies and a ban on private competition. Instead of forcing Americans to pay more for less service, Congress should open mail delivery to all comers.

The Constitution authorizes Congress "To establish Post Offices." But Congress is not required to institute government mail delivery, let alone a public mail monopoly. Today there is competition only in packages and urgent delivery. For regular mail, you must use the USPS, or else.

In 1844, for instance, the noted libertarian Lysander Spooner set up a low cost delivery service among Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. Congress responded by imposing fines on private mail carriers. More recently the post office threatened to sue Boy Scouts who proposed delivering Christmas cards during the holidays. When the USPS learned of companies sending international mail abroad with traveling employees, it demanded payment for services not rendered.

All the while postal rates steadily rose, more than 50 percent faster than the rate of inflation. A first class stamp today would cost 27 cents rather than 44 cents had rates merely matched the inflation rate since 1960. In contrast, bulk mailers enjoy artificially low rates due to the political clout of these businesses.

The post office also takes care of its own. In September came revelations of no-bid contracts to former postal executives for "knowledge transfer." One former vice president received a $260,000 contract to talk to the man who replaced him.

In short, the post office has a "customer last" philosophy. Americans exist for the postal service, not the other way around.

Whatever the theoretical arguments for a public mail monopoly in the past, they have been superseded by a rapidly changing marketplace. Opening the postal marketplace to competitive innovation would not be as radical as some might think. Years ago Australia, Germany, Finland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Sweden liberalized their postal regimes. The result, reported the OECD, was "quality of service improvements, increases in profitability, increases in employment and real reductions in prices." Since then the European Union has pushed continent-wide liberalization, especially by reducing the forms of mail "reserved" to government operations. By the start of next year most EU members must open their markets to competition; newer member states have until the end of 2012.

And you only get the car for three years. After which, you're out about $15k and no longer have the car. If you sign up for a

new lease -- or buy the car (assuming GM allows this) then you'd have to factor in the additional (many) thousands of dollars

that would involve.

Such a deal!

Roughly ten percent of the work force isn't working (closer to 20 percent, if you go by the way they used to do the

accounting). The working and middle classes -- ostensibly, the people who care about saving money -- are rightly scared white

about buying into new debt of any kind ... and GM wants to rent them a $420-per-month electric car because ... it's good on

gas?

Meanwhile, a 2011 Ford Fiesta -- built by a privately-owned concern not affiliated with Obama Motors -- is selling a 40 mpg

Fiesta for $13,320. Not renting it to you for three years, mind you.

They're selling the whole car for $13k. You get to keep it and everything!

Not only will your monthly payment be a helluva lot less than $419 (around $250 over five years, assuming you've got decent

credit), but at the end of the five years, you own the thing. That's money in your pocket. You have a "free" car (or at

least, no monthly car payment) for the next several years, or as long as you keep the thing and for as long as it's still

running reliably -- which, given the long legs of almost any modern car, can easily be 10-15 years or more.

Amortize that $13k for the Fiesta (or $10k for a Nissan Versa or any one of a dozen or more medium-small sedans that can get

40-ish mpg and which cost less than $15k) over a useful life of say 10-12 years and see what your monthly nut turns out to be

vs. renting a $420 per month Volt for three years.

Let me save you some time with the calculator. Assume a total cost of $16k -- the $13k for the car plus interest costs over

five years for the loan. Own the car for 12 years. Your cost: About $1,300 annually; or about $108 bucks a month. That's

assuming the car's not worth anything after 12 years, too -- which probably won't be the case if it's still running decently

(which with proper car it likely will be). Which means it'll still be worth something, even after 12 years. Maybe not much --

but probably at least $1,000 or so.

Maybe your teenage kid will want it.

Meanwhile, at the end of the three-year Volt lease, you've got… bupkis. No car, no equity in the car -- and you'll be $15k

lighter in the loafers. GM hopes you will sign up for another $420 per month payment plan, in proper American Consumer

fashion.

But isn't that how America got into the spot its currently in?