A New Chief Performance Officer (CPO)
Posted: 8 January 2009 Filed under: Government, News, Politics | Tags: Appointments, Cabinet, Economic Advisers, President Obama Leave a comment »President-elect Barack Obama has picked Nancy Killefer to serve as the federal government’s chief performance officer (CPO), a newly created post designed to help improve government efficiency and reform budget practices. That sounds familiar for some reason.
Obama said Killefer is “uniquely qualified” to serve as the nation’s first CPO, calling her “an expert in streamlining processes and wringing out inefficiencies so that taxpayers and consumers get more for their money.” Huh?
To illustrate her strong desire to enact reforms, Obama said that when she was offered the opportunity to serve in the Clinton administration, Killefer said “If you’re willing to embrace significant change, then you’re looking at the right person. But if you just want to keep the trains running on time, don’t ask me to do this job.”
Wait just a damn minute! Why is Obama creating a job that is already being done? Why is he creating yet another massive bureaucracy? Why not let the GAO do the job it was created to do?
The GAO was established as the General Accounting Office by the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921 (Pub.L. 67-13, 42 Stat. 20, June 10, 1921). This Act required the head of GAO to “investigate, at the seat of government or elsewhere, all matters relating to the receipt, disbursement, and application of public funds, and shall make to the President…and to Congress…reports (and) recommendations looking to greater economy or efficiency in public expenditures” (Sec. 312(a), 42 Stat. 25).
Does anyone really know what the hell is going on? This is just absurd. To think that earmarks and inefficient programs can be eliminated is foolish. All it is doing is creating another payroll for the taxpayers to fund—wait is that not an inefficient use of funds? Maybe her first action should be to dissolve the position of CPO. The move would be efficient, would streamline government and save us money. She would be doing everything the position calls for.
Just a thought.
Sen. Burris–Moronic Political Theater
Posted: 8 January 2009 Filed under: Government, Politics, Society | Tags: Democrats, Political Tactics, US Constitution, US Senate Leave a comment »Few other lawmakers are going as far as Rush in suggesting that racial considerations were at play in the Senate’s decision. The Congressional Black Caucus has not gotten involved as an organization, despite pressure from some of its members to weigh in on Burris’ behalf.
Still, several black lawmakers have broken with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Obama — and, for that matter, Illinois’ African-American Secretary of State Jesse White, who refuses to certify Burris’ appointment — in saying they believe Burris should be seated.
If you think that the Repubs are silly sometimes, then this should just crack you up.
Burris, senator designate from the state of Illinois, should be sworn in immediately. Why?
Glad you asked!
1–he meets the requirements of the constitution–age, residency and citizenship.
2–He was legally appointed by a sitting governor–no matter the accusations against him, he is still doing the duties of his office like signing bills and such and doing it legally.
3–Sen. Burris has the political experience, not a necessity but it helps.
This whole situation is just damn silly. What is the real reason the Senate does not want to seat him? Is it race? After all he would be the only black person in the exclusive club. Or is it his political track record in the last 5 elections that he was in? They may think that he cannot successfully defend his seat in the next election. Or is it something more pathetic? Or could it be trying to divert the people’s attention from their new pay raise? Maybe it is just moronic political theater.
Blago called Reid’s bluff and now Reid is tap dancing like a man on crack.
Hamas–Rhyme Or Reason?
Posted: 8 January 2009 Filed under: International Situations, News, War | Tags: Armed Conflict, Hamas, Israel, Middle East, Palestinians Leave a comment »The question has been asked, what does Hamas hope to gain from the conflict with Israel? Does the raining of rockets onto Israeli sites do the trick?
IMO, it accomplishes just what it is intended to accomplish. That is a violent reaction from Israel. Knowing that Israel will react in a certain way sets up conditions to accomplish their goals. They are: 1–to make more Palestinians suffer which in turn gives them a large pool of future recruits, 2–set up Hamas as the sole savior of the Palestinian people, 3–to focus world attention on the plight of Palestinians at the hands of Israel.
The sad part of all this is that it is the Palestinian people suffer the brunt of the Israeli reaction. Just as it is sad that the Israeli civilians are the targets of the rockets. All of that is unacceptable, civilians should never be made a tool of war.
copyright: CHUQ/Info Ink
Porno Wants Bailout Cash
Posted: 8 January 2009 Filed under: Economics, News, Sex, Society | Tags: Bailout, Economic Crisis, Economic Woes, Hot Sex, Pornography 5 Comments »Is the porn industry up next for a bailout? If porn titans Joe Francis and Larry Flynt have anything to do with it, it will.
Yes, ladies and gentleman, the titans of pornography are begging for a bailout.
Joe Francis, creator of the “Girl’s Gone Wild” video series, and Larry Flynt, founder of Hustler, will ask Congress for a $5 billion bailout, according to TMZ.
Why does the porn industry need a bailout? Because apparently even porn is getting smacked by the recession.
XXX DVD sales have taken a hit – about a 22% hit, according to TMZ.
“With all this economic misery and people losing all that money, sex is the farthest thing from their mind,” Flynt is quoted as saying on TMZ. “It’s time for Congress to rejuvenate the sexual appetite of America.”
Francis thinks that the porn industry deserves a bailout just like the auto and financial industries got, and he said he’ll go to DC to get it, according to TMZ.
The Economy: Good News, Bad News
Posted: 8 January 2009 Filed under: Economics, News | Tags: Economic Crisis, Financial Markets, Recession Leave a comment »The GOOD:
Santa’s long gone, but not before delivering a much-needed stock rally to Wall Street. Such a generous gift has historically signaled better days ahead.
After a lousy 2008, when stocks suffered their worst drop since 1937, investors are closely monitoring three seasonal market patterns that in the past have provided clues on how stocks will fare for the rest of the year. Despite Monday’s small drop, stocks have played along, rising in what tends to be a bullish period.
The so-called Santa Claus rally — or positive returns in the final five days of the year and the first two days of January — is the first of three early-year tests. And the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index passed with high grades, rising five of the seven days and gaining 7.4%, far above the average 1.4% gain in this pivotal period dating back to 1969, according to the Stock Trader’s Almanac.
The BAD:
The U.S. economy is likely to deteriorate further this year and unemployment will rise into 2010, according to the latest forecasts from the staff of the Federal Reserve.
This bleak forecast was presented to Fed policymakers when they met last month and lowered interest rates to near zero. Low interest rates are one key tool the central bank uses to try to spur economic activity.
According to the minutes from that meeting, the central bank is now predicting that gross domestic product, the broadest measure of economic activity, will fall in 2009.
The Fed cited a multitude of problems dragging down the economy besides rising unemployment, including stock market declines, low consumer confidence, weakened household balance sheets and tight credit conditions. It said business spending is also likely to fall due to weak retail sales and the credit crunch.
In addition, some members of the Fed expressed concerns that the economy could worsen even more than currently expected.
The minutes also showed that some Fed members are now more worried about the threat posed by deflation, or falling prices, than they are about inflation. Deflation can slow economic activity dramatically since it could lead to businesses to cut their production plans in the wake of lower prices.
You pick the one you would like to believe–Or just stick your head in the sand and hope all will go away–it is your choice–have fun!
War Comes To Gaza–Day 12
Posted: 8 January 2009 Filed under: International Situations, News, War | Tags: Armed Conflict, Hamas, Israel, Middle East, Palestinians Leave a comment »Israeli leaders will debate on Wednesday whether to order their armed forces to storm into the Gaza Strip’s urban centres, the planned culmination of a nearly two-week-old offensive, political sources said.
Escalating from a week-long air assault, Israeli troops and tanks invaded the Hamas-ruled territory on Saturday, clashing with Palestinian guerrillas but not advancing beyond the outskirts of the city of Gaza or other densely populated areas.
Israel called the initial ground sweep the “second stage” of the operation, without saying what could follow. The opacity helped spur a frenzy of international mediation to secure a truce under which Hamas would stop cross-border rocket fire
Israel and Hamas studied an Egyptian proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday that won immediate backing from the United States and Europe, hours after Israeli shells killed 42 Palestinians at a U.N. school.
However, Israeli officials also said ministers would discuss a major escalation of their 12-day-old offensive that would push troops deep inside Gaza’s cities and refugee camps in their bid to end rocket salvoes into Israel by Islamist militants.
With Washington in a transition period ahead of the Jan. 20 inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama, France and its European partners, with backing from U.S. allies in the Arab world, have been pushing hard for Israel to cease fire.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice endorsed the Mubarak proposal and said a “sustainable” ceasefire should involve both closing off Hamas’s ability to rearm through tunnels from Egypt and easing the lives of the 1.5 million people of Gaza by reopening trade routes.
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