The big Mid-Term Elections are on November 2nd and here are the Senate Races you need to watch Tuesday night.
In Washington State:
Dino Rossi (R)
Patty Murray (D)
Patty Murray is the incumbent and hold a very slight lead over Dino Rossi. That lead is about 48% to 46% at this time but we have a week to go and this one could go either way.
In Nevada:
Sharron Angle (R)
Harry Reid (D)
Jerry Carter (I)
Jeffery Durbin (I)
Wil Stand (NONE)
Scott Ashjian (T) [Tea Party of Nevada]
Recently the polls have gone back and forth with Ms. Angle recently taking a small lead but still about 47% to 45%.
In Colorado:
Ken Buck (R)
Michael Bennet (D)
Bennet and Buck have been in a dead heat tied at 47% for the last 2 weeks. The decision will be made when it is decided who screwed up most/least.
In Illinois:
Mark Kirk (R)
Alan Giannoulias (D)
LeAlan Jones (G) [Green]
Michael Labno (L) [Libertarian]
Alyson Kennedy (S) [Socialist Workers] {Write-in}
Mark Kirk has been consistently ahead for the past month but still within each polls margin of error. So for all practical purposes it is still a tossup. The problem here is the Green/Libertarian/Socialist dilution of voters. That makes it very difficult for one person to get above 50%.
In West Virginia:
John Raese (R)
Joe Manchin (D)
Jesse Johnson (M) [Mountain Party]
Three weeks ago Raese had a 5 point lead. Two weeks ago Manchin had a 4 point lead. Two days ago Raese had a 2 point lead . . . who knows by November 2nd.
In Pennsylvania:
Pat Toomey (R)
Joe Sestak (D)
Osborn Hart (S) [Socialist] {Write-In}
This is a back and forth race. On the same day one pose shows an even tie at 46% while other polls show Toomey ahead by up to 8 points. No poll shows Sestak ahead. But it shall be interesting.
I feel that the Democrats need to take at least half of these races to keep a majority in the Senate. Keep this list and watch the fight come Tuesday night.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Getting The Word Out
Now that the Supreme Court has ruled that everybody is allowed to give as much money as they desire, to anybody they choose and absolutely nobody needs to know about it, we are finding ourselves up to our butts in crap passed down to us as truth.
First, I'd like you to read my blog post on the lies we endure during campaigns by clicking this URL:
www.swoopsfromsnowyowl.blogspot.com/2010/06/isnt-there-law-against-that.html
Now you will understand that all restraints are off when it comes to politics and political advertising. If that is the case, why doesn't more truth come out? Why is it that only the false stuff makes the headlines? Isn't the truth believable? Or, isn't there any truth out there to be believed?
I'm not sure I can answer any of these questions to the comfort of everyone, but here is my analysis on what has happened, is happening and will happen in the future.
You have to understand that a good part of politics is getting the word out. Letting people know what you are going to do and why, then actually doing it and again explaining why it is good for the country, then reinforcing what you did with again explaining it so that there will be few if any questions. Anticipating objections and overcoming those objections up front will help eliminate problems that might arise later.
The White House is not very good at this! Obama's advisers don't understand good salesmanship and that is what politics is all about. Winning an election is one thing, keeping the post to which you are elected, is another. In order to keep your position, you must explain your actions and why those actions were good for the country. If the White House doesn't do this then everyone that hears the lies, which will inevitably come from the other side, will only believe them to be true because no one has refuted them.
Here are some of those lies that have been recently passed around and need to be put to rest.
1. "Government spending takes money out of the economy." The REALITY is that Government is you and I, the "People" and the money it spends is on you and me. The citizens of the U. S. are a gathering of people who pool their money to do the good we need to have done for us because we can't afford to do them as individuals. Some consider this a Socialist leaning country and what would they do without those Socialist Roads, Socialist highways, Socialist airports, Socialist harbors, Socialist courts, Socialist schools, Socialist police, Socialist Firemen and Socialist Armed Forces. Government doesn't just spend on the unemployed, welfare recipients and foreign aid.
2. ""Social Security is a Ponzi Scheme that is going broke." The REALITY is that Social Security has run a surplus since it began and has Trillions in a trust fund. It is completely sound for at least 25 more years. It cannot borrow so it will never contribute to the deficit, unlike the military and most other agencies. Life expectancy is longer because infant mortality has improved over the years. Back in the 30s the average life expectancy was shorter because more children died of TB, Polio, Whooping Cough, Mumps, Measles, Chicken Pox, Scarlet Fever and various other diseases that don't kill people any more. If you reach the age of 60 your future life expectancy is about the same as it was back in the 30s.
3. "Health Care Reform costs $1 Trillion." The REALITY is that Health Care Reform will reduce government deficits by $138 Billion over the next 10 years.
4. "Small businesses will hire if they get Tax Cuts." The REALITY is that Small businesses hire according to DEMAND. Demand creates jobs. Having extra money on hand does not cause Small Businesses to hire. On the other hand, if there is demand for their product or service, a business will find the money to hire workers to create products to satisfy that demand.
5. "The Stimulus was a bust and didn't work at all." The REALITY is that the stimulus worked but was not enough by itself. The Congressional Budget Office says the stimulus raised employment by between 1.5 and 3.5 million jobs. The fact is that we were in a deeper depression than we had known about. We needed a larger stimulus to get us all the way out.
6. "Obama Bailed out the banks." The REALITY is that while most people confuse the "Stimulus" with the bank bailouts, the Bank Bailouts were requested by President George W. Bush and his Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. The bailouts passed and began before the 2008 election of President Obama.
7. "President Obama raised taxes, which hurt the economy." The REALITY is that President Obama actually cut taxes. 40% of the ""Stimulus" was wasted on tax cuts which only create debt. That is why the stimulus was so much less effective than it could have been.
8. "President Obama tripled the deficit." The REALITY is that President George W. Bush's last budget had a $1.416 Trillion deficit. Obama's first budget reduced that to $1.29 Trillion.
Until the White House learns how to communicate President Obama's programs and how to best do a quality PR job, they will continue to lose the information battle and it may cost Obama re-election in 2012.
Doing a good job is only half the battle, communicating it is the other half and some say the important half. Senior Obama advisor David Axelrod has to do a better job. Recently he stated, "Two years ago I could have told you this was going to be a tough year." He knew then and had plenty of time to work on PR and quality communication about Obama's plans. But, unlike the master Karl Rove, Axelrod has really done very little or nothing. Axelrod also stated, "Our mission is to get people energized and understanding there are real stakes in the election." But what he failed to understand is, that is an ongoing job, not something you only do a few months every two years. His job should be to stay out in front of those objections and anticipate those questions before they are asked.
First, I'd like you to read my blog post on the lies we endure during campaigns by clicking this URL:
www.swoopsfromsnowyowl.blogspot.com/2010/06/isnt-there-law-against-that.html
Now you will understand that all restraints are off when it comes to politics and political advertising. If that is the case, why doesn't more truth come out? Why is it that only the false stuff makes the headlines? Isn't the truth believable? Or, isn't there any truth out there to be believed?
I'm not sure I can answer any of these questions to the comfort of everyone, but here is my analysis on what has happened, is happening and will happen in the future.
You have to understand that a good part of politics is getting the word out. Letting people know what you are going to do and why, then actually doing it and again explaining why it is good for the country, then reinforcing what you did with again explaining it so that there will be few if any questions. Anticipating objections and overcoming those objections up front will help eliminate problems that might arise later.
The White House is not very good at this! Obama's advisers don't understand good salesmanship and that is what politics is all about. Winning an election is one thing, keeping the post to which you are elected, is another. In order to keep your position, you must explain your actions and why those actions were good for the country. If the White House doesn't do this then everyone that hears the lies, which will inevitably come from the other side, will only believe them to be true because no one has refuted them.
Here are some of those lies that have been recently passed around and need to be put to rest.
1. "Government spending takes money out of the economy." The REALITY is that Government is you and I, the "People" and the money it spends is on you and me. The citizens of the U. S. are a gathering of people who pool their money to do the good we need to have done for us because we can't afford to do them as individuals. Some consider this a Socialist leaning country and what would they do without those Socialist Roads, Socialist highways, Socialist airports, Socialist harbors, Socialist courts, Socialist schools, Socialist police, Socialist Firemen and Socialist Armed Forces. Government doesn't just spend on the unemployed, welfare recipients and foreign aid.
2. ""Social Security is a Ponzi Scheme that is going broke." The REALITY is that Social Security has run a surplus since it began and has Trillions in a trust fund. It is completely sound for at least 25 more years. It cannot borrow so it will never contribute to the deficit, unlike the military and most other agencies. Life expectancy is longer because infant mortality has improved over the years. Back in the 30s the average life expectancy was shorter because more children died of TB, Polio, Whooping Cough, Mumps, Measles, Chicken Pox, Scarlet Fever and various other diseases that don't kill people any more. If you reach the age of 60 your future life expectancy is about the same as it was back in the 30s.
3. "Health Care Reform costs $1 Trillion." The REALITY is that Health Care Reform will reduce government deficits by $138 Billion over the next 10 years.
4. "Small businesses will hire if they get Tax Cuts." The REALITY is that Small businesses hire according to DEMAND. Demand creates jobs. Having extra money on hand does not cause Small Businesses to hire. On the other hand, if there is demand for their product or service, a business will find the money to hire workers to create products to satisfy that demand.
5. "The Stimulus was a bust and didn't work at all." The REALITY is that the stimulus worked but was not enough by itself. The Congressional Budget Office says the stimulus raised employment by between 1.5 and 3.5 million jobs. The fact is that we were in a deeper depression than we had known about. We needed a larger stimulus to get us all the way out.
6. "Obama Bailed out the banks." The REALITY is that while most people confuse the "Stimulus" with the bank bailouts, the Bank Bailouts were requested by President George W. Bush and his Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. The bailouts passed and began before the 2008 election of President Obama.
7. "President Obama raised taxes, which hurt the economy." The REALITY is that President Obama actually cut taxes. 40% of the ""Stimulus" was wasted on tax cuts which only create debt. That is why the stimulus was so much less effective than it could have been.
8. "President Obama tripled the deficit." The REALITY is that President George W. Bush's last budget had a $1.416 Trillion deficit. Obama's first budget reduced that to $1.29 Trillion.
Until the White House learns how to communicate President Obama's programs and how to best do a quality PR job, they will continue to lose the information battle and it may cost Obama re-election in 2012.
Doing a good job is only half the battle, communicating it is the other half and some say the important half. Senior Obama advisor David Axelrod has to do a better job. Recently he stated, "Two years ago I could have told you this was going to be a tough year." He knew then and had plenty of time to work on PR and quality communication about Obama's plans. But, unlike the master Karl Rove, Axelrod has really done very little or nothing. Axelrod also stated, "Our mission is to get people energized and understanding there are real stakes in the election." But what he failed to understand is, that is an ongoing job, not something you only do a few months every two years. His job should be to stay out in front of those objections and anticipate those questions before they are asked.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
What The Republicans Are Against!
Recently, the Congressional Republicans stated that they are for the Small businesses in America, yet they have been consistently opposed to the Obama's administrations efforts to cut the taxes small business owners have to pay.
The President has already signed into law eight pieces of powerful legislation designed to help small business. They are:
1. A small business health care tax credit.
2. A tax credit for hiring the unemployed.
3. Bonus depreciation tax incentives to support new investment.
4. 75% exclusion of small business capital gains.
5. Expansion of limits of small business expenses.
6. A five year carryback of net operating losses.
7. To allow small businesses better flexibility in their investments, a reduction from 10 down to 7 years on built in gains holding period.
8. A temporary small business estimated tax payment relief so small business can keep more of their cash on hand.
Guess what, the Republicans voted against all of that. They are not pro-small businesses . . . they are ANTI-OBAMA! The high income taxpayers they are fighting to get tax relief for are hardly what most Americans think of as "Small Businesses." While Congressional Republicans' rhetoric would imply they are fighting for "Start-ups", mom-and-pop store owners and aspiring entrepreneurs, they count as "Small Businesses" making "Small Business income" any and all high income taxpayers with any type of partnership income, sole proprietor income, or "S" corporation income. Thus, under their definition, the following are all counted as small businesses:
>Each partner of a major corporate law firm
>Billionaire hedge fund Managers
>Over 50% of the top 400 taxpayers with the highest adjusted gross income (according to the IRS--a group that averaged $344 million each in income in 2007)
And here is more;
While Republicans claim that their push for high income tax relief is motivated by concern for small business, almost 85% of the tax relief they want goes to those making over $1,000,000. Those are not small businesses.
Obama wants to lend support to creditworthy small businesses still struggling to access the credit they need to expand and hire.
Republicans are holding middle class tax cuts, your tax cuts, hostage so they can borrow $700,000,000,000 to pay for the tax cuts that the Republicans want to give to the richest 2% of earners, those are the people that contribute to the Republicans campaign.
The President has already signed into law eight pieces of powerful legislation designed to help small business. They are:
1. A small business health care tax credit.
2. A tax credit for hiring the unemployed.
3. Bonus depreciation tax incentives to support new investment.
4. 75% exclusion of small business capital gains.
5. Expansion of limits of small business expenses.
6. A five year carryback of net operating losses.
7. To allow small businesses better flexibility in their investments, a reduction from 10 down to 7 years on built in gains holding period.
8. A temporary small business estimated tax payment relief so small business can keep more of their cash on hand.
Guess what, the Republicans voted against all of that. They are not pro-small businesses . . . they are ANTI-OBAMA! The high income taxpayers they are fighting to get tax relief for are hardly what most Americans think of as "Small Businesses." While Congressional Republicans' rhetoric would imply they are fighting for "Start-ups", mom-and-pop store owners and aspiring entrepreneurs, they count as "Small Businesses" making "Small Business income" any and all high income taxpayers with any type of partnership income, sole proprietor income, or "S" corporation income. Thus, under their definition, the following are all counted as small businesses:
>Each partner of a major corporate law firm
>Billionaire hedge fund Managers
>Over 50% of the top 400 taxpayers with the highest adjusted gross income (according to the IRS--a group that averaged $344 million each in income in 2007)
And here is more;
While Republicans claim that their push for high income tax relief is motivated by concern for small business, almost 85% of the tax relief they want goes to those making over $1,000,000. Those are not small businesses.
Obama wants to lend support to creditworthy small businesses still struggling to access the credit they need to expand and hire.
Republicans are holding middle class tax cuts, your tax cuts, hostage so they can borrow $700,000,000,000 to pay for the tax cuts that the Republicans want to give to the richest 2% of earners, those are the people that contribute to the Republicans campaign.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Next Year's COLA
This is a preliminary warning to Liberals everywhere. There are those around that are at this very moment preparing emails that will soon be coming your way about the subject of this blog post.
Approximately 35% of retired Americans rely on Social Security for up to 90% of their retirement income and over 60% of those retired depend on Social Security as their primary income. Most of them also rely on an annual COLA (cost of living allowance) increase in that income. Once again, next year, that will not happen. That's two years in a row without a COLA increase, and it still isn't Obama's fault. Nor is it the fault of the Democrats controlling Congress. In fact, the COLAs are automatically set each year by an inflation measure that was adopted by Congress back in the mid seventies. That COLA is based on inflation within the present year and according to that measure, there will be no COLA next year.
Once again; For those of you reading this, be aware . . . there will be emails coming your way accusing Obama or the Democrats in Congress for this lack of a COLA. They will say that Obama has refused to give the elderly a raise in their Social Security. Make sure you don't let them get away with it. Remember, the formula was set back in the 70s, not by anyone in power today and it is the law.
Also remember that the VA benefits are tied directly to the Social Security COLA as well as many other entitlements.
Approximately 35% of retired Americans rely on Social Security for up to 90% of their retirement income and over 60% of those retired depend on Social Security as their primary income. Most of them also rely on an annual COLA (cost of living allowance) increase in that income. Once again, next year, that will not happen. That's two years in a row without a COLA increase, and it still isn't Obama's fault. Nor is it the fault of the Democrats controlling Congress. In fact, the COLAs are automatically set each year by an inflation measure that was adopted by Congress back in the mid seventies. That COLA is based on inflation within the present year and according to that measure, there will be no COLA next year.
Once again; For those of you reading this, be aware . . . there will be emails coming your way accusing Obama or the Democrats in Congress for this lack of a COLA. They will say that Obama has refused to give the elderly a raise in their Social Security. Make sure you don't let them get away with it. Remember, the formula was set back in the 70s, not by anyone in power today and it is the law.
Also remember that the VA benefits are tied directly to the Social Security COLA as well as many other entitlements.
Friday, October 8, 2010
On Early Voting
We are about to enter the period of time, just prior to the mid-term elections, that most of the civilized world has "Early Voting." It used to be that this period was termed as "Absentee Voting." You had to know when you were going to be gone and then you had to document that you were going out of state, then you were mailed a ballot that may or may not have been counted because it had to be mailed back to the election commission hopefully with enough stamps.
Now, you don't have to have an excuse to vote early. In the past, I've had to stand in line for up to an hour to vote. Early voting has eliminated all that, if you play your cards correctly. If you vote early on your lunch hour remember, so will everyone else. If you put it off until the last couple of days remember, so will everyone else.
Vote on your day off, in the morning, about 9 till 11 or in the afternoon between 2 and 4, otherwise you are still going to be in a line. Don't wait till the last few days of early voting . . . again . . . you'll end up waiting in an even longer line.
About the only reason to not vote early is that you will miss out if your candidate is a sex offender or gets arrested for theft within the last few days before election day. Remember, if he/she gets caught lying, there is no law against that. (see my blog dated 6/20/2010 entitled "Isn't there a law against that?) Then you might have switched your vote, otherwise . . . you're vote is good.
I'll try to cover my readers by area in which they live.
In Arkansas, early voting begins October 18th and ends November 1st.
(If you live in Baxter County you can vote in either the new Library or at the court house. If you live in Marion County your early voting spot is at the County Court House. (Say hello to Amy for me . . . nice lady)
In California, early voting began on October 4th. You'll have to check on the spots for voting early.
In New Mexico, early voting will begin on October 16th and you too will have to check on where.
In Texas, early voting is as it is in Arkansas. You will start on October 18th.
In Maryland, you start early voting on October 22nd.
In Tennessee, you will start your early voting on October 13th.
In Oklahoma, you will have only a short period of early voting. There early voting starts on October 29th and ends on November 1st. And, I am not sure if the early voting polls there will be open on that Saturday, the 30th.
A few of my friends live in states where there is no early voting. In Mississippi, Alabama, Missouri, South Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia and Minnesota you'll just have to wait until November 2nd.
If you can and if you want, please vote early and take the pressure off the polls on November 2nd. But, before you go vote, make sure you are informed about the issues and about the candidates.
Now, you don't have to have an excuse to vote early. In the past, I've had to stand in line for up to an hour to vote. Early voting has eliminated all that, if you play your cards correctly. If you vote early on your lunch hour remember, so will everyone else. If you put it off until the last couple of days remember, so will everyone else.
Vote on your day off, in the morning, about 9 till 11 or in the afternoon between 2 and 4, otherwise you are still going to be in a line. Don't wait till the last few days of early voting . . . again . . . you'll end up waiting in an even longer line.
About the only reason to not vote early is that you will miss out if your candidate is a sex offender or gets arrested for theft within the last few days before election day. Remember, if he/she gets caught lying, there is no law against that. (see my blog dated 6/20/2010 entitled "Isn't there a law against that?) Then you might have switched your vote, otherwise . . . you're vote is good.
I'll try to cover my readers by area in which they live.
In Arkansas, early voting begins October 18th and ends November 1st.
(If you live in Baxter County you can vote in either the new Library or at the court house. If you live in Marion County your early voting spot is at the County Court House. (Say hello to Amy for me . . . nice lady)
In California, early voting began on October 4th. You'll have to check on the spots for voting early.
In New Mexico, early voting will begin on October 16th and you too will have to check on where.
In Texas, early voting is as it is in Arkansas. You will start on October 18th.
In Maryland, you start early voting on October 22nd.
In Tennessee, you will start your early voting on October 13th.
In Oklahoma, you will have only a short period of early voting. There early voting starts on October 29th and ends on November 1st. And, I am not sure if the early voting polls there will be open on that Saturday, the 30th.
A few of my friends live in states where there is no early voting. In Mississippi, Alabama, Missouri, South Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia and Minnesota you'll just have to wait until November 2nd.
If you can and if you want, please vote early and take the pressure off the polls on November 2nd. But, before you go vote, make sure you are informed about the issues and about the candidates.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
A Burnt Out Lamp
A light bulb burnt out this week in my bedroom. Actually, "Bulb" is an improper name for it. It was really a lamp. The word "Bulb" is meant to be the name of the glassware that surrounds the lighting filament/s. Lamp is the proper name for what most of us call a "Light Bulb." But enough for the trivia . . . there didn't seem much to write about on a lamp burning out. Not much except I bought this lamp in 1997 and it was the first Compact Florescent Lamp I ever bought, in fact I bought eight of them in a package. It is different from those curly ones we get now. It has three fingers sticking straight out. I bought it at Wal-Mart because it said I would use only 14 watts while getting 60 watts of light and I got eight lamps fro $12.96. That was the first time I ever saw them for under $2 each. I think they were trying to get rid of them because the next batch they received was the twisty/curly type.
There were no real instructions with those lamps, they just wanted you to replace your old incandescent lamps with the new CFLs. But, some uses don't fit the CFL. For instance;
--If you have a dimmer switch in the dinning room, those CFLs won't
work when dimmed, or in some cases they don't work at all.
Some new CFLs are usable with a dimmer and are so marked as
"Dimmable."
--If you turn a light on and off frequently, a CFL will not last as long
as when you put it where a light stays on for long periods and only
gets turned on and off once or twice a day.
--If you use a CFL outside during cold or even cool weather it will
not work as efficiently and it will take several minutes for it to
warm up to the point of sufficient lighting. It will also not last as
long.
All in all, the CFLs I've had have outlasted any incandescent bulb I've owned. Now don't get me wrong, some CFLs have lasted a shorter period of time than this 13 year lamp because they were put in one of my two bathrooms where lights were turned on and off several time a day or they were used outdoors in the cold weather. But this being of the original purchase and used in my bedroom where the light is on for several hours each day, make it very special.
The other two in that fixture are of the same original purchase and I assume that they will soon be gone, too. But they are still working and have more than paid for their purchase price in putting out light and saving me money on electricity.
If you want to know more about CFLs and have not yet decided to invest in them, go to http://www.cflfacts.com/ to get straight information on use and disposal of CFLs.
There were no real instructions with those lamps, they just wanted you to replace your old incandescent lamps with the new CFLs. But, some uses don't fit the CFL. For instance;
--If you have a dimmer switch in the dinning room, those CFLs won't
work when dimmed, or in some cases they don't work at all.
Some new CFLs are usable with a dimmer and are so marked as
"Dimmable."
--If you turn a light on and off frequently, a CFL will not last as long
as when you put it where a light stays on for long periods and only
gets turned on and off once or twice a day.
--If you use a CFL outside during cold or even cool weather it will
not work as efficiently and it will take several minutes for it to
warm up to the point of sufficient lighting. It will also not last as
long.
All in all, the CFLs I've had have outlasted any incandescent bulb I've owned. Now don't get me wrong, some CFLs have lasted a shorter period of time than this 13 year lamp because they were put in one of my two bathrooms where lights were turned on and off several time a day or they were used outdoors in the cold weather. But this being of the original purchase and used in my bedroom where the light is on for several hours each day, make it very special.
The other two in that fixture are of the same original purchase and I assume that they will soon be gone, too. But they are still working and have more than paid for their purchase price in putting out light and saving me money on electricity.
If you want to know more about CFLs and have not yet decided to invest in them, go to http://www.cflfacts.com/ to get straight information on use and disposal of CFLs.
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