tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60985375923140077242024-03-19T06:35:58.019-04:00Back to BasicsThe national budget must be balanced. The public debt must be reduced; the arrogance of the authorities must be moderated and controlled. Payments to foreign governments must be reduced, if the nation doesn't want to go bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance. -Cicero, 55BCAndrew Schechterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086090637190845628noreply@blogger.comBlogger160125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098537592314007724.post-58889658983503938412011-10-26T14:00:00.000-04:002011-10-26T15:01:36.200-04:00Raise the RoofYes, I have taken a hiatus from the blog, but I had to add a tidbit to remind myself of a few things later.Here are my thoughts on the Government overseeing the student loan industry.- Government makes it easier to get school loansThis leads to:- More people taking out loansand leads to:- Rising school costs...why not raise the price, if people can afford it, then the schools will take what they Andrew Schechterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086090637190845628noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098537592314007724.post-49958204937077358382011-08-15T09:00:00.000-04:002011-08-15T09:15:31.744-04:00The Tax TaleAs this Forbes article explains tax structures (for the wealthy), I can't help but wonder if all the news about the disparity that we are hearing about between the rich and poor is accurate.
Andrew Schechterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086090637190845628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098537592314007724.post-92065624235216262782011-07-20T13:00:00.000-04:002011-07-20T13:42:45.313-04:00Note to Self...I wanted to remind my future self of what is going on today in regards to debt talks, etc..., in Washington these days. The democrats are shouting from the mountain-top that we must reach a "compromise" in meeting the countries fiscal obligations. They want us to raise taxes and cut spending. We have been spending wildly for some time now (as a nation), and have accrued debt surpassing 14 Andrew Schechterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086090637190845628noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098537592314007724.post-55223503894197732522011-07-06T06:00:00.000-04:002011-07-06T06:00:20.378-04:00A look at Socialism"Freedom is choice, choice requires responsibility." -Yuri MaltsevYuri presents a fascinating view of the socialist regime in Soviet Russia revolving around the agriculture system. It is interesting to see that the soviets were basically forcing people to farm for free and give away all their food. The soviets would basically kill as many people as necessary to keep the rest of the peasant Andrew Schechterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086090637190845628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098537592314007724.post-91067756179717756792011-07-05T07:00:00.000-04:002011-07-05T08:00:00.444-04:00Stimulus ReportTHE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT OF 2009 - SEVENTH QUARTERLY REPORTThe report above, released by the White House on July 1 shows some interesting data. Two key elements stand out:1) Estimates say that between 2.4 million and 3.6 million jobs have been funded by the stimulus. Having that large of a range shows me that they probably just guessed, and I have seen Andrew Schechterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086090637190845628noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098537592314007724.post-203537749927579552011-06-29T13:03:00.002-04:002011-06-29T13:04:15.715-04:00Sorry, I've been busy raising my personal debt ceilingI have been absent from writing for a while, I guess the business of life kept me away. There are too many distorting stories out about the debt ceiling and republicans walking away from choices that supposedly have to happen. First read this powerful quote again:"The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Andrew Schechterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086090637190845628noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098537592314007724.post-57459675201134899952011-04-11T11:00:00.002-04:002011-04-11T12:00:49.172-04:00Pack a LunchPeople like the principal at the school in this story will end freedom as we know it. Hopefully we can keep them out of offices that affect more people. Here are a few highlights: "Little Village Academy on Chicago's West Side, students are not allowed to pack lunches from home. Unless they have a medical excuse, they must eat the food served in the cafeteria." "Principal Elsa Carmona said her Andrew Schechterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086090637190845628noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098537592314007724.post-59024144118428317782011-03-23T08:00:00.000-04:002011-03-23T08:36:51.535-04:00I couldn't help but point out this headline. I'll let you come to your own conclusions about how the mainstream media portrays certain people/parties.Andrew Schechterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086090637190845628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098537592314007724.post-64770805931730280642011-03-22T08:00:00.001-04:002011-03-22T08:43:20.305-04:00OilI have been amazed at the US involvement in Lybia. While waging two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, it befuddled me to see a no fly zone being talked about, then enacted in Lybia. Apparently, Gadhafi is killing a lot of citizens in Lybia which is reason enough to involve ourselves in a war that is not ours....unless the country is Iraq and the leader's name is Hussein.President Obama's words about Andrew Schechterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086090637190845628noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098537592314007724.post-74141202405340636812011-03-08T15:00:00.000-05:002011-03-08T15:45:15.048-05:00A Glimpse at the Future...from the PastI can't remember if I posted this clip previously, but it came on my radar again recently and I find it absolutely amazing. 50 years ago, Ronald Reagan is speaking directly to issues we are facing today; and to the dangers of liberalism. This proves to me that the principles of conservatism have remained largely unchanged and are as potent as they were when this great nation was founded. The Andrew Schechterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086090637190845628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098537592314007724.post-20830330610270432272011-02-28T08:00:00.000-05:002011-02-28T08:43:44.398-05:00Climate Change AgainApparently, a small-scale nuclear war could cause 'unprecendented' global cooling, causing floods and famine. But I thought global warming was going to cause floods and famine? Two conclusions:- We need not worry about any climate change because we can clearly affect it in either direction- We humans aren't really affecting things as much as we thinkI totally agree with the science behind much Andrew Schechterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086090637190845628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098537592314007724.post-72202936922237059802011-02-25T14:00:00.000-05:002011-02-25T14:00:02.636-05:00Quote"Thinking that printing money will help the economy is like thinking that a thermometer will make it hotter outside." -Radio CommercialAndrew Schechterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086090637190845628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098537592314007724.post-54199997937460945502011-02-24T08:00:00.000-05:002011-02-24T08:44:26.942-05:00A BargainI have to comment on the protests coming out of the public sector unions in Ohio and Wisconsin. To me this is very shameful, and I wish weren't even in this position. Which side am I on?Comments from leaders in the public unions have criticized the republican governors and state representatives in these states for trying to take away the rights of the hard working teachers, firefighters, Andrew Schechterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086090637190845628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098537592314007724.post-91280833186968003582011-02-07T13:00:00.000-05:002011-02-07T14:00:19.661-05:00Quote of the Day"To conserve resources, someone must own them." - Walter E. WilliamsAndrew Schechterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086090637190845628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098537592314007724.post-18065449497540598202011-01-05T07:00:00.000-05:002011-01-05T07:34:41.502-05:00Who Said It?"The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies. … Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means Andrew Schechterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086090637190845628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098537592314007724.post-22754486724991209672010-12-12T12:00:00.000-05:002010-12-13T09:30:56.006-05:00Is it really Science?..."Even Phil Jones, the CRU director at the centre of last year's 'Climategate' leaked email scandal, was forced to admit in a littlenoticed BBC online interview that there has been 'no statistically significant warming' since 1995.One of those leaked emails, dated October 2009, was from Kevin Trenberth, head of climate analysis at the US government's National Centre for Atmospheric Research andAndrew Schechterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086090637190845628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098537592314007724.post-51023015233859451212010-12-02T11:00:00.002-05:002010-12-02T11:22:02.337-05:00Fiscal Fix: DiscussionNPR is reporting that much of the meaningful cuts in the "Fiscal Fix" that were released a few weeks ago are not popular among a majority of voters and many lawmakers. I wanted to comment on ONE of the items in the report that I think is exactly what we need, although potentially hard to swallow.One of the recommendations by the commission was reducing tax rates for every into 3 brackets rangingAndrew Schechterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086090637190845628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098537592314007724.post-72776114889006542702010-11-24T06:00:00.001-05:002010-11-24T06:00:00.673-05:00Thanksgiving"On August 1, 1620, the Mayflower set sail. It carried a total of 102 passengers, including forty Pilgrims led by William Bradford. On the journey, Bradford set up an agreement, a contract, that established just and equal laws for all members of the new community, irrespective of their religious beliefs.Where did the revolutionary ideas expressed in the Mayflower Compact come from? From the BibleAndrew Schechterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086090637190845628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098537592314007724.post-40302424399190586222010-11-19T07:00:00.000-05:002010-11-19T08:13:32.027-05:00Meet the PressThere is some serious mis-representation going on by the media about votes in the congress. This, of course, has been going on forever, but I think it is important for us to see the real picture about the partisinship in the congress.On November 18, 2010 there was a vote to extend long-term unemployment benefits for 60 days, at a cost of $12 billion or so dollars. Keep in mind that people on Andrew Schechterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086090637190845628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098537592314007724.post-17562980306866349652010-11-16T12:00:00.000-05:002010-11-16T12:39:18.758-05:00Food InsecureCheck out these Obesity (BMI) trends from the CDC. It is pretty startling that we are all getting so fat. I know my waistline could use some discipline. Only D.C. and Colorado have average BMI rates under 20%.Then we see reports from US Department of Agriculture that an increasing number of Americans are facing "Hunger Insecurity". As of 2009, almost 15% of US households feel they don't have Andrew Schechterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086090637190845628noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098537592314007724.post-9350172056938564802010-11-10T15:00:00.000-05:002010-11-11T08:27:40.995-05:00Fiscal FixThis report released yesterday is quality reading for those interested in our national debt and all those pesky obligations that our government signs us up for.Sort of long, but actually understandable. I see many good signs in this draft, and actually hope that Congress adopts some of these measures. I saw several good ideas, and several suspect ideas, but overall this draft seems very Andrew Schechterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086090637190845628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098537592314007724.post-54228767833962841042010-11-01T13:00:00.000-04:002010-11-01T13:55:21.673-04:00Revisiting John Maynard KeynesThis is an excellent clip from NPR, and a nice counter-balance to the stuff Paul Krugman preaches; and all the other economists that our democrat leaders listen to.Andrew Schechterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086090637190845628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098537592314007724.post-7491419745386626142010-10-25T12:00:00.000-04:002010-10-25T12:06:56.391-04:00No New Deficit Spending"No new deficit spending", guess who made this vow 4 years ago before we have balooned the debt by 5 TRILLION dollars?You can ignore the ad at the beginning, but the strong words by our soon-to-be-former speaker of the house are stunning. And to think that some people can't figure out why there are so many angry people in this country.Andrew Schechterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086090637190845628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098537592314007724.post-20609915536393337592010-10-13T15:00:00.000-04:002010-10-13T15:00:04.246-04:00Too hard to explainIn a recent interview of Vice President Joe Biden...Democrats aren’t running on the administration’s accomplishments like health-care and financial-regulatory overhaul and the stimulus because “it’s just too hard to explain,” Biden said.When everyone across the country is realizing that the "accomplishments" of the current administration are hurting our economy, people like Biden are either Andrew Schechterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086090637190845628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098537592314007724.post-51332672444757803042010-10-11T13:00:00.001-04:002010-10-11T13:41:18.972-04:00They no longer represent me...I encourage you to read this powerful insight into a portion of the American scientific community. When you hear our "leaders" say that the "debate is over" regarding global warming, we tread into dangerous territory. Dangerous on the part of scientists as they make large unfounded assumptions and even more dangerous on the part of American policy makers as they make decisions that directly Andrew Schechterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086090637190845628noreply@blogger.com0