Miscellany: 9/30/13

Quote of the Day
If it's me against 48, 
I feel sorry for the 48.
Margaret Thatcher

Most Popular Question on Healthcare.Gov

Courtesy of the Illinois Policy Institute

Facebook Corner

Via Laissez Faire Capitalism on FB

 "You didn't build that.." To answer the Statist: The PRIVATE SECTOR would--faster, better, cheaper...

What would my life be without government, without the chains, seen and unseen, imposed by megalomaniac politicians and judges, without government agents plundering my pocket, without the government meddling with my right to contract for labor or business, without impeding my pursuit of happiness, without living me alone? There are many faith-sponsored and other private sector hospitals and schools, private tollways, prisons, private security guards, volunteer safety associations, militias or mercenaries, etc. Relatives and/or charities serviced the sick and the aged before pandering politicians set up Ponzi schemes or impersonal government bureaucrats got in the way.

Sigh... Maybe if I wish a little harder, the shutdown will last longer....



Are you more concerned about a government shutdown or that Washington can’t cooperate to make a budget? Laissez-Faire Capitalism

That government can't live within its means.

The best they can come up with for why the government shutdown would be bad for you is:-  You won’t be able to go to the zoo... Libertarian Republic

Isn't it about time we privatize zoos?

Pro-Liberty Thought of the Day

Courtesy of Illinois Policy Insitute

Shut Down Government-Sponsored Pear Promotion Shows in China

Courtesy of Sen. Coburn (R-OK)

The Hypocrite-in-Chief Blames Republicans For His Own Decision Not to Negotiate a Budget Deal

As I predicted in yesterday's post, Senate Republicans gave party-line support for the second House bill, this one pushing a 1-year deferral and the next one this evening, eliminating Congressional/White House exemptions from the ObamaCare exchanges.

Obama was, as usual, engaging in partisan rhetoric:

"You don't get to extract a ransom for doing your job, for doing what you're supposed to be doing anyway ... just because there's a law there that you don't like.." The Republicans are shirking  passing budgets and paying the government's bills. Obama said a partial government shutdown — which would start at midnight unless there is an 11th-hour deal — will damage economic recovery and hurt "real people right away".

This is grandstanding, self-contradictory, hyperbolic, polemical nonsense from a so-called "leader" whom argues that it's his way or the highway; he won't negotiate. So let's get this right: he thinks it will "damage the economic recovery" but he's unwilling to forward a single concession to prevent such damage? Obama confuses principled opposition in a divided government with his rubber stamp. For all the mandate he claims in a weak reelection where he got millions fewer votes, the people returned House control to the GOP, and perhaps the biggest issue in their reelection was repeal of ObamaCare. Notice in the clip below Chicago public sector retirees want no part of ObamaCare exchanges courtesy of Mayor Dead Fish:

Chicago News and Weather | FOX 32 News

Reason Nanny of the Month (2013): Starring California (Of Course): Virtual Political Correctness Police Run Amok



Your Grandchildren's Hard-Earned Taxes Going To--End-of-Fiscal-Year Artwork Shopping Sprees?

From the "Use It or Lose Ir" annual end-of-year shopping binge: according to Washpo:

• the Agriculture Department spent $144,000 on toner cartridges
• the Department of Veterans Affairs bought $562,000 worth of artwork; on Monday, VA paid $27,000 for an order of photographs showing sunsets, mountain peaks and country roads. They would go into a new center serving homeless veterans in Los Angeles; [on Tuesday] VA spent another $220,000 on artwork for its hospitals; on Thursday, VA spent $216,000 on artwork for a facility in Florida
• the Coast Guard spent $178,000 on “Cubicle Furniture Rehab.”
• “Twenty-five percent of my business, right, will happen in this month. Twenty-five percent of my year,” said Art Richer, the president of ImmixGroup [federal government contractor]. On Monday, Immix began bringing its sales team three catered meals a day. 

Let us remember some golden oldies:

• In 2010, the Internal Revenue Service had millions left over in an account to hire new personnel. The IRS spent the money on a lavish conference. Which included a “Star Trek” parody video starring IRS managers.
• In 2012, the government spent $45 billion on contracts in the last week of September; 9 percent of the year’s contract spending money, spent in 2 percent of the year.
• [Via government employees:] three years’ worth of staples. Portable generators that never got used. One said the National Guard bought so much ammunition that firing it all became a chore.

How do I feel about federal managers pursuing morally reprehensible spending they would never do in an analogous context of their household budget? See the clip below (as you can tell, as a native Texan, I love my picante sauce/salsa/hot sauce). Now seriously, I know several vets; not one of them ever went to a VA facility to view the artwork... Seriously, folks; there are millions of people out of work, and these bozos are spending confiscated tax money stocking up their inventory with years' worth of office supplies? You already know what I think: these jokers would only need 2 weeks' worth of office supplies if I were President; I would bring my own pink slips to the Oval Office my first day. I would even bring in Donald Trump to throw out the ceremonial first terminated bureaucrat.



Political Cartoon

Courtesy of Michael Ramirez and Townhall

Political Humor

Jay Leno via Patriot Post

Musical Interlude: Motown

Diana Ross and the Supremes, "Love Child"