Category: Guest Authors

Corbett Role In Penn State Scandal

Pop Quiz: What’s the relationship between the following two statements which have appeared in recent news articles:

1) “Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett’s national profile rises in the wake of Penn State scandal.”

2) “Tom Corbett has been mentioned as a possible Vice Presidential candidate.”

Strangely,
they are inversely proportional. When one’s profile rises, that’s
typically a good thing. But as the nation learns about some very
disturbing actions of Corbett related to the Penn State scandal, his
Veep chances are plummeting. As a direct result, his chances of ever
being a heartbeat away are between zero and forgetaboutit.

At this rate, he may be lucky just to survive his first term.

Why
the cover-up, and how far up the ladder did it go? Why the lack of
swift action, from not just the University, but from law enforcement?
And how could football — no matter how storied a program — have
risen above the protection of innocent children?

These questions
were supposed to be answered by a thorough and unbiased investigation by
the state Attorney General’s Office. But as more information emerges
on that front, the less faith people have that justice has been — or
will be — served.

Enter Tom Corbett.

For better or
worse, Corbett has been a quiet, behind-the-scenes governor during his
first year in office. Yet he felt compelled to address the state and
national media on the scandal. In doing so, he said more in one press
conference than he had in his entire governorship, despite the fact that
he declined to answer most questions.

Interestingly, Corbett is
wearing three hats. He is the Governor of a state that contributes
millions to Penn State. He is a Penn State Board Trustee who
participated in Board decisions, including the firings of Joe Paterno
and University President Graham Spanier. And most significantly, he is
the former Attorney General who launched the child molestation
investigation of former football coach Jerry Sandusky in 2009.

Corbett has attempted to have the
best of both worlds: national publicity where he touts the virtues of
morality, and a free pass on accountability because of alleged
confidentiality issues. But that tactic has backfired, as the media
spotlight turned on Corbett himself. The more that is learned about
Corbett’s actions — and inactions — regarding the investigation, the
more his credibility tanks.

Consider:

1) It took
substantially longer for the Attorney General’s office to bring charges
against Sandusky than it did for numerous politicians to be indicted in
the Bonusgate corruption probe. Bonusgate was a very complex
investigation involving crafty politicians with the best lawyers money
could buy. Since much of what was being investigated in Bonusgate was
not run-of-the mill illegalities, the investigators had to overcome a
hefty, time-consuming learning curve to understand the subject matter.

So
how can such a complicated investigation come to fruition more quickly
than a black-and-white child rape case? And where is the rule against
making an initial arrest to get the molester off the street — and warn
the public — while continuing to build the case?

Given the
appalling nature of the alleged crimes, and the real possibility that
more young children were molested during the three year investigation,
why did the Attorney General wait so long to make the staffing level as
robust as it should have been from the start?

If the answer is
that resources were limited — sorry, try again. As bad as other
crimes may have been, such as those committed in Bonusgate, no one was
physically hurt and the welfare of children was never an issue. Giving
priority to children who are at risk of rape and molestation is a
no-brainer. But inexplicably, that wasn’t done.

The Governor
continues to defend his actions — scolding those who dare question him
— by stating that it takes time to build such a case and that he
can’t comment further, but three years? That’s an insult to everyone,
especially the victims. Again, you can’t have it both ways,
grandstanding for political points but clamming up when the questions
get tough.

And fair or not, many are now asking if the
investigation was delayed so that Corbett could avoid being the
gubernatorial candidate who took down Joe Paterno and Penn State —
both wildly popular among the hundreds of thousands of alumni living in
the state.

2) This one is simply incomprehensible.

In yet another instance of Corbett finishing what former Democratic Governor Ed Rendell started (others being $20 million of taxpayer money to renovate the Yankees’ AAA stadium, and $42 million to bail out the Philadelphia Shipyard to build ships with no buyers), the Governor personally approved a $3 million taxpayer-funded grant to Sandusky’s Second Mile charity — just four months ago!

That bears repeating. Tom Corbett,
with full knowledge that Sandusky was under investigation for multiple
child rapes, still approved the money to his charity.

How is that possible? And why on earth is the national media not yet running with this?

In
a response that was offensive to any rational person, here’s what his
spokesman said, as reported in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review:

“He
(Corbett) couldn’t block that (grant) from going forward because of
what he knew as attorney general…He couldn’t let on to anyone (including
the governor’s office) what he knew….”

That is so wrong that it begs the question as to the real motivation behind approving the grant.

First,
the fact that so many people had been interviewed by the grand jury
made the investigation anything but a secret. Second, the Harrisburg
Patriot News reported on the grand jury investigation —- in March.
Corbett approved the funds — in July! So not wanting to “let on” was
clearly bogus. The investigation was already well-established in the
public domain.

Secondly, there was an incredibly easy way to deal
with the grant without tipping off anyone: simply strike it. After
all, the budget Corbett signed cut everything else, so a grant to a
charity would have been seen as just another casualty of financial
cutbacks.

Veto the grant (why taxpayers are funding that in the
first place is obscene, but that’s another story) and be done with it.
It should have been that easy. But it didn’t happen.

Why?

Well, consider if the following may have had anything to do with it. According to the sports website Deadspin.com,
past and present board members of the Second Mile, along with their
businesses and families, have donated more than $640,000 to Corbett
since 2003.

That interesting — and massively
significant — point seemed to have slipped the Governor’s mind during
his press conferences. Go figure.

Something is rotten to the
core about how this whole affair has been investigated. It’s time for
the Feds to take the lead role in uncovering the whole truth, and that
includes possibly looking into the Attorney General’s investigation.

It’s
clear the Board of Trustees cannot be counted upon to conduct an
unbiased investigation, nor can the local police, and, sadly, even the
Attorney General’s office. And nothing emanating from the Governor’s
office on this issue can be taken at face value.

In discussing
why Paterno and Spanier were fired, the Governor said, “…the Board lost
confidence in their ability to lead Penn State through this time and
into the future.”

With all the opportunities Tom Corbett has had
to play it straight with the people of Pennsylvania — especially the
victims — on his dealings with the Penn State issue, he hasn’t done
so.

And that has caused an ever-increasing number of people to lose confidence in his ability to lead.

There
is a great scene in the movie The American President where Richard
Dreyfuss suggests that being president “was, to a certain extent, about
character.” And in classic Michael Douglas style, he replies, “I can
tell you, without hesitation, that being President is entirely about
character.”

Well, character isn’t limited to the Oval Office. It
resides in every one of us — and that includes Governors, Trustees,
coaches, police and investigators.

Moving forward, let’s demand that a basic legal and moral principle be followed to the very end:

Fiat justitia ruat caelum —“Let justice be done though the heavens fall.”

The victims deserve no less.

 

Corbett Role In Penn State Scandal

No Means What?

The Roar

No Means What?

On Thursday, November 17th, Congress killed the funds for Obama’s pet project of building  high-speed rails nation wide. Normally, this would end this debate.  Not so with Obama.  This reckless President, who views our Constitution as a mere nuisance rather than what it is, the law of the land, has another card up his sleeve.  It seems that there is substantial money to ensure that work will continue on certain projects.  Sen. Dick Durbin D-Ill, mentioned that “some money will be found to keep Obama’s train program going through the Transportation Department’s TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economy Recovery) program, which makes grants to projects that achieve critical national objectives.”  A 2012 spending bill contains approximately $500 million for the TIGER program.

So, just what did Congress accomplish and to what did the headline “Congress kills high-speed train” refer to?  Since congress holds the purse strings, how does this possibility present itself?  And what precedent does this set when preaching “no means no?”  Along with all his other Constitutional violations, Obama now stashes funds for constitutional (rainy) days.

Seriously, aside from the manipulation of funds, which now seem to lie around for this exact purpose, ala the approximate one hundred billion allocated for the ongoing implementation of Obamacare, defying the January 31st summary judgement which ruled the legislation to be unconstitutional, just how many types of “slush funds” are available for legislative detours?

Now, I must concede that the previously mentioned $100 billion was actually hidden within the thousands of pages which made up the Obamacare bill.  Given that this monetary inclusion is precedent setting and unethical, the question remains, if Congress votes down a piece of legislation, just how is it that a Presidential policy continues while negating a congressional vote?  At what point did money overtake legislation?

Since assuming office, it seems that the current administration “has steered $10.1 billion to high speed rail projects around the country.”  This national need confounds since  the jammed Northeast corridor is where the commuter action is most prevalent.

Many State governments have refused this high-speed rail funding due to the down the road expenses.  Ultimately, this project is just another make work program which adds to the rolls of governmental employment.  All at the taxpayer’s expense.  Buying votes is now a high speed business and one that seems most efficient when circumventing congress.

Jim Bowman, Author of,
This Roar of Ours

Fumo Judge Disgrace To Federal Bench

Fumo Judge Disgrace To Federal Bench 

By Chris Freind

 

Get a hit just one out of three times, and you’re in the Hall of Fame. Get nine out of ten problems right on a math test and you’re a star student. Nail one of the biggest political dirtbags in Pennsylvania history with 100 percent success — gaining convictions on every one of 137 federal counts — and you’re the bad guy. You’re the one who gets roundly reamed out in very public fashion. You’re the one criticized for disregarding the law.

In becoming the new poster boy in the “What the F&*# was he thinking?!” category, United States District Judge Ronald Buckwalter did the unthinkable — again — by giving former State Senator Vince Fumo a Get Out Of Jail (Almost) Free card.

Convicted of charges in 2009, ranging from public corruption to tax offenses, and from fraud to
obstruction of justice, Fumo received the appallingly light sentence of
just 4 ½ years. People routinely get sentenced to a whole lot more for a
whole lot less.

But this Judge, who before the trial was viewed
as somewhat competent, made a series of mistakes after conviction,
including incorrectly reading the sentencing guidelines. So he was
forced by an appeals court to re-sentence Fumo.

Despite the fact that:

A) Every one of the convictions still stood,

Federal sentencing guidelines called for 17 to 22 years,

C) The public and legal community had been outraged at the original lenient punishment, and

D) Fumo showed absolutely no remorse — none —, which the Judge acknowledged,

E)
Buckwalter gave Fumo six more months. That’s not a typo. Not six more
years, which itself would have been woefully inadequate, but six short
months.



Just writing that is enough to make you vomit.

Ronald
Buckwalter is an absolute disgrace to the federal bench, and his
flagrant disregard for justice calls into the question the very nature
of lifetime judicial appointments. There is simply no rational
explanation for his pig-headed decisions regarding Fumo, but making the
sin mortal was chastising the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

That’s like a parent blaming the teacher because his child bombed the test.

The
investigation, which started under then-U.S. Attorney Pat Meehan, was
thorough and professional, without so much as a single black mark. The
investigators brought what they believed to be an iron-clad case against
Fumo, and a jury of Fumo’s peers obviously agreed.

In appealing
Buckwalter’s original sentence, the Office again acted responsibly,
correctly noting Buckwalter’s mistakes, and seeking the only thing that
everyone but Fumo and his dwindling posse wanted: justice.

An
appropriate punishment at the original sentencing should have ended the
Fumo saga, but like the referee who feels compelled to upstage the
players and become the center of attention, Buckwalter seemed to want
the headlines for himself.

Mission accomplished Judge. But at what price?

His
disparagement of the U.S. Attorney’s office without a doubt provided
ammunition for future defendants to argue that they too are the victims
of overzealous, politically-motivated prosecutors. Wittingly or not,
Judge Buckwalter opened a Pandora’s Box that will be very difficult to
close.

In calling the prosecution excessive, Buckwalter stated
that Fumo should not have been charged with so many counts, when in
reality, he could have been charged with more. He even went so far as to
label the prosecution’s efforts “unfair.”

Unfair?



No, the prosecution was more than
fair. They didn’t commit the crimes. Vince Fumo did. What’s patently
unfair is letting him off easy because he was an “effective” legislator
(which, by the way, is one of the biggest myths in all of Harrisburg,
but that’s another story.) and because he was involved in charitable
works.

Excuse us, Judge, but what does that have to do with anything?

You
do the crime, you do the time. It’s that simple. And for the other
factors that may have played a role in leniency, they too should have
been irrelevant.

If, because of poor health, Fumo would have died
in prison if given a longer sentence, so be it. If, because he would
have been a very old man getting out of prison had he gotten the lengthy
punishment he deserved, that’s his problem. No one held a gun to Fumo’s
head to embark on a life of crime.

To give Fumo what is
perceived by most to be special treatment is, in some respects, the
biggest crime of all. Not illegal, of course, as sentencing is at
Buckwalter’s discretion, but criminal in the sense that justice was not
adequately served.

Perhaps more than any other city, Philadelphia
has a reputation for rampant, institutionalized corruption. For
decades, the bad guys always seemed to operate with impunity. From
rigged elections to pols illegally living it up on the taxpayers’ dime,
the perception, rightly so, was that the politically-connected could
operate above the law, and the average Joe got the shaft.

But
then a funny thing happened. After witnessing numerous convictions at
the city, county and state levels, most notable in the Bonusgate
scandal, the public started to believe again. Hope was renewed. Turns
out that the people, through their honest, hard working prosecutors,
were fighting City Hall — and winning.

Faith in truth, justice
and the American way, now restored, hit its pinnacle when Vince Fumo,
once untouchable, was brought back down to Earth, led away in handcuffs.
But when the original sentence was announced, the collective breath of
our society was forcibly expelled, the result of an immense kick to the
gut.

Yet hope remained, if by a delicate thread. It wasn’t over.
Maybe, just maybe, things would be made right, and Vince Fumo would
finally “get his” at the re-sentencing. But as before, the people were
left devastated, angry, and dumbfounded. Somehow, Fumo escaped the fate
he deserved.

And with that, all the goodwill and hope that had
been cautiously accumulating evaporated in a heartbeat. Fool me once,
shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.



The bitter hardness that is
Philadelphia’s attitude just got stiffer. As a direct result of the Fumo
travesty, no longer do folks believe in fairness, but instead have
reverted back to the “they’re all corrupt, they’re all in it together”
mentality. And who can blame them?

No matter how you slice it,
the bad guys came away with the better hand, and the good guys finished
last. Thank you, Judge Buckwalter.

There is no worse death that the end of hope. And more than anything, that’s why Philadelphia is dying.

Case closed.

The Media’s Undoing

The Roar

Used to be, before this “age of information,” the American voter would decide without undo media influence.  Although the selection of candidates were above the periphery of public input, there still existed conventions where surprises lurked.  This uncertainty was most notable with the Goldwater and Reagan nominations.

Back in those days, the media still had a heavy input into the general elections but it was after the fact of the nominations.  Still, they didn’t miss a beat, as was the Goldwater example, when they scared the voters towards their more peace loving LBJ preference.

Today, the voter is presented with a parade of “debates” which is nothing more than a media circus designed to whittle down the candidates to the one they have already anointed.  It’s a process which entails either inciting arguments between the hopefuls, trying to get them to misspeak or flub an answer or overload the questions onto the most inexperienced of that particular field.

As with the most recent Perry flub, not being able to come up with his third cabinet department, which he deemed in need of abolishing, it followed that this one instance disqualified him as a worth while candidate.  All the while, the media’s unmistakeable soft Romney approach suggests that his selection is their priority.

Now, as embarrassing as are the spoken gaffes, once again the media takes a vacation when it comes to Obama’s misspeaks.  And there are sadly too many to replay.  Again, protection of their chosen ones.

As previously detailed, the despicable treatment allotted to Cain, has produced an overdue negative public response with regards to the media’s blatant bias.  This repulsion now seeps into that former granite like hold on public opinion which Rather, Cronkite and Jennings relished.

This didn’t happen overnight.  One remnant from Obama’s 2008 election was the public’s perception that his success was due in part from his preferential media treatment.  This impression is hardly debatable given the questioning of McCain’s qualification to be President, due to his birth outside of our Country verses the complete pass given to Obama.

Another lesson learned was the manner in which the media continued their anti-Palin attack during the post election years.  In short, there are ample examples that serve and strengthen this growing distrust for media authority.  The recent boos directed to the moderator’s revisiting of the Cain controversy provides ample proof to a hand which the media over played.

For as long a I can recall, it’s always been referred to as “the liberal media.”  Their bias could be found from day to day and it was largely accepted to a degree.  However, that slant for interpreting has since morphed into witch hunts which at times, employs varying degrees of calumny.  It is this tactic which has caused their disfavor and rightly so.  If running for our Presidency includes unsubstantiated questioning to one’s reputation, well then, our Republic will truly become that fearful entity known as a democracy.

Jim Bowman, Author of,
This Roar of Ours

Gleason No Cause To Smile

Gleason No Cause To Smile
By Bob Guzzardi


Pennsylvania Republican State Committee Chair Rob Gleason is taking credit for Anne Covey’s election to Commonwealth Court and Republicans taking control of 12 county courthouses.  He is taking credit for wins that are not his and blaming others for losses which are and gets away with it.  Rob Gleason profits from his politics. Why should he not smile?

Let us look at some details omitted by Chairperson Gleason and let us look at Montgomery County where Rob Gleason played a large role losing, with one exception (fn 2 below)  and Lehigh County where he played no role in general election win and a losing role in primary loss by his candidate, Dean Browning.

Lehigh County, which Chairman Gleason failed to mention and where Democrats out register Republicans by a substantial margin, Republican swept 4 for 4 on County Board of Commissioners changing a 5 to 4 shaky Majority (which had included Rob Gleason supported Dean Browning who broke ranks with other Republicans to enable a 16% Democratic Tax Increase and then lost in the primary) to a 7-2 Majority of reliable fiscal common sense Republicans. Scott Ott analyzes his opposition to Cunningham-Browning 16% Tax Increase.

Fiscal common sense MyLehigh Republican Glen Eckhart , in a surprise win, defeated Democratic incumbent for County Controller 53-47 for the first time in long memory.
County Judicial candidate Republican Doug Reichley, supported by MyLehigh,  also won his election. ( In MontCo, The two Republican County Judicial candidates lost by significant margins.)

Rob Gleason played no role whatsoever in general election after his disastrous intervention on behalf of loser Dean Browning in the primary. Perhaps this is why Lehigh County’s stunning turnaround from weak fiscal common sense to solid fiscal common sense Majority is not mentioned by State Committee Chair.

Rob Gleason invested time, money and resources in MontCo which went Democratic for the first time in 140 years. The Rs, also, lost the judicial races and both Vic Stabile and Anne Covey lost in MontCo.

Rob Gleason’s magic touch was, also, inversely evident in Lehigh County’s primary where, below the radar, he backed an incumbent Republican sell-out Dean Browning who voted for a 16% tax hike proposed by Union Democrat County Executive Don Cunningham.
The “MyLehigh” team ran on a simple and consistent fiscal common sense message of opposition to that tax hike and took three of the four seats. The fourth seat went to Republican Brad Osborne ran on a record of fiscal common sense as South Whitehall Township Commissioner.

Party Chairman Wayne Woodman, who does not profit financially from his political work and, in fact, contributes significant amounts of his own money to Republican Party and candidates gets no credit from the county chair, perhaps, a petty payback for defeating Rob Gleason’s candidate.
This was an open primary where the Republican base chose its candidates without endorsement or manipulation from the top. As a result, the base was invested in these candidates, MyLehigh’s Scott Ott, Lisa Scheller and Vic Mazziotti as well as Brad Osborne.

In the general, the My Lehigh Team hammered the message of rolling back the Democratic Tax Increase while the Republican Osborne stressed his “no new tax” record over 7 years as South Whitehall Township Commissioner.

Does Winner Wayne feel bad that he “don’t get no respect” from loser Rob?

Fyi Wayne and I went to the same charm school. I graduated with honors and Wayne made Dean’s list. Lesson Learned: a consistent, clear message of fiscal common sense delivered by credible candidates with a voter base invested in their political success wins. Ego driven personalities (I think you all know to whom I refer ) fracture party unity with their self-centered focus on themselves and not the message or the team as MontCo Row Offices can attest. MCRC Chair did nothing, except take candidate money.

A budding new leadership will be meeting soon and I expect will be adopting the Lehigh County Republican Model.

Notes:
1 Statewide  Republican Commonwealth Court Candidate the well-qualified and highly competent, team player and not a hack Anne Covey  won over Democratic Leftist Kathryn Boockvar 52.4 versus 47.6 while Rob Gleason’s hand picked hack, Vic Stabile, lost 54.6 v. 45.5 to Trial Lawyer financed David Wecht.

In MontCo, both Anne Covey and Vic Stabile lost by significant margins and won in Lehigh County by significant margins: In MontCo, Democrat Wecht 52.3 to Stabile 47.7 where as in Lehigh County Democrat David Wecht lost to Republican Stabile 47.7 to 52.3 and in MontCo Democrat Boockvar defeated Republican Covey 50.9 to 49.3 whereas in Lehigh County,  Democrat Boockvar lost to Republican Covey 45.9 to 54.1

In MontCo, both county judicial candidates lost by substantial margins while in Lehigh County the judicial candidate won by substantial margin.

 

Gleason No Cause To Smile

Free What?


Free What?

If questions still linger about our free press,  they have all been answered through this slanderous media lynching of Herman Cain.  Whether one is Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative, America must finally recognize that along with education, our news and informational sources are now in the governmental tank!

War used to be truth’s most feared adversary.  Senator Hiram Johnson, way back in 1917 said, “The first casualty when war comes is truth.”  This became the subject for Phillip Knightley’s extensive essay entitled The First Casualty.  I mention this solely for the need to prioritize the need for truth’s essential worth in reporting the news.

During the days since my last presentation, where I tried to make light of an anonymous question of  “gesturing,” news reports have upped the ante for Presidential campaigning.  Now, we have a face and a name, along with unpleasant charges from supposedly a quid pro quo offering by candidate Cain.  While reports center upon this unsubstantiated charge, many questions remain ignored by our army of investigative reporters.

As a curious bystander intent upon maintaining election integrity, bells and whistles chimed for me with the accuser’s hometown of Chi-town.  What a coincidence!  Also, it seems that Ms. Bialek imitates our federal government’s spending habits as she seems to live at a level not commensurate with her income.  This, along with her fickle work record and her 1991 personal bankruptcy action, should arouse curiosity as to her current living quarters being in the same building as Mr. Axelrod, of the Obama Administration.

After failing to ignite a public condemnation from charges of improper or harassing “gesturing,” our media sleuths have now located Ms. Bialek, after fourteen years, who now feels the need to set the record straight and be desirous of a confessing Mr. Cain.  Ms. Bailek’s ability to quell her nagging conscience for those fourteen years is remarkable in itself.  I remain curious as to just what caused her sudden reformation?

Ms. Bialek asks America to believe that based upon some previous and inconsequential meeting, she flew to Washington and reserved accommodations in the hopes of contacting Mr. Cain for possible employment?  This, on the surface, seems to be an expensive long shot.

Her description of what took place combines fantasy and romanticism into a well rehearsed presentation which just doesn’t quite jive with reality.  Her version relates that Mr. Cain “upgraded” her room to that of a suite and that they enjoyed drinks prior to going to another location for dinner.  Excuse me but if all this were true, and given that Ms. Bialek is not some naive school girl, either she is a fabricator or she is an extreme fabricator.  Who in their right mind would go to dinner with the expectation that the evening would end after desert?

Given Ms. Bialek’s background, from both a financial and personal perspective, possibilities abound that notoriety and some future payday may play heavily into her sudden need for Mr. Cain’s accounting.  Despite all these circumstances and inconsistencies, how is it that not one media pundit hesitated with their anti-Cain venom?  It now seems that the pedestal reserved for Ms. Bialek is all for the ruination of America’s first black conservative presidential candidate, pure and simple.

Our nation’s media sources and individual talking heads have shown their intentions and exhibited a vendetta styled assault upon what many view as Obama’s most serious threat.  Obviously, this comes from Mr. Cain’s equal racial footing and subsequent appeal to the black voter.

While this type of journalism may well define the demise of what was a “free press,”  it is the typical American reader and  audience viewer who needs to recognize this for what it is.  If not, then we have truly lost our desire and need for seeking truth.  All without having a war to fight.

Jim Bowman, Author of

This Roar of Ours

Euro Debt Crisis? Not Greek To Me

Euro Debt Crisis? Not Greek To Me

 

The writing is on the wall, and it is anything but Greek.

Greece. What a country!

From being the cradle of democracy to leadership in modern security (allowing stray dogs to sleep atop airport x-ray machines – no joke), from novel solutions to reduce speeding (traffic lights are routinely ignored, resulting in a seven miles-per-hour average speed in Athens) to having a good old-fashioned rivalry (hating the Turks), there’s something for everyone in Greece.

Topping it all, the legendary Greek work
ethic (clock in, coffee, siesta, set up construction cones, break,
coffee, siesta, lunch, siesta, ouzo, siesta, afternoon break, double
shot ouzo, siesta, remove construction cones, baklava (with ouzo),
siesta, clock out) has resulted in Greece being the catalyst for the
coming Dark Age. Far be it for anyone to suggest increasing retirement
age to something beyond what seems like 37.

Pay no attention that those asking for commonsense reforms are the ones footing the bill for that lavish lifestyle.

Because
of runaway spending and immense entitlements bestowed upon Greek civil
service workers, the government had a problem. The Piper finally came,
but there was no more money.

So the European Union (EU)
braintrust decided to bail out Greece, a combination of increasing the
money supply (contributing to inflation) and using OPM (Other People’s
Money).

And in return for the sacrifice others made for the
“greater good” (such as the request to forgive 50 percent of Greece’s
debt), what was asked of that nation? Reforms that would, in theory, get
Greece back on solid financial footing, if that is possible for a
nation whose debt exceeds an unfathomable 180 percent of its GDP.

The bailout was made, with self-congratulating, albeit clueless, Euro-technocrats preaching that all would be well.

And
things were great, at least in Greece, as the message of austerity was
received loud and clear, with a wink. Translation: “we’ll just continue
with Business As Usual.”

However, as any fifth grader could have
deduced, the Greeks ran out of money –  again and again and again. Not
willing to cut their losses, the EU did exactly what Greece knew it
would – open up its coffers, again and again and again.

We are on the sixth installment of the bailout, still predicated on austerity measures that simply aren’t happening.

And are the Greek politicians enacting unpopular but necessary reforms to avoid default?

Uhhh…put
it this way. Predicting Kim Kardashian would be divorced after only two
months was a better bet than thinking the Greeks would do the right
thing.

The latest development, mistakenly called a “bombshell”
but an obvious next step to all but the Euro-Geniuses, was the decision
to pass the buck by calling for a referendum on austerity measures.

So
the Greeks, who have been rioting because they don’t want the party to
end, are now being asked to voluntarily turn off the free-money spigot.
Sure they will.

To be fair, the vote won’t be unanimous. There are probably 30 Turkish expats who will vote Yes just for spite.

Oh to be Greek!

The
European Financial Stability Facility (a great oxymoron) and Central
Bank continue their insane polices of bailouts and bond-buying
initiatives. Portugal and Ireland have also received bailouts that
haven’t worked, so more money will be heading their way.

The big boys of Italy and Spain are next, and their financial needs are exponentially greater than the other nations combined.

The
most significant, yet least discussed, issue in this debacle is that no
one is offering solutions. Instead, they are merely buying time so that
the can is kicked down the road again, praying the implosion occurs on
someone else’s watch. Throw more imaginary money at the problem, say the
right things to keep sheep-like investors duped, and don’t get caught
holding the bag.

 

That has worked for decades, but too many
fundamental economic principles have been violated to keep the Piper at
bay much longer. The Ponzi scheme of socialist-leaning Western economies
is quickly approaching implosion status, and when it blows, the Great
Depression will look like a walk in the park. That’s what happens when
socialism and laziness trump free markets and personal initiative.

The
referendum is being labeled a high-stakes gamble, with Prime Minister
George Papandreou betting the Europeans are in so deep that even if
austerity is rejected, bailouts will continue. Default, we are told, is
far worse.

But the truth, which no one seems willing to admit, is
what transpires in Greece doesn’t matter. Given the complete lack of
will in America and Europe (and the absence of an even basic
understanding of economic principles), an unprecedented crash and
massive social unrest is inevitable.

That is the reality grounded in cold, hard facts.

Ultimately, even Bernie Madoff was forced to confess to a Ponzi scheme. When will reality force our leaders to do the same?

 

 

Euro Debt Crisis? Not Greek To Me

Sensitized Education


The Roar

The media’s investigative hound dogs are into a suspicion which they believe could end a black conservative’s Presidential quest.  Ironically, this mad dash to commit journalistic assassination completely ignores the fact that this entire fiasco is based on a whimsical allegation which, even those at Politico are not quite sure of just what it entails.  It’s the old “see if it sticks” reporting.

Recently, syndicated journalist Kathleen Parker provided just what a clear thinking analysis could achieve when political vendettas are left outside the mix.  In today’s column, Ms. Parker writes, “To Cain’s generation (age 65), a casual remark about someone’s appearance is often viewed as a gesture of friendliness.  To someone younger, who has been versed in the catechism of sexual harassment, it could be viewed as hostile or at least inappropriate.”

I think Ms. Parker has summed up this entire “grabbing at straws” attempt to derail what may very well become the first successful black conservative Presidential candidate.  And once again, it comes down to our old but reliable nemesis of “education.”  Think about it folks.  Just what  has become grounds for “sexual” harassment in our own environs?

I’ll be perfectly frank in that I am a member of Mr. Cain’s generation.  I now reminisce for the days when whistles resulted in a wave, even accompanied with a smile?  Not in every instance but certainly in many and without any thought to being harassed.  One could actually compliment a young lady as to her great looking legs (prior to this unisex pant suit fad) without fear of rebuke.  Has society become so minutely sensitized that casual compliments are now taboo?

Ultimately, this entire harassment charade, and Mr. Cain is just its latest target, is a wee bit hypocritical when given the allurements of summertime bikini briefs.  Instead of attempting this “high tech hanging” (Justice Clarence Thomas’ words), maybe our astute and truth seeking journalists should determine just who it doing the harassing when the office outfits are shelved for a week-end at the beach!

Jim Bowman
Author of,
This Roar of Ours

Insults from on High

                                                                         The Roar

I am a patient man with what I consider to be a modicum of intelligence.  As such, our current President seems to have an unusual but consistent manner which infuriates, embarrasses and insults.  When lumped together with his second in command, these impressions become magnified greatly.  I’ll graciously give Biden a pass since his jobs requirements and subsequent laughable performance is thankfully a non factor.

Not so for the “can’t wait for Congress” President.  Nearing his three year mark and after receiving the public’s trust and expectation for addressing policy ills, his track record is abysmal.  He has infuriated as his promises for exiting the Middle East was put on hold.  Now, with next year’s election looming and his poll numbers in the tank, he deems abandoning Iraq, at a most inopportune moment, an appropriate and viable decision.

His actions and mannerisms leave much to be desired if Presidential decorum is still a worthy trait.  His gait is one to be found in a youthful jive setting.  His lack of self control uncovered another level to his unique Presidential style when kicking a closed door open after leaving what seemed to be a  briefing of some sorts.  And need one harken back to the embarrassing photo of the First couple saluting with their hands over their heart?  Can any Obama supporter explain why our commander in chief is clueless to a rudimentary grade school function?

Remember our embarrassment when President Obama felt the need to knell when confronting foreign heads of state?  This, aside from committing a grave injustice to the office, was not the actions of a leader.  This was so out of sorts to proper and established American protocol that it presented an air of being intentional.

Lastly, Obama has obviously kicked off his own campaign season, by preaching at his favorite niche for support, the college campuses.  Once again this gifted community organizer reverts back to his tactics of creating unrest as he instinctively “talks down” to his youthful supporters.  He  even seems to roll up his sleeves in an attempt to “get down.”  The only glitch is that his “get down” presentation is to the excessively educated who themselves tend to “look down.”

Those of us who have worked for a living while raising families and who have eventually severed the mortgage strings are aghast at such a performance.  This man has indeed transformed America but in doing so, he has also awakened both sides of the political aisle.  His record of instituting purely socialistic policies, along with his rude and arrogant style of conduct and iron fist, “can’t wait for Congress” approach, has become a unifier in opposition to the love, trust and adoration which brought Obama to our White House.

Similar to his record, there is little to defend as his current campaign mode is to amass votes in whatever manner available.  His ploy for buying votes with student loan relief substantiates this reckless “the end justifies the means” philosophy.  These are tactics learned early and carried throughout his life.  As such, he may well be too entrenched at playing the organizer than to act Presidential.

Jim Bowman
Author of,
This Roar of Ours

Missing the Mark

                                                                             The Roar

And here I thought we were supposed to select the best Republican alternative for a showdown with Obama in November, 2012.  First, it seems that the political world, coupled with the mighty news networks, have taken a page out of the sport’s play-off system as republican “debates” have now become  an endless, boring, and unproductive bit of chatter.

“Debates” may also center upon a single issue, such as the economy or the immigration travesty. In addition, the moderators often attempt to instigate, through their style of questioning, a feisty yelling match, which we just all so recently experienced between Perry and Romney.  Eventually, the notion begins to form that bickering and accusations are not the grist for choosing a Presidential candidate.

What is usually given a pass, by both the manner of questioning and the ensuing mudslinging, is the disastrous record that Obama has amassed.  More often than not, these forums are conducted by members of the press who are uniformly pro-Obama.  As a rule, the queries are directed to one candidate’s opinion verses another leaving Obama no where in sight or thought.

As mentioned, these are the months leading up to our selection of a presidential candidate.  The obvious shifting away from scrutinizing the present administration’s policies verses what each candidate has to offer for a solution is both disingenuous and misleading.  And all the candidates, with the possible exception of Newt Gingrich, are only too eager to degrade or attack their fellow Republicans.

The future voter in 2012 should be repelled by such antics.  During the debate intervals, whoever is deemed the most recent winner or leader in the polls becomes the subject for ridicule and even personal attacks by our nation’s media.  It’s a sort of political version of the old time “king of the mountain” game.  Whoever holds the high ground become the target for throwing down the hill.  It was fun when young but it has no relevance within discussions leading to possible leadership

We all agree that this coming election will not only be crucial but already is quite different in that the consensus is, whoever wins the Republican nomination will probably win the White House.  This is reason why so many entered and still remain.  But, how admirable are these candidates when they eagerly respond to such back ally tactics?

Moments of leadership and coolness under fire have briefly flashed yet this instinctive quality remains generally under wraps.  What has been presented is a mantra of me, me, and more me.  This display is part and parcel of what is ailing our general society.

Above all, these self preservative attitudes and styles are missing the point.  The calling of a President should first answer our Country’s call and that is to tend to the betterment of our Nation.  Lord knows this is now of crucial importance.  First and always come our United States.  This is paramount to the White House, to all lesser held offices and all the way down the the soldier in the foxhole.  And it’s that soldier, mired in mud, that is often the most loyal to his sworn oath of duty.  Could it be that our search and selection process for leadership is in the wrong arena?

Jim Bowman
Author of
This Roar of Ours