Arkady's Thoughts

Unions will be an ongoing subject here at RightCondition because of their paramount importance and their ability to prolong recessions.  From an economic standpoint unions prolong damage by refusing to cooperate on wages and by creating unbearable entitlements for companies.  Wage cooperation is the primary source of frustration because union bosses historically will never negotiate for lower pay even in the face of a contracting economy.  Even though our central bank is trying to inflate and expand our way out of yet another much needed contraction, deflationary pressures are visible throughout the business sector.  When credit dries up, as we have seen recently with banks refusing to lend, due to oversupply of goods (despite federal government trying to intervene), businesses must contract.  An oversupply of merchandise drives prices lower and businesses are forced to curtail production.  By curtailing production they dispose of investments and labor is just another investment.  Th

This is a table of October's financial breakdown.  Top section is the receipts (income via taxes) and lower section is the government spending. Full report available from the Treasury. As you can see, 135 billion was brought in and 311 billion was spent.   October's deficit is now at: 176 billion!!  This is the 5th worst performance this year so far in total debt, 4th worst performance in terms of revenues and 4th worst in terms of outlays. Looking at the numbers, several things jump out. National debt:  We paid out almost 22.8 billion in interest alone!  That is more than we spend on veterans. National defense: We spent 67 billion on national defense.  This has grown too fast and MUST be scaled down.  We need to start closing down bases and seriously contemplate withdrawing from Afghanistan. (20 billion of this on operation/maintenance alone) Social Security:  65 billion. Department of health: 85 billion, although there is about 5-6 billion off budget.  If you lo

You read the title correctly.  One of the most liberal and misguided papers in America reported, not opined, reported on fraud involving job creation with stimulus money.  Somebody pinch me, this cannot be happening.  Have the intoxicating effects of the Kool-Aid begun to wear off or did near bankruptcy jog some reporter's brains?  Either way, this is a refreshing and welcoming article and one that should make any citizen of not only my state, but ALL states to be outraged and upset.  Before we examine the investigation, let me preface by saying that the 787 stimulus package more affectionately known around these parts as screwulus or porkulus was a disaster from the get to.  This is not hindsight talking, but rather common sense.  Many right of center and libertarian bloggers were outraged that the same practices that failed in the Great Depression were being implemented again on such a massive scale.  Our outrage only mounted upon discovering that the bill was crafted for liber