Sunday, June 26, 2005

How do you spell "STUPID"?

Wow, another wonderful example of waste in the government. In this case though, its not from the government itself but rather the ridiculous rules put in place here to protect the interests (and wallets) of a few. The article below talks about a US Army Corps of Engineers Dredge Ship that usually sits idly by so that private companies can get the work, without any proven beneift or cost reduction to the taxpayer. It looks like another example of special interests putting money in their own pockets at the expense of the taxpayer. Who would have thought that possible? Only in America!

Here is the story:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050616/ap_on_re_us/idle_ship;_ylt=AoWPK9U18ONfpcXiK5e3W8JG2ocA;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

More on GM

I have to admit that while I knew that one of GM's biggest disadvantages compared to their Japanese competition was health care costs, particularly for the large numbers of retirees they have from an era long since gone in the auto industry, until reading the article linked below from USA Today's website I had no idea that current workers and retirees get free health care. The story describes a guy who had heart bypass surgery costing $160,000 and he only had paid about $500 himself. Damn, I want that kind of health care system. While GM has not said they will end that, you have to think they will push for that when the negotiate with the UAW for a new contract. I imagine the union will fight it anyway, even though they have cheaper coverage than almost everyone else in the country. Retirees are also likely to have to pick up some of the cost soon. With more GM plant closing on the horizon, even though they have not announced which plants will close, you would have to expect more changes and belt tightening at GM.

Here is the link:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2005-06-22-gm-healthcare-usat_x.htm

Website of the week, June week 4

I stumbled across this site the other day and thought I should share it. The site, at the link below, is called the Road to Ruin, and it documents highway projects that it considers wasteful. The site is run by the group Taxpayers for Common Sense. The site lists 27 road projects that it considers a waste. None of them are in the KC area. My favorite is one in Alaska that would spend up to $300 million on a road that has no more than 200,000 cars per year. That is not much more than many major freeways carry in a day! Can you tell the chair of that committee is from Alaska?

Here is the link, you should check it out. I also added the taxpayer for common sense link as well, they are both good sites.

http://www.taxpayer.net/road2ruin/index.htm
http://www.taxpayer.net/

Damn, something stinks here!

An interesting story here that I first learned about on the national tv news a few weeks ago, and now have read a story about it on the net. The link to the story, from AP via Yahoo, discusses a government investigation into California Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham and the sale of his house to the CEO of a company that has recently received a large share of defense contracts. What makes that even more significant is that good ol' "Duke" sits on the House Armed Services subcommittee as well as an intelligence committee, both of which relate to the defense contractor MZM. The above mentioned home sale looks even more fishy considering that MZM's CEO bought the house for $1.65 million and then turned around and sold it a considerable loss for $975,000 in a hot housing market.

Even Sean Hannity would almost have to admit that something stinks here. But wait, it gets even stinkier. Good ol "Duke" lives on a boat registered to MZM while in Washington, and the boat is named "Duke-Stir" after him. MZM and its CEO have also donated $35,000 to Duke and his PAC's since 2000. Hmmm, if it smells like crap, and it looks like crap, then it probably is crap. Even though you probably won't here the conservative talk show hosts talking about it, or if they do they will be on a diatribe about the liberal media or some crap like that. When I saw the original TV news story air, leading Republicans had nothing but praise for good ol Duke. Wonder if they still do now?

Here is the link to the story so you can read for yourself. And who said the government was not for sale. Yikes!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050625/ap_on_go_co/congressman_s_house