I have been extremely busy, and haven’t had much time to post.

But lately, I have been thinking:

So many liberal/communistic people are saying that we need to “make everything fair”…”Level the playing field”…”Give everyone the same opportunity”.

Yet I see things differently:

We already have a more or less level playing field. The federal and state governments give everyone a chance to gain a high school education. They give everyone a chance to go to college. Not it isn’t free, but it is possible if you are willing to work. Maybe not a prestigious institution like Harvard r whatever, but a college education is possible for even the poorest American if they are willing to do the work necessary to go. Grants and scholarships are available. In fact, the poorer you are, the more there are available. Everyone gets a chance to go, if they care to. And this can lead to a modicum of success if the degree is a marketable one. People DO have opportunities….they just choose to ignore them most of the time.

The thing is, many people CHOOSE to fail in our society. Yes, luck may play a part, but most people who are poor or who have failed to find what they expected life to be have made bad choices….often over and over again. Drugs, drinking, early motherhood, crime…just plain laziness, these are all factors in success (or not) in life.

Choosing to depend on the government for your livelihood is another reason to not get your expected lot in life.

And, quite often, laziness is the single largest factor. I know of no one who is successful who does not work hard. Most  people who are successful to one degree or another are hard workers. They generally work more than 40 hours per week. They generally make choices that lead to income….I know plumbers and electricians and other tradesmen  in the Midwest who make significantly more than I do….and often they work 70+ hour weeks. They also bring home really good money. And they made good choices that got them to where they are today with hard work and effort.

They also don’t waste their money. They choose to live at or below their income level, and save their money for leaner times. Few have big debt, unless it is debt that they incurred starting their business. And they are trying hard to pay it off.

I have come to the conclusion that poverty (however you choose to define it) is most often due to culture. People are taught by those who raised them to be either successful or not. To live well, and make good choices, or not. To work hard and think for the future, or not.

Some people can learn to be successful despite the culture in which they are raised, and some cannot. Some who are raised to succeed choose not to. .

While some people are  given advantages, we all are given the “level playing field” to succeed….or fail, as we choose. Yes, some are lucky, and some have advantages. But in most other parts of the world, you will seldom rise above the station to which you are born. And I include Europe in that description.

It isn’t others keeping you down, it is generally yourself.

Is the paying field perfectly level? Absolutely not. But it is the most level of anywhere in the world.

Remember, having the right to succeed also means you have the right to fail.

SO people who know are saying that the Healthcare.gov site should have cost 2-5 Million dollars to set up and execute.

We, as taxpayers, spent $634 Million. And they are “fixing it” again

Now, while I am sure that the software and hardware vendor made a profit, this  was not a project for which bids were solicited.

This project was GIVEN to a single vendor with no bidding or other competition…Despite government rules which require a competitive bidding process. (and the contractor was fired by the Canadians a while back for failing to complete a similar project after 3 years of delay)

Which leads me to wonder:

What sort of kickbacks, gifting or ghost-employment happened?

We got a website (after 3 years) that doesn’t work, written and executed with technology that is at least 10 (ten!) years out of date.  So for 126 times the realistic expected cost, we have an unworkable website that uses outdated technology. Even if the experts are wrong by a factor of 5, we still spent 25 times as much as we should have.

Makes ya wonder, don’t it?

Draw your own conclusions.

Seems that the House held a hearing regarding the behavior of the National Park Service over the course of the Government “Shutdown”.

So what?

While the answers given by Director Jarvis may or may not have been lies, the fact is that besides being on the “hot seat” for the stupid behavior of the NPS, what will come of it?

Will he or any of his deputies be fired?
Will steps be taken to see that this sort of BS will never happen again?
Someone sent to bed without supper? 

What, really, have the House lawmakers accomplished?

From where I see, nothing.

And that is, Sadly their record in all of this.

Lots of noise, very little effect.

Proving once again that the GOP has absolutely ZERO guts, Zero principles, and ZERO willingness to stand for anything, the Senate and House will vote for the current proposal to stave off the real hard choices that come with hitting the debt limit.

Further, they will, over time, cave to the DNC and allow the US to continue farther down the path to economic ruin.

And leave us in the same boat they did a while back, looking forward to more and further budget battles when this latest “fix” runs out.

Seems that stopping at a Ranger station and taking a picture is worth $125. 

These peoples names need to be publicized. they have to live somewhere, and their neighbors should be informed as to what who lives near them….in order that they can shun them as they would a pedophile.

One would hope that their local barista would refuse to serve them…their local diner would at best give surly, slow service…

Their community needs to know what kind of assholes are living in their midst so that they can apply some “negative reinforcement”.

NBC news tonight was FULL of stories about the soon to be reached Federal Credit Limit and the coming “default” of the US on its debt and the resultant armageddon which will happen worldwide shortly thereafter…..They suggested that everyone’s mortgage rates would go up, no one would be able to get a loan, etc.

Which is, of course, a lie.

The US may not be able to spend into the future devalue the dollar even further go farther into debt, but no matter what, it is law that the interest and other obligations MUST BE PAID.

And it will. Anyone who states differently is either ignorant of the law or, more likely, is a liar.

There may be severe spending cuts, but the US debt will be paid. Personally, I hope we reach the debt limit and start living on a balanced budget.

New mortgage rates may increase, and new loans may be a bit harder to get and my be more expensive, but old ones won’t increase until the end of their term…

Of course, it is more likely that the GOP will fold and allow a debt limit increase.

Some say that the Feds are gonna cut off EBT/SNAP.

I dunno.

If true, then things might get all…”sporty”. Especially in the higher density “Blue” areas.

I’d take the time to think about that, if I lived in or near such an area.

Then again it might just be disinformation.

But having a plan never hurts.

‘Cause a significant portion of our population will get upset if the free food runs out. They might not behave as you or I would….

If you live in or near Chicago (or the State of Illinois, for that matter), you are generally aware how things work when the Government (State, County, and Local) spend money….

Someone, somewhere, gets a kickback. Usually the person who has the power to grant a contract….often without competitive bids, or that person provides enough information that the vendor of goods or services has inside info to tailor his/her bid to make sure that they are awarded the contract…maybe not in all cases, but in most. Or someones family member is given a “ghost” job that pays way more than the title for that job would suggest.

It is the “Chicago Way”. Been going on for years. There are rules as to how it works and how to do it legally, and most politicians are very careful to not get caught doing anything illegal. They may toe the line, but (with the exception of the past few Governors of Illinois) the line is never crossed.

Now we find out that the contract for the (totally unworkable) Healthcare.Gov website was granted WITHOUT ANY COMPETITIVE BIDDING. (and, likely no oversight either).

Barry matured in politics, tutored by the best Democratic Machine politicians in the area, in Chicago, as did many of his closest advisors…..Draw your own conclusions.

And whoever signed off on it won’t be fired, either. Betcha.

ETA: “I will finally end the abuse of no-bid contracts once and for all,”

S0 the $634 Million dollar Obamacare website still doesn’t work.

But the contractor still got paid, and the government employees responsible for oversight are, somehow, still employed.

Yet the Amazon website, for which people are responsible and who MUST make work in order to KEEP THEIR JOBS works, and works well.  In fact, their entire IT system works, as without it, Amazon would lose millions every minute that it doesn’t.

See for yourself:

You can buy tar HERE

And your choice of feathers from THIS page.

Get ’em now, before the rush. Just sayin’.

Strange how Amazon can get it right and yet those responsible for ObamaCare can’t….