Author Archives: scottsoapbox

Obama Values ACORN Voter Fraud at $5 Billion

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It’s a good thing Obama denies all of his ties to ACORN… otherwise this would look like a political payoff…

A rising chorus of GOP leaders are protesting that the blockbuster Democratic stimulus package would provide up to a whopping $5.2 billion for ACORN, the left-leaning nonprofit group under federal investigation for massive voter fraud.

Most of the money is secreted away under an item in the now $836 billion package titled “Neighborhood Stabilization Programs.”

Ordinarily, neighborhood stabilization funds are distributed to local governments. But revised language in the stimulus bill would make the funds available directly to non-profit entities such as ACORN, the low-income housing organization whose pro-Democrat voter-registration activities have been blasted by Republicans. ACORN is cited by some for tipping the scales in the Democrats’ favor in November.

According to Fox news, Sen. David Vitter, R-La., could appear to be a “payoff” for community groups’ partisan political activities in the last election cycle….

Regarding the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, Vadum writes in American Spectator: “Although ACORN operatives usually get their hands on such funds only after they have first passed through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development or state and local governments, the new spending bill largely eliminates these dawdling middle men, making it easier to get Uncle Sam’s largess directly into the hands of the same people who run ACORN’s various vote fraud and extortion rackets. And the legislative package provides these funds without the usual prohibition on using government money for lobbying or political activities.”

The charges of partisan political payback appear to be resonating in part due to Obama’s longstanding association with partisan get-out-the-vote operations. He was endorsed by ACORN, and during the campaign paid an ACORN affiliate $832,600 to get-out-the-vote assistance. Early in his career, he led a voter drive for an ACORN-affiliated group called Project Vote. (emphasis added)

Obama Poised To Flub First “Crisis”

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Engadget summed this up nicely:

Shortly after Barack Obama’s transition team urged Congress to postpone the looming digital TV transition, FCC chairman Kevin Martin has hit back with suggestions to keep things on track. His primary concern is that delaying the cutover, which has been scheduled for years and advertised as such, will confuse consumers — and honestly, we think he has a point. If the February 17th changeover date suddenly becomes meaningless, we could definitely see consumer confusion about this whole ordeal hitting an all-time high. Martin was quoted at an interview at CES as saying that “there are options they can do without having to delay to get coupons flowing immediately,” suggesting that extra funding should be hastily given or that those 90-day expiration dates be marked null and void. Additionally, many broadcasters have already scheduled work to take down their analog equipment, and cancellations could be costly and disruptive.

The “crisis” is over an estimated $2 Million backlog of converter box coupons.  While I find it hard to believe that many people simply can’t afford the $40 box to make their TV continue to work (verses $10 w/ coupon), it seems like a small problem.  I mean Obama is spending $140 million on his inauguration but $2M isn’t anywhere to be seen?

UPDATE:  Obama spent $170 Million and now holds the record for the largest temporary toilet even in US history.

Seriously, if Obama’s best solution to a $2M crisis is to kick the can down the road – God help us with impending problems in health care, energy, social security, and others.  The sad part is that hundreds of millions have been spent over the last few years hammering this one specific date and switchover… Why are we going to WASTE all the money and effort to not spend $2M that we are going to go ahead and spend anyway a few months down the road?

Of course at this point it comes as little surprise from the President that is already kicking the can on catching Bin Laden, ending the war in Iraq, reviving the economy, energy independence and just about anything else he promised during the campaign.  It seems his re-election strategy is to push off any problems into the future – so he can fix them in his second term!

Corker Proposes Sanity; UAW Says No Way

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Newly elected Senator Bob Corker attempted to reign in the expenses of the Big 3 to achieve long term stability.  Specifically, Corker proposed bringing the Big 3 labor costs more in line with their competition.  Currently the Big 3 spend $70-75/hr in total compensation of it’s workers.  Honda, Toyota and the like only spend $44-48/hr.  Corker proposed lowering benefits to $62/hr by 2010, but the UAW refused to even split the difference.  And those numbers don’t even account for the 700,000 retirees continuing to receive full pay for zero productivity.  The pension plans of the Big 3 add another $31/hr expense to the balance sheet.

One doesn’t have to be a math wiz to see why there is a problem. In 2007 GM with $104/hr in current and former labor costs sold 9.37 million cars but lost $28 billion.  Meanwhile, Toyota with $48/hr in current and former labor costs made a $17 billion profit selling the same 9.37 million cars.  To put these labor costs in perspective, the national average in the private sector for pay plus benefits is $25-27.

Now I know that a lot of people think its unfair to change the pension for people after the fact, and -well- it is.  Unfortunately, if your pension costs drive the company out of business, your benefits drop to ZERO.  It sucks. It’s unfair.  It’s called life. The fact is that both current and former employees of the big 3 are going to need to cut back on their benefits if the companies are to survive.  Here’s one way to lessen the pain: fire your union.  You could drop your pay by your dues and not even see a difference and they are the ones that got you here in the first place.

The sad fact is that the bailout – in a not sane form will eventually be approved.  Because this bailout is as much about the auto industry as it is about the Union Machine.  If all the union companies fail while nonunion ones profit – people might realize that the days where unions were actually needed ended decades ago.  The only people really benefitting from unions are union officials and Democratic campaigns.  Unions paid in $400 Million to Obama alone.  So even if this doesn’t get approved now – it will next month.

Multiple Kill Vehicles Are Here To Protect Us

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hk-hunting.jpgCheck another box on the judgment day checklist, as the military has successfully completed a hover test for the Multiple Kill Vehicle.  The MKV is a pretty impressive piece of hardware as it can hover and track targets using short burst rocket power.  However it’s name is somewhat unsettling as it is rather close to the Hunter Killer (vehicle) that will hover, track and then kill targets in the not so distant future.  The unlike the HK, the MK tracks and kills long range ballistic missiles not humans – at least so far.  I’ve always suspected that SkyNet got its best ideas from us. (I’m sure the T08 from the video is no way a reference to the T1-8 from the film)