Open Question: Equality

If we were more equal in relation to each other but were less advanced as a society would you still favor more equal?

North Carolina Toll Road: Winning

Earlier this year North Carolina introduced it’s first toll road; a small little connection between147 and 540.  The first segment planned in the loop.  I’ve been in favor of toll roads because I enjoy two aspects:

  1. I like the payment of thing to be given to the user of a thing.
  2. I like that we can impact traffic flow by raising rates during peaks times.

Taxing the use of a road is a much more efficient way of paying for the road than taxing a kid who mows lawns by taxing gasoline.

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Occupy Raleigh: Wherein The Pupil Becomes The Master

Self reflection.  An uncommon ability, to be sure.

I make my way in society by working hard.  I contribute.  I like to think that I go above and beyond.  I give and I give back.  Often.

I understand that even as I benefit from my hard work and sacrifice, I want people to step up and do the same.  If you wanna enjoy the rewards of success, then by gawd, partake of the hardships of the work.

This is the story of the 53%.

And it is delicious irony that the Occupy is just now discovering it.

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Obama’s Recession Recovery: Reagan and Bush

I’m very excited to see the economy continue to strengthen.  I’m happy when folks spend money.  I like seeing my local restaurants have waiting lines of an hour or more.  I enjoy it when people feel optimistic.

However, Obama isn’t driving the recovery; he’s dampening it.  Reagan trounced him and I’m not even normalizing for a smaller work force.  Bush beat him by 40% or so, and again, the economy was smaller then.

Mitt Romney: I Don’t Care About Poor People

Recently Mitt Romney made a statement that many, on both sides, are using to against him.  From the Blue, Romney is being attacked on that comment by having it taken out of context.  The left is going to say that Romney said:

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said on Wednesday that he’s “not concerned about the very poor,”

When in fact he said:

“I’m in this race because I care about Americans. I’m not concerned about the very poor. We have a safety net there. If it needs repair, I’ll fix it,” the Republican front-runner said Wednesday on CNN, following his victory in the Florida primary.

Be that as it may, it’s election politics and the tactic is used by both the Red and the Blue.

But is the statement true?

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Mitt Romney: Vulture Capitalist

Romney is wealthy; hell, he is loaded.  And I think it’s gonna present him some problems:

It seems that this lack of any real financial struggle has made Romney tone-deaf in what he says about people and money. This fault is Romney’s veritable Achilles heel.

Romney has to acknowledge and accept that this charge will be leveled against him.  He has to be prepared for it, plan for it and practice for it.  I think he will.  And there is plenty of good reason for him to defend himself and his occupation:

…the direct employment losses that result from private-equity deals are not as large as critics claim: on average employment declines by only 1% two years after a buy-out, once the jobs created at new facilities are counted. Such shifts in employment are part of the creative destruction that invigorates the economy, and if private equity hurries the process along, that is all to the good. The evidence suggests that it does. Private-equity buy-outs tend to increase productivity—by around 2%, on average, according to one academic study. If firms become more efficient, the economy works better. Resources will be reallocated where they can better be used.

Romney needs to embrace the free market capitalism that Obama attacks.  Romney need to accept the label of capitalist and instead, turn it around and label Obama as the statist that he he is.

There is no shame in taking a corporation that’s struggling and turning it around by, in part, trimming the work force only to hire more productive and able staff in the near future.

Romney needs to celebrate this, not hide from this.

Right To Work: Indiana

We’re in a place where we need to create jobs.  We need to be able to take folks who are on the unemployment rolls and move them to the tax roles.  And to do that, we have got to make hiring someone a better option than not hiring someone.

Employees provide productivity.  They do this in the same way that machines and assembly lines do.  In the exact same manner and means that a company owner will seek out the cheapest source of copper or lumber or wool, she will seek out the cheapest source of labor.

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Capitalism And Greed

With all the talk about corporate greed and abuse and the failings of capitalism, I think it’s important to point out that not everything done in the name of wealth accumulation is “good and great” to the capitalist.  There still is the explicit expectation that law and order rule the day.  That contracts are acknowledged.  That there be enforcement of those contracts.  That property rights exist.  And again, that the protection of those rights is guaranteed by the state.

There are bad actors in capitalism.

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Citizens United

The 2012 election should be interesting.  If for no other reason than to see what the impact of corporations being on equal footing with labor unions and the press.

If, for example, the Teamsters are able to contribute and influence, if, for example, the New York Times can endorse  candidate, why cannot ACME Plumbing do the same?

Case-Shiller Home Price Indices: January 2012

Case-Shiller publishes a home price index on the last Tuesday of the month.  The index measures the price of a three-month moving average and is published with a two month lag.  In January, the report is showing the index for home prices in November 2011.

November saw a continuation of the softening of housing prices.  In only 3 of 20 markets measured did the prices rise, fully 17 of 20 saw a decline.  This continues a trend that started roughly in early summer 2010.

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