On the Contrary

There were a few gems this week that for those paying attention, announce little nuggets of wisdom.  Too bad no one is listening:

• The New York Times editorialized about big engine cars that the minor three are putting out there which may end up to be big sellers and help their bottom line, but will not help us in fighting climate change or our addiction to big oil.  The little nugget of wisdom?  Here once again, because gas prices are down, short term thinking is supreme and the market place really does work, but only in the short term.  If the government had the nerve to raise gasoline to $4/gallon (half of most European nations) then the American public would start making smart choices for our future, and we would not get “blind sided” when oil prices go out of sight again.  Oh, I know, that is big brother thinking.  We ought to be allowed to fall on our asses and fail as a country in the name of freedom in the market place (Mind Over Muscle).  Doesn’t someone have to do long term thinking?

• Only one Republican (Lindsey Graham to his credit) on the Judicial Committee voted for Sonia Sotomayor.  It would seem that their point was that they are standing up for white men, the strategy they used so successfully in the South to represent veiled racism.  But one has to wonder what they are thinking when the party of white men cannot win in a Presidential election as we become a diverse culture.  Maybe they don’t care as long as it can effect local elections that have been gerrymandered to insure their success as long as they are faithful to this ignorant white base.  When I see these kinds of moves by the Republicans, I hope they may really be an endangered species (Senate Panel Endorses Sotomayor).

• In California, Governor Schwarzenegger signed the budget “compromise”, but line item vetoed items that were agreed to in order to get agreement on this poorly crafted billed.  Bottom line was that the minority Republicans won big time by cutting everything and no plans for additional revenue for needed programs.  After this debacle, I doubt very seriously that the Democrats will come to the table and work with Republicans ever again.  That means that as things get worse in 2009 and 2010 and another “fix” is required, government will be totally stalemated.  That also means we fix both the state constitution and get rid of the 2/3 requirement for budget approval or we are looking at a failed state.  My bet is on the later.  Like so many other things that are facing us (health care reform, climate change, banking system out of control), until the consequences are dire, the status quo will have its way and the road chosen will be the easy one (Slimmed, Signed – But Still Shakey).

• In a related story to the above, the Republicans have started a campaign about how a single payer health care plan will kill the elderly, from delay in treatments to the more nefarious idea that rationing will allow the government to just let them die as being no longer useful to society.  One has to really laugh at this one.  When Governor Schwarzenegger signed the California State Budget, he cut $80 million for counties to investigate child abuse, $110 million for medical services to the needy, $263 million from in-home supportive services, and I could go on.  Which do you think is going to kill more people (Media Matters)?  By the way, and of course no one is asking, does anyone notice that the rest of the industrialized world seems not to have this problem?

• A new poll came out Wednesday that showed that a majority of Americans disapprove of the Presidents handling of the health care issue.  I have no idea what this means since we have no idea what is in it and what we will finally see.  For my own part I am very unhappy with the way he has handled it because I don’t think he has stood up for what will work instead of letting the bought and paid for Congress create something worthless to maintain the status quo with the health industry.  I hope the lesson he takes from this is that he now needs to get behind a specific plan and fight for it.  If anyone could finally debunk the Republican and Health Industry smoke screen, he can.

• Finally in another related story to the California budget, a recent survey has found that in eight cities the prices of houses was up.  Now for many who think this crisis is over, that is as far as they will read, but the article does point out that this may be speculator buying and with a further increase in unemployment, things will begin to fall again.  Really?  You think so?  That to me is the obvious.  If you look at the California crisis, and it has to be somewhat the same throughout most of the nation, the California government took $24 billion out of the economy negating anything the stimulus package from Washington might have helped.  Those who are cheering on these massive cuts will soon find out that the ripple effect is going to hurt them badly with decreased business and unemployment.  The housing crisis has a long way to go before it gets better.  This is not some blip on the business cycle.  It is a wake up call that we need to restructure our economy.  But things aren’t bad enough yet for most to listen.  It is the other guy’s fault because he is wasteful.  Reality is about to come home to roost (Recovery Signs in Housing Market Stir Some Hope).

Well you get the drift on where I stand and it is somewhat pessimistic.  I don’t think we can ever resume business as usual and we are at a major turning point.  I just don’t think people are threatened enough to make the hard choices for change as evidenced by the failure of health care reform, the climate bill, the watered down stimulus package, failure to regulate the banks, deal with the mortgage crisis, or any of the other hard choices we have to make.  But if I am right, they will be.  The next several years are going to be very tough.  I hope I am wrong cause eventually I need to retire.