The Fall of Detriot

Time: "Detriot's Beautiful Horrible Decline. Two French photographers immortalize the remains of the motor city on film"

Beautiful, but sad photos.

It is a stark reminder of the long-term effect of corrupt unions, taxes, and heavy regulation on business. Companies either moved out of state, move out of country, or went out of business.

If companies priced in the cost of taxes, regulation, unions, they would not be competitive with products made in Tennessee. Why would a consumer buy the widget made in Detriot for $100, when he could buy the one made in Tennesse for $80?

Even if they could lower prices and break-even, investors would flee. Who's going to invest in a company whose projected rate of return in 0%, when safe T-bills pays at least 4%? How would they raise capital or get loans?

The media is still in the tank for Democrats. Here's the headline off Yahoo from the AP:

Senate Republican holds up jobless benefits

WASHINGTON – As Congress raced to leave Washington for its Easter recess, a Republican senator blocked a stopgap bill to extend jobless benefits, saying its $9 billion cost should not be added to the national debt.

As a result, some people who have been out of work for more than six months will at least temporarily lose benefits. Newly jobless people won't be eligible to sign up for generous health insurance subsidies.

At the center of the battle is Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., who's insisting that the measure be "paid for" so as not to add to the nation's $12.7 trillion debt.

"What we are doing is stealing future opportunity from our children," Coburn said Thursday.

Republicans offered legislation to finance the monthlong extension of jobless benefits by rescinding unspent money from last year's economic stimulus bill. The effort was killed on a party-line vote.

All Coburn wants to do is to have the benefits paid for. Here's how it should read: Senate Democrats Refuse to Fund Benefits Plan

Thoughts on Health Care "Reform"

Where to begin?

First off, my general feeling is that is a big step towards socialized medicine... where government decides who gets covered, medical advances cease, waits for surgery increase, and taxes skyrocket.

With passage of the law, people will have to buy health insurance or pay a fine to the government. At the same time, insurers can't deny people with pre-existing conditions. The fine is much less than the cost of healthcare insurance. What's the downside for someone to pay then fine and then get insurance once they get sick. Insurance works by people paying a small premium to offset the risk that they would need to cover large expenses. You can't call an auto insurance after you get in an accident or get homeowners insurance after your house burns down. Insurance rosters will be made up of a greater percentage of sick people than they have been. As a result, insurance companies will have raise premiums faster than before the law.

Is this naivete on the part of Pelosi and Obama or is it designed to collapse the healthcare insurance companies? If a law was passed that prevents the insurance companies from fiscally surviving, then the government can step in a take them over.

Bart Stupak caved and got his 30 pieces of silver. He got a face saving "executive order" to implement the Hyde Amendment, but it won't trump law.

Stupak and Abortion

The Hill: "Leading a revolt against President Barack Obama’s healthcare legislation over abortion has been a “living hell” for Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.)."

In 50 or 100 years, abortion will be viewed as slavery is today. Those who supported abortion will be viewed as monsters and their legacy will have a big stain on it. Those who bucked the status quo and fought for life, will be hereos.

William Wilberforce wasn't widely lauded in his day.

2010 Census = 17 choices for race plus one for "white"

The Census wants to know three things

1. Name
2. Age
3. Race

Under Race

1. Mexican, Chicano
2. Puerto Rican
3. Cuban
4. Other Hispanic - with space to input the specific origin
5. Black, African American
6. American Indian or Alaskan Native
7. Asian Indian
8. Chinese
9. Fillipino
10. Japanese
11. Korean
12. Vietnamese
13. Native Hawaiian
14. Guamanian or Chamorro
15. Samoan
16. Other Pacific Islander - with space to input the specific origin
17. Other Asian - with space to input the specific origin
18. White

So white people get lumped into one category without distinct. My suggestions:

• Anglo-Saxon,
• Mediterranean,
• Scandinavian,
• Gaulic,
• Slavic,
• Other Caucasian