Government Intrusion

The US Government has no business getting into business.  Intrusion into American businesses can only hurt business and as a result hurt employment.  This country was founded on principals of free enterprise and is one of the things that make this country great.  As a self employed person, I really just want the government to get out of my way.  Give me a level playing field so that I can compete and others have no unfair advantage and that is OK with me.  This idea of controlling GM, taking shares away from stockholders and giving over control to the unions is a very bad idea.  This is not the Socialist States of America.  Unions have essentially sucked the tit dry and now they are going to cannibalize the body that supports them...won't work.  Let forward looking businessmen take a shot at the helm without union and government interference and maybe GM has a chance.  As it is, it is a recipe for disaster.

The American taxpayer will be left holding the bag and paying for more government intrusion.  That is really Un-American in and of itsself.  I really believe that given the chance, Americans can design, build, and compete on the global level, but not with government interference.  We can come out of this recession smelling like a rose if the Government will let us.  Stabilize the banks, let prudence be our guide, live responsibly and ethically, and let good ol American ingenuity take over.  We can do this.  Socialism never has worked and never will.

Smoke on the Mountain

Suzann and I recently spent a couple of days down in the Smokies for some R&R.  It was great. The weather was iffy...rain and sun mix...but overall it was a good break.  Saw four bears with one mama and two cubs.  Wildflowers were blooming and streams were running clear and cold.  The rain and clouds gave the mountains their characteristic "smoke" as seen above.  Trouble is...I want more...so I am planning a little backpack trip very soon with my son.

The smoke on the mountain reminds me of the old saying:  Where there is smoke...there is fire.  And I think I am seeing some smoke on the horizon coming out of Washington.  What is really disturbing is the efforts of the far left to stifle free speech on radio in the disguise of "fairness".  The left-wingers can't find enough financial supporters to buy the time on their own or to make their radio shows profitable... so now they want to silence the traditional conservatives to allow room for their socialistic dogma and leftist propaganda.  

It's like the story of the frog being thrown into boiling water...he jumps right out...but put the frog into nice cool water and gradually raise the temp...the frog doesn't detect the change until it is too late and he is one dead boiled frog...Well, I don't want to be the boiled frog, so I am jumping now...hope you guys start jumping too.

Another thing that concerns me is the NAIS program that is being bandied about to place IDs on all livestock in America so that in the event you have an outbreak of something like Mad Cow Disease, the animal can be tracked...don't believe the rhetoric...Cattle farmers already have a good solution...it's called the old fashioned branding...Farmers do not need more government intervention and regulation...American beef is the healthiest on the planet...further regulation could seriously hurt the farmer...one of the things they are talking about is requiring documentation everytime the animal leaves the farm...how are the 4Hers and FFA kids going to be able to show their animals at the fair, etc.???? And how about other things like...horses...going on a trail ride??? Well...seems like to me we need less government intervention and not more.

Well that's it for now...keep watching that smoke on the mountain.