Last questions of 2008 for my pals in the media!

Why have none of you asked Governor Mitch Daniels one simple question. Mr. Governor can you explain how Indiana went from the most wonderfully cash rich, job rich, everything is great state on November 3rd, 2008 (remember the Mitchie Commercials) to where we are today?

And don't give me the crap about how much better shape we are in then MI, IL OH etc as we were also in better shape then those states when Governor Kernan was in office and let's see how did Mitch put it when their tax estimates came in low? "I am not saying they are bad people just bad at governing".

The other day when I heard they closed the "Toll Road" they interviewed an Indiana State Trooper on the Toll Road and said he nor the INDOT snow plows could get to people. Here is another question......how does that lease work, are those guys paying the state for police and snow plow service? I would like to know the answer to that.

Now overall I think Mitch Daniels is a pretty good guy and a pretty decent Governor and a damn good leader but I think it's time some of you media folks need to ask some questions. Or are you all afraid of the Mitch machine? Abdul?

Ok that is it for this disaster of a year that 2008 has been for the business world. I am not even going to get into that.

Ok we are off to Vegas to celebrate some guy's birthday.......HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME....


Peace Dude!

Economic Stimulus!

Well I am not in favor of our economic stimulus of the dead beats running many of our public companies as you know if you have read my blog. Many of these companies should be shut down or at least they should file Bankruptcy and replace their management and many of their past decisions. And yes that would include a redesign of the union agreements.



I believe that the only way our economy will turn around is to stimulate the citizens so they can start spending again. The best way to do that is a federal income tax holiday for January and February. So get it done.



In the meantime we are off to stimulate the economy in our own way. We are off to? Well you tell me............

PEACE DUDE!

Merry Christmas to all!

Have a safe and Merry Christmas, Happy Hanuka and a Happy New Year.

Peace Dude!

So when are we going to get organized?

Another article telling us how many people in the US have a disability. If you add to this list mother, father, brother and sister you have a block large enough to control policy in this country. But we can never seem to get on the same page to accomplish much. With all the budget constraints going on are we going to allow services to individuals with disabilities to be cut before other items? Are we going to allow people with disabilities to have their jobs cut first?

Or is now the time to work together as a group? I think it is!

Peace Dude!

MSNBC.com

Census: More than 54 million disabled in U.S.

Report finds only 46 percent of adults with a disability are employed
Reuters
updated 8:54 a.m. ET, Fri., Dec. 19, 200

WASHINGTON - More than 54 million U.S. residents, or about 19 percent of the population, have some sort of disability, the U.S. Census Bureau reported.

The numbers, based on 2005 data, are up slightly from the 2002 survey when 51.2 million people or 18 percent reported a disability, the census found Thursday.

About 46 percent of adults aged 21 to 64 with a disability were employed, compared with 84 percent of adults without disabilities, the survey found.

It also found that:

7.8 percent of people aged 15 and older had difficulty hearing a normal conversation, including 1 million completely deaf people.

3.3 million people, or 1 percent of those aged 15 and older, used a wheelchair or a similar device.

Nearly 7.8 million people aged 15 and older had difficulty seeing words or letters, including 1.8 million who were completely blind.

More than 16 million people had difficulty with cognitive, mental or emotional functioning.
People with a severe disability earned $1,458 a month on average compared to $2,539 for those with no disability.

4.7 million children aged 6 to 14, or 13 percent, had a disability, mostly a problem doing regular schoolwork.

Copyright 2008 Reuters. Click for restrictions.

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28311124/

I thought this was worth reposting!

A site I frequent is "Contrarian Advisor". I don't know this gentleman but he sure seems to know what he posts about.

I thought his article today confirms some of my thoughts pretty well. So indstead of writing my own thoughts I thought I would share his.

Peace Dude!

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

BROTHER HAVE YOU HEARD THE NEWS?
Fed cuts to ground zero, says "we'll buy anything", wild buying on Wall street ......VIX falls to 52 but hangs above 50 ish support. SRS plummets 20% (SHORT REAL ESTATE! ) homebuilders soar.....shorts scatter like bugs.but why can't I find any cheer here? why? Because prices are falling like it's 1930. Interest rates on long bond are at lowest level since?maybe ever....FED funds rate at level NEVER seen before at basically ZERO....."will use all measures at our disposal"They created current fiasco buy lowering rates to 1% during last Bear Market and now are going to fix everything and pump it back up by lowering them even further?So those who didnt get the money to borrow will now be able to do so or wnat to?BBY beats numbers but cuts capex by 50% ! I feel like the f'ing Grinch here.....Bussiness for lots of us is at a standstill. My own levels of business are CUT IN HALF from just one year ago and I see NO light at end of tunnel....just the train.What am I going to do? CUT OVERHEAD, CUT SPENDING....that's coming outta somebody's pocket.In this environment you gonna run out and buy a car or home? f no....and prices are FALLING if you wait....even further that's DEFLATION! Yet no one who has put fuel surcharge on me has taken it off and all those price increases from last year are still there.Today's move by the FED is pure DESPERATION, they are puking hairballs I dont care what they say.This I dont believe is the start of a new BULL MKT, and sure sometimes you have to just forget about fundamentals and go with the flow.When this flow stops, you dont want to be long. DAY after FED usually reverses course, have a great tomorrow and upcoming holidays....kiss your kids, tell all you love them....you are rich if you have that and your health, all else bets are off!

Zietgiest

If you want to understand a little more about what is going on in our economy this is an interesting movie.

ZietGiest The Movie

Peace Dude!

Things I don't understand!

There are many things I don't understand right now. Here are a few...

1. Why do we invest $45 Billion in tax money plus $300 billion in guarantees into Citi Group when the company is only worth $20.5 Billion?

2. Why have we continued to invest tax money in Banks that are still not loaning money to anyone?

3. Why do we continue to invest tax money in AIG while the gang at the top that has mis-managed them continue to call the shots? Fire them.

4. Why bail out the auto companies? They have proven time and time again they don't know what they are doing. It's time for Bankruptcy, time to renegotiate all the debt and contracts and start over. You know there use to be lots of American car companies at one time and now only the Big 3. Maybe it's time for the Big 2. And yes folks it will cause pain for everyone for a time but let's quit putting off the inevitable.

5. Why do we keep believing politicians? Do we really think any of them know anything about squat?

6. The economy is in the tank, construction is at a stand still and nothing is moving.....but Noblesville Schools think they need to pass a huge building package so they can build new schools and a new workout room at the high school. For what?

Peace Dude!

Hoosiers and their guns.

Hey gang I am a believer in the right to own firearms but. This picture is from today's INDY STAR.

Well gang I have hunted since I was a kid and if this picture is reflective of a Hoosier Hunter then I guess I am confused. Maybe this guy should get some shooting lessons with his gun because I have yet to know a good hunter that needed that gun to shoot a deer.

Peace Dude.

ROLL TIDE!

As most of you know I am a huge ND fan but my sentimental favorite to win the National Championship this year has been Alabama. I said if before the season started. Why did I predict this?

John Mark Stallings

To all my Bama friends, good luck next week against the Gators! It should be a great game.

Peace Dude!

Where is Jeffrey Ake?

As some of you may know I spent quite a bit of my career working for Jeff Ake's father and the entire family. I spent more trips then I want to think about traveling around the world with Jeff. I still remember to this day I made him pull over in Holland to let me drive before he got us both in an accident as he tried to drive and talk on his cell phone at the same time. There were many times he drove me crazy and many things I learned.

For some reason Jeff popped into my mind over this Thanksgiving weekend so I thought I would ask......Where is Jeff Ake? For those that do not remember Jeff was taken hostage in Iraq in 2005 while installing a bottled water plant. Not much has made sense about the story since day 2. Things have been quiet for too long.

Peace Dude!

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope each of you enjoy the day with family and friends. And even my friends outside the US I hope you get a chance to spend time with family and friends this weekend.

PEACE DUDE!

Citi Group should be closed!

I have had it with this whole bailout crap to save the country. It should be called what it is, President Bush and Hank Paulson reward their big donor pals on the backs of the taxpayers.

Today Citi Group got $20 Billion in capital and $300 Billion in bad debt guarantee's. Well the fat cats at the top of Citi Group are dancing all the way to their jets for vacation.

I came home today to this news and two little gifts in the mail from Citi Group. The first was my monthly statement which I expected. The second was a form letter with not date and no postmark. It informed me that my interest rate was going from 5.9% to 24.99%.

Did I miss a payment - nope

Did I go over my limit - nope

Did I do anything outside of my agreement - nope

Citi Group informed me that they were taking my interest rate to 24.99% because they want to. So now they can make more money to make Wall Street happy....and if you have read this blog you know what I think of Wall Street and their goofy analysts.

So not only as a taxpayer do I have to pay for the $20 Billion, and now I am sure the $300 Billion but my interest rate has now gone up 400%!!!!

Welcome to Corporate and Wall Street welfare. I am totally out of my mind tonight. I have worked hard, paid my bills and worked hard to have an excellent credit rating....FOR WHAT?

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! I have calls into all my legislators asking them to withdraw this bailout and let Citi close their doors.

All my good friends on the right kept telling me that Sen. Obama was a socialist. Well I guess they should know since their guy is giving it a whole new definition.

I think it's time for a tea party! Please call your legislators and tell them let Citi Group go under!

Too big to fail? No because by propping it up we are all going to fail!

More to come!

Peace Dude!

PS.... If you get any letters in the mail from your credit card folks make sure you open it and read it. While I have an opt out clause which I will take most people would not even read it.

PEACE DUDE!

It's time to wish Charlie Weis goodbye!

Well gang I can assure you since day one I was not happy that ND hired Charlie Weis to coach at Notre Dame. Ya, I know he is an alum and ya he called the plays for the Patriots, which adds to why I don't like him. But with that aside I rooted as hard as I could for my team and hoped Charlie would do well. It has not gotten to a point that he must go. Why must he go?

1. If you got rid of Gerry Faust for not winning then Charlie has to go.

2. If you let Bob Davie go for a similar winning % then Charlie has to go.

3. If you don't let Charlie go then explain to my why you let Tyrone Willingham go? I was not a big fan of Coach Willingham but he is a class act. So if the reasons you let Ty go are legit then Charlie has to go.

Oh the cost of the buyout.......the Chicago Alumni Association could probably have the check ready tomorrow.

OK, now to be clear I am not an Alum but have been a fan all my life and can tell you playing college ball in Ohio as an ND fan at times was not pleasant. So I have the right to my opinion on this but no vote.

So what do you do if you let Charlie go. I don't think there is a good long term answer but I will throw out this crazy idea.

How has had more assistant coaches promoted to head coaches then any other coach in college football? You could bring him in on a 3 year contract and tell him to hire the best staff in the country and promote one to head coach in year 4. It could happen and it could be done and the glory of ND could return. Oh who am I referring to?

Do I really need to say more?

Peace Dude!

GO IRISH!

As many of you may know I am a huge Notre Dame Fan. You can save the comments as I don't care. I have been a ND fan all my life and attended my first game in 1975 and have been to every home game I could get to over the years. If you have read this blog for awhile or you know us personally you will know Nash's favorite movie is "Rudy". And he has enjoyed watching games with me for the last couple of years.

Well it was time. Mauzy had the chance to grab two tickets to today's game a few weeks ago and I said yep go for it. So the plan was sealed Nash and I would spend a father son day at the ND game. So we have been talking and planning our day for a couple weeks now and Nash was fired up. So how did it go?

6:45 am - Nash yells up to Dad, Dad I am awake let's go! Go Irish!

8:30 am - Nash and Dad load up and hit the road. After a stop to get cash and our weekly trip to Hardee's for breakfast we head toward South Bend.

8:45 am - Dad are we going to the game? Dad are we there yet?

9:00 am - Dad are we going to the game? Dad are we there yet? Ok you get it right?

Well the trip to South Bend went pretty quick actually as we jumped in the middle of the ND 500. Oh, you don't know the ND 500......well that is when a big group of cars decide we out number the fuzz and drive together all the way to South Bend. Yes and way to fast.

11:00 arrive in South Bend, stop for a break and something to drink.....Dad are we going to the game, yes Nash kick off is at 2:30....

11:30 am - arrive in White Field parking and proceed to bundle up as the temp was around 28 with a wind chill of about 20. Then head over to the ND mobile book store which is a heated tent where you can buy everything ND. So with the purchase of a Number 7 jersey for Nash and a couple head gear items we are off to the bus for the trip over the the library. Oh ya for those that don't know it....you know Touchdown Jesus.....that is the library.





12:30 - Arrive on campus. We proceed to try to take a bit of a tour of campus but Nash wants to go to the game. Right now dad. So we head over the house that Rockne built and mingle with the crowd. Nash is loving it except for one thing. The gates are still closed so he can't get in yet. Not happy but we work with it.

1:00 pm - standing in line waiting for our gate to open so we can head in exactly an hour and half before kick off in 28 degree weather......lol

1:20 pm we arrive in our seats with our brats and drinks. Did I mention kick off is at 2:30?








Well all I can say is Nash and I had an awesome time today at the game. Did we survive to the end. No we were headed home after the first half and listened to the debacle on the radio. He was a grand partner to go with and a real trooper to spend all that time in the car and over 4 hours outside in really cold weather.





My only comment about the game....as I have said before Charlie is not so good when he does not know the defensive calls before he calls his play. Hope you do well back in the NFL Charlie.


9:15 p.m. As I tucked Nash in bed I asked him if he had fun......yes dad. I asked if he wanted to go to a game again.....oh ya. Well Nash it will have to be next season.....Nash - ok Dad, get there before gates open? Of course Nash!



Days just may not ever get better then this.

Oh, some of the pictures aren't so great but they are from my phone...


Peace Dude!

Book Review of Jonathan Mooney's "The Short Bus"

Well gang it's time to leave the election process behind for awhile and get back to some business. We recieved a copy of a book to review awhile ago and I read the book but had not had a chance to post this review. Please click on the link below for informaiton on the book and Jonathan Mooney the writer.

Jonathon Mooney and "The Short Bus"


I can assure you when we opened the package and took a look at the book I rolled my eyes and said there is no way I will enjoy this book.

Well the book is written from the views of Jon Mooney and his travels around the country visiting with people with disabilities of all kinds. The common thread is that they all were involved in Special Education in thier schools.

I can tell you there were some tough spots in the book that I had to keep my emotions in check and remember why I was reading the book. When I was done I shocked myself by saying this is the most amazing book I have ever read. I understood things from a very different view point. It reaffirmed to me that in many ways my thinking and actions are correct and somethings I need to rethink.

If you have a child with a disability and they are in the school system this is a must read. Jon shares some amazing stories of success and failures but overall you walk away knowing that normal is only what you decide normal is.

Jonathan, thanks for sending this book to us and I am glad to give it two thumbs up and classify it as a BigDawg must read. Please go to his website and check him out.


And after reading this book I have added a visit to Burning Man onto my bucket list.

PEACE DUDE!

State Rep Kathy Richardson

Kathy Richardson is a good person in my personal opinion but it's time for her to either be Hamilton County Election Administrator or State Rep but no longer both. It is a conflict of interest and there is no doubt about it.


Kathy's Election problems

Peace Dude!

Election day is in the Bag!

Congrats to all the winners and those who worked hard and lost. The system works again.

Peace Dude!

It just won't be right without Russert!

This week is just not going to feel right without Tim Russert.

Rest in Peace big guy!

Peace Dude!

Time to Vote!

Well gang if you did not early vote it's time to make your final decesions and get ready to make your choices. Get out there and VOTE!

As for me I am ready to go but you should hope you are not behind me as it will take awhile as am voting all over the place.

What's next to discuss. No matter who wins my plans are to keep pushing to find out who is going to make sure the promises both candidates have made to the disability community actually happen. We will see quickly how much is fact or fiction.

Happy Voting!

PEACE DUDE!

Rupert Murdoch and Fox News

I thought this was an interesting article.

Rupert Murdoch on Obama and the financial world

Nothing like giving time to Rupert Murdoch to slam Obama on the economy. Like Rupert and his team at FOX News don't do enough of that on a regular basis. I always am intrigued that people think Rupert who is an Aussie not an American knows more about the US economy then Warren Buffett.

And why is Rupert being the good conservative he is and supporter of McCain Palin not up in arms about this issue?

Dr. denied visa to stay in Australia because his son has Down syndrome


Now I have no problem with big mouth Sean Hannity saying what he wants about Obama whether true or not but Murdoch needs to worry about standing up for issues in his own country. If he really thinks the McCain Palin ticket stands for what is right then he should stand up for this family in his own country.

But hey what do I know....

Peace Dude!

I'm back

well gang had a little repair work done on the old body. To much abuse and pounding over too many years of football. A little medicated which is good but back at home and ready to get back to normal....what ever normal is.

Peace Dude.

Do Indiana Republicans want Mitch to Lose?

The latest flyer from THE INDIANA REPUBLICAN PARTY makes me wonder if someone rooting for JLT is working there. While I understand negative campaigning why not let the National Party send this out with no damadge. I can assure you this has caused many folk that had planned on voting for Obama and Mitch to change their minds. I have seen the emails. While I think Mitch will still win how many down ticket races did the R's just screw up?

McCain Palin Disability Policy

Well gang I am a bit worn out as I have been looking at this for hours. But a few quick points.

1. Good stuff but why did it take until today to share it with us?

2. It says full funding, but clearly calls for 40% of the additional cost of special education. IDEA originally called for 70% of the additional cost. While I applaud the idea of the funding I disagree with calling it full funding.

3. Where is the money coming from......cutting the fat in gov't? McCain is a Maverick but since 1975 we have not been able to cut the fat to fund IDEA. Why after all these years in DC can McCain change it now?

4. Governor Palin rolled this out this morning and in McCains speech this afternoon he clearly called for a freeze on funding for all federal programs. So which is it?

5. Governor Palin on Wednesday said she does not support Colorado's effort to raise sales tax to increase funding.


The good news is this is the most talk the disability community has had in a long long time. But we need a real policy with solid funding for IDEA and for post secondary, employment, housing and services for adults. We have a long way to go but I think we are heading in the right direction.

Bottom line I have to hear more detail.

Peace Dude!

Hot off the Press....wow I have some work to do.

For Immediate Release Contact: Press Office Friday, October 24, 2008 703-650-5550

The McCain-Palin Commitment To Children With Special Needs "To the families of special-needs children all across this country, I have a message: For years, you sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters. I pledge to you that if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House." -- Governor Sarah Palin, 9/4/08
Today, Governor Sarah Palin Outlined The McCain-Palin Commitment To Children With Special Needs. John McCain and Sarah Palin believe we must continue to challenge our education system to expand access to students with disabilities and provide them with a meaningful and high-quality education. Only 52 percent of students with disabilities graduate with a regular high school diploma, and 33 percent of students with disabilities drop out of the education system entirely. John McCain and Sarah Palin believe we can, and must, do better. A McCain-Palin Administration will do better, with a Vice President who understands the issue first-hand working to implement these major reforms.
The McCain-Palin Commitment: More Choice
· Allow Parents Of Students With Disabilities To Choose The Best School For Their Child. Parents should be able to send their child, especially a child with a disability, to a school of their choice so that they can get the best education possible. Using the Florida McKay scholarship as a model starting point, the McCain Administration will allow states to develop programs that allow parents to choose public or private schools, with federal funding following the child. The McCain-Palin team will also expect states to hold these schools accountable for their results. This proposal carries no cost beyond IDEA funding. States should be allowed to develop these programs with their federal IDEA funds and state and local funds.
· Make Explicit That Federal Funds Are Fully Portable. John McCain and Sarah Palin believe parents of students with disabilities should be allowed to use federal funds at any qualified school of their choice, public or private, religious or secular without forcing them into an administrative process. Currently, the district or the specific school can make such a recommendation. This initiative will allow the parents to make the choice and recommendations themselves. The McCain administration will work to make this a reality.
The McCain-Palin Commitment: Fully Fund The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
· The McCain Administration Will Fully Fund The IDEA. Special Education has been a federal issue since 1975, when President Ford signed the law now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act -- IDEA. While IDEA has been improved and strengthened over the years, its primary funding commitment has never been met.
· Full Federal Funding Of IDEA Is Estimated At $26 Billion Annually Compared To The Current Level Of $10.9 Billion. Using a phased-in increase of $3 billion annually in order to reach the full funding in five years will cost an additional $45 billion over five years. Full funding for IDEA means the federal government would pay 40 percent of the costs of the K-12 special education program.
The McCain-Palin Commitment: Reform And Refocus
· Provide Information And Assistance To Families Of Infants And Toddlers With Special Needs And Up-To-Date Information For Medical Professionals. The Parent Training and Information (PTI) Centers and Community Parent Information Centers (CPRCs) provide needed information and assistance. Unfortunately, to date, their focus has been parents of school age children; the McCain Administration will refocus IDEA so that the Centers must expand to parents with children ages 0-3. In addition, the McCain Administration will call for the Centers to provide access to better information for medical professionals about improvements in resources and the availability of assistance. In turn, these medical professionals will be able to provide better information to parents. This can be done with no additional cost beyond IDEA funding as it merely refocuses existing funding.
· Increase Funding For States To Improve Services To Families With Infants And Toddlers. Almost 80 percent of families with special needs children from birth through three years old serve their children at home under the IDEA program. Parents and families will benefit from improved programs and resources to maximize their child's potential in the early years under a McCain Administration. Currently, this part of IDEA is minimally funded. · Improve Services To Students With Disabilities In High Schools And Community Colleges. The McCain Administration will modernize the Vocational Rehabilitation Act to improve services to students with disabilities in high schools and community colleges. Require states to demonstrate proven outcomes for students with disabilities that lead to gainful employment when they graduate. When the Vocational Rehabilitation Act is modernized, funding should be refocused to incentivize proven outcomes for students with disabilities

As strong as it gets!

Today Retired General Powell Endorsed Senator Obama for President. So let's hear the arguments why this endorsement is no good?

General Powell is:

1. A retired General

2, A former Secretary of State

3. A Republican

All this means he has the highest security clearance possible. He knows foreign affairs and would know whether Bill Ayres was an issue or not. I thought his answers and reasons for endorsing today where well thought out and clear.

Is this check mate?

Peace Dude!

VIP Tickets?

Now being the good guy that I am I stood in line with my friendly Hamilton County Republicans to pick up the general admission tickets my Republican wife reserved for the Palin Rally. Well I thought this article on issues with VIP tickets was interesting.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081018/NEWS0502/810180468

Now I do remember some of my right leaning blogger pals really making a big stink over Senator Obama having a contest for VIP seating or something that required volunteer time. Oh my that was a big deal..so where is the outrage now? Was it not my same friends that started calling Obama the Messiah because he was filling concert venues for rallies? Oh my.....

Now interestingly enough there were a couple of quotes in this article earlier this morning about non VIP ticket holders that arrived early and a fence but it has been removed now.

I will say that I really enjoyed my time at the rally and everyone around me was really great and good people to be around. But gang if you are gonna throw rocks move out of your glass houses.

Peace Dude!

Sarah Palin Rally in Noblesville!

Yep it's true I stood in line at Hamilton County Republican headquarters and got our three tickets to go see the Gov and VP Candidate Sarah Palin on her visit to Noblesville today. We took Nash with us with his sign about DS Awareness month and cheered for our friend and fellow parent in our world of Down syndrome. We actually got there late and found a really great parking spot and got to see and wave to Governor Palin as she drove by in her motorcade. We got a big smile and a wave and we were proud to be there.

We heard the warm up from Lt Gov Skillman.....................yawn. And why was it cutting a ribbon was more important for Mitch Daniels to attend then this? Has he written off the ticket?

Then we heard a really good stump speech from the Gov. Gosh I wish she was running for Governor her in Indiana. The speech rallied the troops and had everyone clapping and cheering. It was filled with good ole rally the base stuff and was good from that point. She did talk about what I went to hear. She said she would be a friend and advocate for parents of children with Special Needs and that was nice but it was pandering to the disability vote as it has no policy to back it up. So I am glad I went with an open mind and glad I got to see her.

Please hear me loud and clear I think John McCain is a great man and a true American Hero and I think Sarah Palin is an awesome Governor and will be part of our world in the future. But these are the reasons I can't vote for them.

1. Senator McCain's health care plan would cost my family big bucks. We have a very good employer based healthcare plan. Every decision made in our careers since Nash was born with ds has been based around health insurance. While Nash has zero health issues no insurance company will cover him on a stand alone policy in the market place. So if McCain's plan would be in effect we would lose our group plan, get a $5,000 tax credit to buy a $10,000 policy for us and have to go to the high risk pool for a policy for Nash. This plan would cost my family money and piece of mind and security. All of Senator Obama's plans will work for my family.

2. Senator McCain has said he would not offer additional funding for IDEA. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is what allows Nash and other children with disabilities to attend public school. The law has never been funded as promised by Congress in 1975 when passed and causes many issues due to lack of funding. Senator Obama has committed to full funding.

3. Senator McCain also will not fund No Child left Behind. This is bad legislation made worse by no funding. Senator Obama will fix this issue.

Those are my three main reasons. Sure I worry about national security. I lived and worked in the UK at the height of the IRA problems I know what it's like to worry about attacks. But I am one that believes we can work things out through diplomacy just like President Reagan did.

Sure Senator Obama's plans will cost money. How do we pay for them. Well if we can spend $10b a month in Iraq and $700b on a bunch of bums on Wall Street then we can find the money through cutting some waste.

I have tried my best to state my case without any name calling or accusations just the facts. Please feel free to try to convince me why I am wrong on any of the facts above.

oh, ya....speaking of Bill Ayers..... Heard a great point yesterday. As I was driving back from a meeting in IL I was listening to my old Favorite WLS AM and the Roe Cann show out of Chicago. This is a good right wing talk radio station that hosts RUSH. So I found it interesting that in Chicago they are scratching their heads as to the fact that most people in Chicago have never heard Ayres mentioned in Chicago politics until the R's brought him up. I thought that was profound.

Now I am hearing word that you had to make 100 phone calls for the McCain Camp to get VIP tickets. Now I think that is a great idea but the R's blasted the heck out of Obama when you had to do that same for VIP tickets for his event.

Peace Dude.

11th annual Indianapolis Buddy Walk

Another wonderful day spent with over 3,000 good friends.

Be Afraid be very afraid!

ok, gang you can click on the link safely....it just a tv ad I think you will get a kick out of.


CLICK HERE

And the winner of tonights debate is?

Simply the Best!

Well we are in Chicago....hell with the economy. We spent big bucks to see Tina Turner tonight and it was AWESOME.....we were in good company with Oprah, Stedman, Gail and Tom Cruise.....I will post more later but the above is a pic of Opie and Stedman....

I just wish I had Tina's energy....she is simply the BEST.

Peace Dude.

The VP Debate

All I can say is that I thought both Senator Biden and Governor Palin did a great job. They both stated their view points in a fair and positive way. While they disagreed on issues they did it with class while sticking to their viewpoints.

Well done to both candidates.

Now with 4 weeks to go let this sink in. This is the most important election of my lifetime and you must look at the facts that effect your life and your vision of this country and go VOTE!

Peace Dude!

This did not have to happen!

Small town devastated by deadly school bus crash - from The Indy Star

Please read the story mentioned above. This was a horrible accident and my prayers go out to each and every family involved in anyway.

But this should not have happened! No way no how as these students should not have been there. And the people at the top need to be held personally responsible.

If the school corporation and the state of Indiana would follow, implement and fund the law that guarantee's students with disabilities a right to their education this would not have happened. Ya, I know it's always hard to implement and follow the rules of all of these laws but give me a break. IDEA, The individuals with Disabilities Education Act was passed in 1975.

Bottom line is this if the schools would have been following the law these students would have been attending their home school and receiving their supports and services in the classroom right beside the friends from their neighborhood. Instead the schools find it cheaper to form Co-Ops and bus students around. In this case these students were in this horrible place at this horrible moment because of the School Corporation.

The Superintendent, School Board, Dr. Sue Ellen Reed, The Indiana State Board of Education and Governor Mitch Daniels should each be held personally responsible for the deaths of each of these students. Plain and simple the above mentioned individuals are responsible some by decisions they have made and some simply by their elected responsibilities.

Peace Dude.

Well I could talk politics but.............

So much to talk and debate but......We took Nash to his first Big Ten Football Game today and it does not get any better then that.

The House the taxpayers built!

Now I am 100% a Colt's fan and gladly pay my tax to help pay for the stadium. But now that we have to figure out how to pay for operations I have to ask. My comments in order of the pictures above.

1. First picture is the large suite at Lucas Oil, wonder what it costs to use? How much did that suite cost to furnish? Maybe that suite revenue could pay for operations?

2. Do you really go to a game to sit in a suite and watch a tiny TV next to your seat?

3. Did we really needs Colts logo's in the carpet in the press box?

4. Did Jim Irsay really need pigskin flooring in his office at the Stadium at $100 a square foot?

5. And last but not least the Irsay Throne that I hear cost $1,500.

The Stadium is really awesome and it's great to have the Colts here in Indy and I hope they stay for ever. But with some of these items I think the City, State and The Colts can figure out this operations mess without adding it to the taxpayers tab.

Peace Dude!

Taxpayer Bailout of the poor little rich boys!

As you know I am not a big fan of the folks on Wall Street. I am including the text of the proposed bill for this bailout below. I have read thru this and what I find interesting is this bill waives all oversight and waives all normal requirements of public contract granting. I really see this as giving $700 billion of play money to the Bush good ole boy network with no oversight or accountability. We as taxpayers if this is approved more then ever before need to follow the money. You will also see that overall point of the bailout is to take care of Wall Street first and to protect the taxpayers second. I have placed in bold a few items that really bother me!

LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL FOR TREASURY AUTHORITY TO PURCHASE MORTGAGE-RELATED ASSETS
Section 1. Short Title.
This Act may be cited as ____________________.
Sec. 2. Purchases of Mortgage-Related Assets.
(a) Authority to Purchase.--The Secretary is authorized to purchase, and to make and fund commitments to purchase, on such terms and conditions as determined by the Secretary, mortgage-related assets from any financial institution having its headquarters in the United States.
(b) Necessary Actions.--The Secretary is authorized to take such actions as the Secretary deems necessary to carry out the authorities in this Act, including, without limitation:
(1) appointing such employees as may be required to carry out the authorities in this Act and defining their duties;
(2) entering into contracts, including contracts for services authorized by section 3109 of title 5, United States Code, without regard to any other provision of law regarding public contracts;
(3) designating financial institutions as financial agents of the Government, and they shall perform all such reasonable duties related to this Act as financial agents of the Government as may be required of them;
(4) establishing vehicles that are authorized, subject to supervision by the Secretary, to purchase mortgage-related assets and issue obligations; and
(5) issuing such regulations and other guidance as may be necessary or appropriate to define terms or carry out the authorities of this Act.
Sec. 3. Considerations.
In exercising the authorities granted in this Act, the Secretary shall take into consideration means for--
(1) providing stability or preventing disruption to the financial markets or banking system; and
(2) protecting the taxpayer.
Sec. 4. Reports to Congress.
Within three months of the first exercise of the authority granted in section 2(a), and semiannually thereafter, the Secretary shall report to the Committees on the Budget, Financial Services, and Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and the Committees on the Budget, Finance, and Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate with respect to the authorities exercised under this Act and the considerations required by section 3.
Sec. 5. Rights; Management; Sale of Mortgage-Related Assets.
(a) Exercise of Rights.--The Secretary may, at any time, exercise any rights received in connection with mortgage-related assets purchased under this Act.
(b) Management of Mortgage-Related Assets.--The Secretary shall have authority to manage mortgage-related assets purchased under this Act, including revenues and portfolio risks therefrom.
(c) Sale of Mortgage-Related Assets.--The Secretary may, at any time, upon terms and conditions and at prices determined by the Secretary, sell, or enter into securities loans, repurchase transactions or other financial transactions in regard to, any mortgage-related asset purchased under this Act.
(d) Application of Sunset to Mortgage-Related Assets.--The authority of the Secretary to hold any mortgage-related asset purchased under this Act before the termination date in section 9, or to purchase or fund the purchase of a mortgage-related asset under a commitment entered into before the termination date in section 9, is not subject to the provisions of section 9.
Sec. 6. Maximum Amount of Authorized Purchases.
The Secretary's authority to purchase mortgage-related assets under this Act shall be limited to $700,000,000,000 outstanding at any one time
Sec. 7. Funding.
For the purpose of the authorities granted in this Act, and for the costs of administering those authorities, the Secretary may use the proceeds of the sale of any securities issued under chapter 31 of title 31, United States Code, and the purposes for which securities may be issued under chapter 31 of title 31, United States Code, are extended to include actions authorized by this Act, including the payment of administrative expenses. Any funds expended for actions authorized by this Act, including the payment of administrative expenses, shall be deemed appropriated at the time of such expenditure.
Sec. 8. Review.
Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency.
Sec. 9. Termination of Authority.
The authorities under this Act, with the exception of authorities granted in sections 2(b)(5), 5 and 7, shall terminate two years from the date of enactment of this Act.
Sec. 10. Increase in Statutory Limit on the Public Debt.
Subsection (b) of section 3101 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by striking out the dollar limitation contained in such subsection and inserting in lieu thereof $11,315,000,000,000.
Sec. 11. Credit Reform.
The costs of purchases of mortgage-related assets made under section 2(a) of this Act shall be determined as provided under the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990, as applicable.
Sec. 12. Definitions.
For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
(1) Mortgage-Related Assets.--The term "mortgage-related assets" means residential or commercial mortgages and any securities, obligations, or other instruments that are based on or related to such mortgages, that in each case was originated or issued on or before September 17, 2008.
(2) Secretary.--The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of the Treasury.
(3) United States.--The term "United States" means the States, territories, and possessions of the United States and the District of Columbia.

I am really appalled everyone is not talking about this.

PEACE DUDE!

State to repay operator for waived Toll Road fees?

September 21, 2008
State to repay operator for waived Toll Road fees
Munster » Indiana will reimburse the private operator of the Indiana Toll Road for the state's decision to waive fees along the tollway temporarily to alleviate congestion during floods that closed Northwest Indiana freeways for days.
Jane Jankowski, a spokeswoman for Gov. Mitch Daniels, said Friday that the state will reimburse Macquarie-Cintra, a Spanish and Australian consortium, for its lost revenue. She said she doesn't know how much it will cost the state to make good on the lost tolls.
The state's decision upsets Margie Stewart, a Toll Road employee and Teamsters Union representative. "Why should the taxpayers pay for this? The company is making plenty of money," Stewart said Friday. "It was a disaster here. They could have helped."
Jankowski said the funds will come from the $3.8 billion the state received from the foreign consortium for the 75-year lease agreement to operate the Toll Road.


While I am somewhat sure this is in the fine print of the lease agreement somewhere I wish the Star would have dug into that contract to point it out.

I have to ask a couple of questions though:

1. Where does tax payer bailout of private corporations end?

2. Should not the consortium have a "Loss of Use" coverage on their insurance?

3. If the state declares a state of emergency somewhere in Indiana that causes a private business to shut down would the state then reimburse that business for lost revenue?

4. I think we need to know much more about this issue and how exactly the cost is calculated.


PEACE DUDE!

Really Good Stuff!

Big hat tip to John, Kim, Abby and the rest of the gang at The Arc of Indiana for their hard work on getting this info.

Please click here and read the Candidate Surveys on the Arc website.

Should give you some really good facts to check out.

Peace Dude

Is it just me?

I have been sending some emails and making a few phone calls to candidates in my districts of late to ask some very specific questions about issues that are important to me.

I have been somewhat surprised that I have been quite literally ignored by many cadidates for offices that I vote for.

Is anyone else finding this to be true?

Peace Dude!

Wall Street Tax Payer Welfare!!

If you read my blog or you know me personally you will know I have been critical of Wall Street for a number of years. I formed this opinion a few years back. I don't even remember the manufacturer today but I remember the issue well. The company had just had a great expansion, increased domestic and export sales, created a large amount of new high paying jobs and had just reported the single best quarterly results in the history of the company. What happened to their stock? It fell 23% because it did not meet analyst expectations. WHAT I ASKED? How could this be?

My statement to this day is you can't run a business with sound principles if you are constantly chasing nothing but massive profit growth to meet analyst expectations. While I know there are probably some really great analysts out there but...my impression is a bunch of over paid 28 year old snot nosed MBA's that have never managed people, had to close or make deal that was good for all or had to make payroll on Friday? Not fair? Maybe but the results of late speak for themselves.

How many more poor little rich folks are we going to bail out? Ya, I know the current CEO of AIG did take a 48% pay cut this year down to a hard to get by on $12 million.....

Well folks I think the problems on Wall Street are still coming fast down the train tracks.


So I have now seen the our government bail out company after company to the tune of over $300 Billion with my wallet. This from the same gang that says they can't afford to fund IDEA to the amount they promised in 1975 when they passed the law to include students with disabilities in public school.

Well gang, kiss your kids and hang on for the ride.

PEACE DUDE!

Update

Hey Gang,

Sorry my posting has been down but I started a new job this last week that is absolutely awesome but has kept me busy.

In the meantime I just stole a quote right from my good friend Nicole's web page. I love this quote:

Be who you are and say what you feel
because those who mind don't matter
and those who matter don't mind.
-Dr. Seuss

PEACE DUDE!

Tough Questions with no answers!

Well I have spent the last few weeks wrestling with myself over the national campaign. I have been supporting Senator Obama since day one but became somewhat frustrated with the Change we Can Believe in during the Clinton negotiations before the convention. Then all went well at the convention and I was happy again. Then Senator McCain came out with the gutsy decision to name Governor Sarah Palin as VP. This really made me take a step back. Governor Palin is an awesome example of what my old Republican Party was all about. Yes I use to be a rabid Reagan Republican. And the fact that like me she is the parent of a child with Down syndrome has made me really reflect.

Well I was willing to be swayed back but I had two tough questions for the Campaign both 100% issue based.

1. How will Senator McCain's health insurance policy benefit my family? You see we have really good employer sponsored health insurance and most of the decisions we make are based on that coverage. Why....well Nash does not have any health issues any different than you or I but because he is diagnosed with Down syndrome he can't get a stand alone health policy from any carrier. The only way he can get coverage is through a group plan or the state high risk pool. So if Senator McCain's plan goes into effect and we would lose our group and have to go out into the market for an individual policy we would not see any savings but an increase of 40% or more for our family's coverage in the high risk pool.

2. In 1975 Congress passed IDEA and promised to fund up to 70% of the additional costs to schools for providing services to allow students with disabilities to attend public school with their peers. To date they have never funded more then 17% of the additional cost. Senator McCain has a record here of not supporting increased funding for IDEA or NCLB. So I ask since Governor Palin does have a record on increasing funding for Special Education in Alaska how would this effect the campaign on this issue?

Well I emailed the McCain/Palin Campain over 10 days ago and asked for answers on these two questions so I could make my final decision on who I would support. To date I have not even gotten a politically typical thanks for your email but we are really busy response. No response at all....no answer to my question.....no email or call asking for a donation and yes I gave them all my contact information. (side note I have done the same with the Jill Long Thompson campaign with the same results) (side not two Governor Daniels and Dr. Tony Bennett have gone out of there way to answer my questions)

My conclusion is the questions on these issues were not worth answering or they did not like their own answers.

For me these are the two most important issues of the campaign.

So I wish you luck Senator McCain and Governor Palin and I think you are both really great people and great Americans but if you can't answer my questions on the issues.....I have to stay in the camp of:

"Change we can Believe In"

But I am still open to having the discussion on these two issues.

Any of my readers have any thoughts?

PEACE DUDE!

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac...Hate to say I told you so.....But!

Sometimes I hate it when I am right. Bush and the gang once again bail out the Corporate CEO's on the backs of the taxpayers. Below is Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac info from CNN and then some links to my past posts. My previously stated estimate of over $100 million may be low....

U.S. seizes two mortgage giants

Federal officials today announced an extraordinary takeover of troubled mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, signaling the most dramatic move to date aimed at shoring up the nation's housing market. Freddie and Fannie own half the mortgage debt in the country. Since last summer, they have suffered about $12 billion in losses. full story

http://bigdawgtales.blogspot.com/2008/07/corporate-greed-on-way-up-government.html

http://bigdawgtales.blogspot.com/2008/01/we-can-fix-our-economy.html

http://bigdawgtales.blogspot.com/2008/01/american-mortgage-crisis.html

Peace Dude!

Governor Sarah Palin and Down Syndrome

I felt this was a great article that I wanted to post over here.

Taken from Patricia Bauer Disability news. While I know many readers of my blog read Patricia regularly I know some that don't would appreciate this resource. Big hat tip to Patricia for this great article.

Questions, we get questions
September 5th, 2008

Just when you think you’ve heard it all, people come up with some new ones. Questions, that is — about Sarah Palin’s baby son, Trig Paxson Van Palin, who has Down syndrome (at left with sister Piper at the Republican National Convention). Here are answers to some common questions.

1) Down syndrome — that’s really bad, right? Doesn’t that mean he’s sickly and won’t live very long?

First of all, let’s think about this baby as just that — a baby. People with Down syndrome vary widely, and each has a unique personality, temperament, and combination of strengths and challenges. We haven’t been told anything about Trig’s health status yet, except that he has Down syndrome.

In general, people with Down syndrome have some degree of mild to moderate intellectual disability and have a higher risk for a variety of health problems, particularly heart trouble. At the same time their life expectancies have increased dramatically, from an average of about 9 years in the 1920s, to something reaching into the 60s today. (See my post here on Bert Holbrook Jr. of Waseca County, Minnesota, who just celebrated his 80th birthday.)
As recently as the 1960s, people didn’t know that people with Down syndrome were capable of learning, and sent them to institutions where they were most often neglected or abused. Most of the very negative images about them, and the worst health outcomes, date from that time.
With the improvements in education and health care of the last few decades, it’s not unreasonable to expect that children with Down syndrome born today can enjoy full, rich lives, form satisfying relationships, and gain skills that will allow them to work and make positive contributions to their families and communities.

2) If Palin opposes abortion rights, as she says, why did she have an amnio? Wasn’t that a waste of money?

Many women who oppose abortion nonetheless have prenatal testing so they can get information that may be useful in planning for their baby’s delivery and care. Gov. Palin has said she was glad to receive Trig’s diagnosis before he was born so she could learn about Down syndrome and come to terms with her son’s disability before she met him.

3) Ninety percent of women who get a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome get an abortion. Doesn’t that prove people with Down syndrome have terrible lives?

Actually, no. People with Down syndrome are valued, valuable and contributing members of happy families. Their families report deep attachment to their children, and are saddened by those abortion statistics. Family members attribute the numbers to widespread public ignorance about people with Down syndrome; doctors who lack current information and aren’t well-trained to deliver prenatal diagnoses; lingering fears and stigma left over from the days when these people were institutionalized under horrible conditions; and unrealistic desires for the “perfect child.” See also this post.
Interestingly, a recent research study found that parents of children with Down syndrome are less likely to divorce than parents of children without disabilities; another found that siblings are more inclined to be positively affected by a sibling with Down syndrome than negatively affected.
At the same time, families with children with disabilities report higher costs for medical care and other supports than comparable families, as well as a reduction of earnings for parents.

4) Wasn’t Palin at a high risk of having a child with Down syndrome when she got pregnant with her fifth child?

The risk of having a child with Down syndrome increases with age, and a woman who has a baby at the age of 44 has a risk of approximately one in 35 of having a child with Down syndrome. For women under 30, that risk is approximately one in 1,000. Most babies with Down syndrome are born to younger women, however, because they have more babies.

5) If Sarah Palin has a baby with a disability, how could she possibly consider running for vice president? Wouldn’t she be neglecting her family?

All children, whether disabled or not, need loving adults to take care of them and make sure their needs are met, but there’s no requirement in the marriage contract that specifies it must be mom. Gov. Palin and her husband Todd have said he will take the lead in childcare until further notice. (Presumably, there aren’t many jobs for commercial fishermen, oil field operators and snowmobile racers in Washington, so that shouldn’t be a problem.) The couple also says they have a broad base of support from extended family members and friends.
And besides, would people be asking that if she were a man? For another answer to this question, see Rosario Marin in the question below.

6) Are there other high profile people with family members with Down syndrome?

Let’s see –
Former French president Charles de Gaulle (daughter); former vice president Hubert Humphrey (granddaughter); former senator and governor Lowell Weicker (son); entertainers Roy Rogers and Dale Evans (daughter); St. Louis Cardinal slugger Albert Pujols (daughter); Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (son); Congressman Pete Sessions (son); D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (daughter); journalist George Will (son); playwright Arthur Miller (son); Emmy-winning Sesame Street writer Emily Perl Kingsley (son); celebrity chef Nigella Lawson (niece); Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx (sister); actor John C. McGinley (son); and Rosario Marin, the former treasurer of the United States and current secretary of California’s State and Consumer Services Agency.
And let’s not forget the high-profile people who themselves have Down syndrome: Chris Burke and Andrea Friedman, the actors with Down syndrome who starred in television’s “Life Goes On” series; Karen Gaffney, who swam across Lake Tahoe; Brad Hennefer, who earned two varsity letters (golf and basketball) in high school; actor Luke Zimmerman; actor Blair Williamson …
Interesting fact: Down syndrome was first described in the 19th century by British physician John Langdon Down. Nine years after his death, his grandson was born — with Down syndrome.

7) Since John McCain picked a running mate who has a child with a disability, should we assume the McCain campaign is going to make a lot of expensive promises to the disability community?

That doesn’t seem likely. Advocates for people with disabilities and their families tend to be looking for universal health care and adequate funding for Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security -– not the traditional domains of the Republican party. While the Obama campaign website has an extensive section devoted to issues of concern to people with disabilities, the McCain campaign does not.
Still, both McCain and Obama are among the co-sponsors of an updated version of the Americans with Disabilities Act, currently awaiting action in the Senate, and both have pledged to increase federal funding for special education.
And consider this: George H.W. Bush reached out to people with disabilities in his 1988 acceptance speech, and pollsters later credited the support of the disability community with half of his margin of victory over Michael Dukakis. Two years later, Bush signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act, the landmark civil rights law that prohibited discrimination against people with disabilities.

8) When you see a person with Down syndrome in the community, can you assume that their mother opposes legal abortion?

Not at all. The community of people with Down syndrome is as diverse as the rest of the American population, with representation from red states and blue ones, big cities and small towns, people with religious affiliations and those without, all races, all colors, all demographics.
Mothers of people with Down syndrome are probably as divided on Roe v. Wade as the rest of the American public, with some opposing abortion under any circumstance, others believing it should be freely available, and still others who fall into the “safe, legal and rare” camp.
There are many who favor a woman’s right to choose abortion, but opted not to do so when they themselves received a Down syndrome diagnosis. I’ve met women who decided not to get tested because they feared amnio-induced miscarriage, because they thought Down syndrome would never happen to them, or because they knew they’d cherish any child they got. Some got reassuring results on early prenatal blood tests only to find out later that their children actually did have Down syndrome. Some mothers had their children before prenatal testing was widely available or offered to their age group.
And many of these women are hopping mad that their children with disabilities are being portrayed against their will as poster children for the anti-abortion movement.

9) Why in the world did the Palins name their kid after a high school math course?

Todd and Sarah Palin say that “Trig” comes from a Norse word meaning strength. They do confirm, however, that their older son Track was named after a high school sport. Lucky for him his parents weren’t devotees of synchronized swimming.

10) Like Trig Palin, more than 350,000 people in the United States are estimated to have Down syndrome. What should you do if you meet one of them?

Welcome them. Presume competence. Treat them with respect

Hope you all got some info here.

Peace Dude!