FREE TUITION ..... REALLY !

If you still believe all the stuff Santa Claus delivered each Christmas was free or if you still believe tooth fairy money and Easter Bunny candy was free, than the latest Bernie, Warren, Harris etc. outlandish  promises of free college will make sense.

Fact is most grownups have long known that nothing of any material value in life is free. They know the "buy one get one free" bag of cookies are not really free. They realize deep down that spending grocery or rent money on more lottery tickets is a fools way to the poorhouse. Somebody, somewhere pays for every single thing that is advertised or promoted as free.

Every penny democrats and socialists in Congress tell us they are giving away, came from someone paying taxes or fees to the federal government. The government has never made money and exists only on taxing from citizens and businesses.  As Democrats and progressives live to give more stuff away in exchange for votes, the only place to get more money is from individuals and corporations that earn money. So the free phones, college tuition, rent money, and food stamps are paid for by other people who earn money and profits. Naturally, these smart workers and corporations will cut back on their spending, hiring, and business expansion when their taxes are increased. Taking from the rich and giving to the poor is socialism which the Democratic party employs while preaching class warfare to create an illusion of "fairness". The fifty year old government sponsored "War on Poverty" was a colossal failure that costs trillions and only increased poverty. Democrats scheme to save mankind by spending other folks money. This mal practice simply entraps millions of Americans into a cycle of dependency on government handouts. Sadly, it also sucks the life out of capitalism, the free market, and individual initiative. Any wonder the exodus of rich people from high tax states such as New York and California.

Free stuff offered by any politician is simply a lie aimed at getting favor and votes. Anyone with an IQ higher than butterfly should understand nothing of value is ever free.  If government was truly  dedicated to providing less expensive college, why hasn't it challenged the ridiculous tenure and salary system of college instructors and sky rocketing tuition rates ?

As the democrat party clown show of competing candidates escalates expect more breath taking giveaway schemes to get your vote and hike your tax bill by trillions.

PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS GET RIGHTER EVERY DAY

Every day,  after a few minutes of television and newspaper news, I wander/wonder if my parents and grandparents were more right than wrong about many things.

I remember 60 years ago hearing stories of their "good old days" and how the modern world would send us all "to hell in a hand basket". I used to dismiss their negative views as so much old people poop talk. Also, I marveled at how brilliant I was at 10, 12 and 14 years old. By 17 I was amazed at my brilliance and great judgement about everything. I wondered why my poor elders were hopelessly wrinkled with a sad world view. I saw the future as a rainbow of sparkling possibilities where peace and happiness would  burst forth at anytime. I knew just another Joan Baez ballad, John Kennedy speech or march for peace would trigger a Utopian world of harmony, full bellies, and no diseases. Unfortunately, my good old days of peace, love, and eternal optimism got swallowed up by Vietnam, getting an education, job, and being a man with financial and family responsibilities. For me the bright world view never totally disappeared, it just faded a little with each year and tragic turn of history.

My parents and grandparents are long time gone, but with each passing year it seems their world view was more right than wrong. Wish they were still around to thank. Now that I approach their senior age, it's obvious they were much smarter and wiser than all their children and grandchildren.

Perhaps, as the brain and body soften from decades of life's harsh realities there is a natural tendency to find comfort in yesterdays which were etched in vitality and boundless optimism ? Maybe our final lap is more of a loop where we revisit the past and learn to better understand and appreciate ourselves and our parents and grandparents. .

C SPAN EXCITEMENT and A NEW IDEA

On occasion I enjoy the gavel to gavel coverage of Congress provided by C Span.
Recently a show involved the first day of the 114th Congress. All the new House members along with family members and children filled the seats and aisles. The first business was to elect a Speaker of the House for the new Congress. Clerks carefully called out names and votes were recorded electronically. Other House clerks dutifully tallied votes with eraser topped pencils. A simple majority vote, which could have been one and done in seconds by electronic means, stretched into an hours long litany of name calling and recalling. All the while, C Span cameras filled the screen with smiling politicians and squirming politician class children and babies. Finally, a winner was announced. Not surprisingly, the winner had been predicted by every network political wonk and weatherman months ago. Then, a series of self serving and congratulatory proclamations were made. Speeches promised a new age of political cooperation and harmony between elephants, donkeys, and tea drinkers. I say, yawn, yawn to all that malarkey !

As I absorbed all the silliness a capital idea dawned on me to control the Capitol confusion which burdens us with unneeded new laws and taxes every political season.

Since voting and making speeches are the most popular and well attended activities in Congress by congress people let it forever be their main business. I can recall in past sessions, half dead members being wheeled in to cast votes, make speeches, and pose for photos while supporting or opposing legislation. Unfortunately, most laws passed in Congress either cost taxpayers more money or take away more of our liberty. In my opinion, to provide politicians a means to vote and make flowery speeches let us give them harmless new legislative missions. By using poll numbers and exaggerated emotions political people can be tricked into doing anything.

Therefore, I propose that each legislative day the Senate and House of Representatives introduce laws with supporting arguments and appropriate committees to legalize the official United States color and number for the upcoming month. This legislation would provide grist for speeches, press conferences, and incredibly long unread bills. If an energetic Congress needed more material for new laws they could be directed to legalize a new national fish, reptile, insect, flower, bird, rock, tree, mineral, and animal for each upcoming month. This new lawmaking agenda would save Americans trillions in wasted spending and thousands of unnecessary laws. In addition to new lawmaking themes give Congress and all their aides and lobbyists 10 or 11 months of extra holidays.

Moving on, a new role for all the zany characters that waste air and natural resources at the United Nations might be employment as test laboratory animals or crash car dummies.