The Missionary Kid

Our future before our eyes.

lpreyman@mindspring.com (Lonnie Reyman) — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 23:05:00 +0000

Hear that swirling, sucking sound? Yeah, that's us, California. Here are some salient points from a very sobering article.

It took years for liberalism's redistributive itch to create an income tax so steeply progressive that it prompts the flight from the state of wealth-creators: "Between 1990 and 2007," Voegeli writes, "some 3.4 million more Americans moved from California to one of the other 49 states than moved to California from another state."

Voegeli says that if California's spending had grown no faster than population growth and inflation from 1992 to 2006, it would have been $65 billion less in 2006, and per capita government outlays then would have equaled not those of Somalia or Mississippi but of Oregon, which is hardly "a hellish paradigm of Social Darwinism."

The state, which between 1990 and 2007 lost 26 percent of its factory jobs and 35 percent of its high-tech manufacturing jobs, ranks behind only New York, another of liberalism's laboratories, in the number of outward-bound moving vans.

It took years for servile liberalism to turn the state into what Voegeli calls a "unionocracy," run by and for unionized public employees, such as public safety employees who can retire at 50 and receive 90 percent of the final year's pay for life. (CDCR employees included. Tough situation as a lot of friends here are CO's.)

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees is one reason why California's government employees -- their numbers grew 24 percent between 1997 and 2007 -- are the nation's most highly compensated.

Well, if it wasn't clear before why I cringed each time I called myself a Californian, it is now.

Blessings,
theMK

Dr. Phil & Gen. George Casey...the new Muslim Jihadist apologists

lpreyman@mindspring.com (Lonnie Reyman) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:58:00 +0000

The madness continues. To be expected of Dr. Phil, I guess. It would be a shame if his honorable occupation was besmirched by a coldly calculating terrorist instead of someone who just "snapped."

Much more disturbing are the excuses offered by one of our nations top "warriors." I expect more of our top military brass than to spout the proper politically correct BS on national television. What, Gen. Casey, do you not believe that your subordinates are watching the news programs too? Do you not think the family, friends, and coworkers of those slain at Ft. Hood are watching you get your panties all in a twist because you think that...

'"This terrible event," Gen. Casey noted, "would be an even greater tragedy if our diversity becomes a casualty."'

Screw our military's diversity! I don't care how diverse it is. I want it to be an organization that bears the title of "warrior" with pride, not the cowardice that you display. Shame on you, Gen. Casey!

Guns blamed for Ft. Hood massacre

lpreyman@mindspring.com (Lonnie Reyman) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:51:00 +0000

Amazing! Astounding! But not at all surprising. Mayor Daley strikes again.

Parent or Peer?

lpreyman@mindspring.com (Lonnie Reyman) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 19:54:00 +0000

This article by Terry Paulson makes some great points and essentially I agree with it. He makes some great points and highlights some great inefficiencies in our current government and national psyche.

However, I cringe at his use of the parental example to describe a good government. Myself & my family are not spoiled or immature children to be sternly guided by the wise hand of government. That's the mentality of the government that we have now & look where it's getting us! As the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic says, it's the "road to hell."

The government is not my parent, it is my peer. You might give your friends advice if you believe they're screwing up their lives. You might even offer to help and make tools available for them to help themselves. But you let them make their own decisions and lie in their own bed if they choose not to change their course and decisions.

There's a lot of "help" that I don't need from the government. When the government believes that it is my & my neighbor's parent it imposes it's "help" on us no matter what I think. Frankly, I'm tired of paying for the "help" that our "parent" gives to those of my neighbors who've chosen to make poor decisions.

Thank you very much, but I think I can take care of myself. And I think my neighbor should too.

theMK

The immorality of America

lpreyman@mindspring.com (Lonnie Reyman) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 19:27:00 +0000

Walter E. Williams has a great short commentary on one aspect of America's social decay. Poignant & pointed. Well worth the few minutes to read.

theMK

Where is your charitable giving going to go?

lpreyman@mindspring.com (Lonnie Reyman) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 17:36:00 +0000

Hugh Hewitt gives us a little clearer picture of what Obama's budget means for the rest of us.

theMK

The Goopy Mess in Zimbabwe

lpreyman@mindspring.com (Lonnie Reyman) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 20:30:00 +0000

It seems that there is some progress in Zimbabwe, albeit controversial and very much less than perfect or desired. In accordance with SADC's decision on 27 January to push through the Global Political Agreement, the Zimbabwe parliament has passed constitutional amendment 19 which makes way for a power-sharing government.

While dictators & thugs march in lockstep with Mugabe (see the Chinese xinhuanet.com where they give Mugabe a stage he doesn't deserve...

"Our condemnation, our isolation is because my
government took the necessary measures to create conditions for equal
opportunities, for de-colonization, for creating conditions in which our people
could regain their lost resources," he added.

and the ever-encouraging Al-Jezeera

Mugabe will remain the head of state and Zanu-PF and the MDC will share the cabinet posts. "It has been a long, frustrating, quarrelsome journey characterized by animosity and name-calling, but notwithstanding this, what is important is we have reached this path," Patrick Chinamasa, Mugabe's lead negotiator, said.")

there are at least some who still oppose this pretender to the throne.

The Anglican church stood up for what's right. Botswana, who has remained the most stalwart regional opponent of the Mugabe regime, also spoke out this week. You can also see the Zimbabwe diaspora's response to the SADC declaration from last week. Look in the comments.

It frys me that the Chinese and Al-Jezeera are claiming that "Mugabe will remain the head of state." That's either gross ignorance of the deal, piss-poor reporting, or more likely blatant complicity with a fellow thug.

Time will soon tell if this progress will be maintained...if you can call it progress. Tsvangarai should be sworn in next Thursday. We'll see if it happens.

theMK

You, Mr. American, are silly

lpreyman@mindspring.com (Lonnie Reyman) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 20:32:00 +0000

The Dems are just flummoxed because of the outcry against lawbreakers being Presidential nominees. John Kerry says:

"We're getting silly here," he said when asked what the withdrawal meant for Obama. "I think people ought to step back and just measure these things against the larger picture."

And Craig Holman says:

Obama deserves credit for trying to set new standards for ethics in Washington.

and

"The administration is trying to change the way things are done on Capitol Hill."

Gosh, the hope for change I feel is just overwhelming.

theMK

Barack turns his back on Africa

lpreyman@mindspring.com (Lonnie Reyman) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 07:03:00 +0000

I knew it would happen. In the midst of the post-election euphoria people would grin at me and say "USA? Obama!" And that was in Africa! You should have seen the headlines. They all rejoiced that America had finally overcome it's inherent racism (gag me!) and looked forward to a US administration that would shower support and international leadership on the continent of Obama's ancestors.

Two weeks into it, the people of Zimbabwe can now see the kind of support and international leadership that he's willing to give.

The Obama administration has toned down U.S. rhetoric against Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, dropping for now a public demand the veteran African leader step down, said U.S. officials on Monday.['Cause we don't want that!]

The goal...was to give southern African nations breathing space in dealing with Mugabe [because they've been so effective so far] who has agreed on a power-sharing arrangement with Zimbabwe's opposition.

"What Robert Mugabe needs to do, is to do what's best for the people of Zimbabwe [he's already demonstrated a desire for this, obviously] -- and an effective power-sharing arrangement [it's been so effective so far with Mugabe just rolling over and conceding his power] ... that's what needs to happen," Wood said.

With friends like Obama, who needs enemies.

theMK

Just when you thought the African Union couldn't be more inept or ineffective.

lpreyman@mindspring.com (Lonnie Reyman) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 01:33:00 +0000

And why don't we add our own shovelful to the pile...

"We are going to continue to work with the AU," spokesman Robert Wood told reporters. "It's a critical institution in terms of our dealing with the continent."

theMK

Penetrating

lpreyman@mindspring.com (Lonnie Reyman) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 20:27:00 +0000

theMK

Imates running the Asylum

lpreyman@mindspring.com (Lonnie Reyman) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 20:17:00 +0000

Living in a community who's economy is driven by one of the largest, most secure prisons in California (Pelican Bay State Prison, a SuperMax facility), this article jumped out and slapped me in the face. That CDCR bureaucrats have the audacity to request $8 billion to provide a "holistic environment" for health care for inmates just makes me livid.

His Receivership [Clark Kelso] wants to spend $8 billion to build seven new
hospitals, each the size of 10 Wal-Marts, which would create "a
holistic environment," with "music therapy, art therapy and other
recreation therapy functions," a music room, stress-reduction room,
game room and "therapy kitchen," with lots of natural light and high
ceilings. A gymnasium would feature a "full-size high school playing
court with basketball hoops and built-in edge seating up to four rows
deep. Various floor striping allows for other games, such as
volleyball, etc. Other sport activities include handball courts,
exercise, and (a) workout room."

I almost choked on my own tongue when I read these figures:

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation estimates
the annual cost of operating these facilities to be between $170,000
and $230,000 per inmate.

and...

In the meantime, health care spending per inmate rose from $7,601 per
inmate in 2005-06 to $13,778 per inmate in 2007-08 -- an 81 percent
increase and far above the average of $4,600 spent on health care per
Californian.

On top of that...

Henderson's [US District Court Judge Thelton E. Henderson] remedies, however, have had their problems, as well.
The first receiver, Robert Sillen, once threatened to "back up the
Brinks truck" to the state's treasury to bankroll better inmate care --
and he clearly meant it. Sillen was paid $775,790 in the 15 months,
ending in June 2007. An audit found no fraud, but it found that Sillen
authorized $218,790 in overpayments to staff members for such benefits
as health insurance and retirement that they already had received.
Henderson fired Sillen and then hired Kelso, who set his own
annual salary at $224,000 -- plus a possible bonus. The
Schwarzenegger-Brown motion complains that Kelso's "large staff and $74
million in administrative expenses" are duplicative and amount to a
full-scale takeover of the state prison health care system.

Talk about government corruption & pork!

For a little perspective, California AG Jerry Brown has this to say:

California is spending "almost three times what the federal government
is spending, more than two times what the average Californian gets.
When is enough enough?"

And this as the state still does not have an operating budget. We average Californians (it is still with some pain that I call myself that) are looking at receiving IOU's instead of cash for tax reimbursements. At least that's the scuttlebut that we're hearing. I know a lot of Correctional Officer's (CO's) who are looking at taking pay cuts and also possibly facing receiving IOU's instead of paychecks. Don't laugh...that's actually happened before.

I know the rank and file doesn't agree with this kind of spending. They have to deal with it every day, walking a fine line between high-risk prisoners who know how to play the system like a Stradivarius and the moral imperitive to penalize these men for the crimes they've commited against society. CO's watch as these men receive better care than they can afford for their own families. And then the pointy-headed intellectual management descend from their ivory-towers and dictate that "these people are not animals" and decide they need to spend even more money on them.

Here's an idea: how about we figure out how to continue to pay our CO's for the thankless job of putting up with this scum instead of building the scum seven new 1,020,000 square foot hospitals (equivialent to 10x the average Wal-Mart store)...how about that, hmmm?

theMK

The rally to Rush

lpreyman@mindspring.com (Lonnie Reyman) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 20:08:00 +0000

Me, with my finger on the pulse of breaking news (sarcasm, in case you hadn't figured), just heard about this today. David Limbaugh has an article that addresses this.

theMK

You go Mitt!

lpreyman@mindspring.com (Lonnie Reyman) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 19:57:00 +0000

theMK

Watching the bailout

lpreyman@mindspring.com (Lonnie Reyman) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 19:54:00 +0000

Hugh Hewitt is a smart guy, (did I say that already?) largely because he listens to and has other smart guys on his daily radio show...like Lawrence Kudlow. He writes some good stuff in this article.

One thing that especially hits home is...

Government spending, deficits, and debt creation of this magnitude is
simply unheard of. So the added TARP money will surely imperil the
entire stimulus package as taxpayers around the country begin to digest
the enormity of these proposed government actions. Financing of this
type would not only destroy the U.S. fiscal position for years to come,
it could destroy the dollar in the process. What’s more, the likelihood
of massive tax increases -- which at some point will become front and
center in this gargantuan funding operation -- would doom the economy
for decades.

Now that's scary stuff. My personal opinion is that we still don't get it. It's us. We are the issue, not Wall Street, no the White House, not Capitol Hill, not the mortgage industry, us...the American people. We've adopted a "spend like a drunken sailor" mentality and culture. Actually, it's worse than that. When a drunken sailor runs out of money he usually stops buying. We've gone one better and actually spend more than we make.

I don't know what the answer will be, but as the 12-stepper's say, you first must admit that you have a problem. We haven't done that yet so any solution offered will just dig a deeper hole.

Happy thoughts. :-?

theMK

When Hugh talks, I listen

lpreyman@mindspring.com (Lonnie Reyman) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 19:35:00 +0000

Hugh Hewitt is one smart guy. A constitutional law professor, radio host, ramrod of the website Townhall.com, and prolific author, he's also very busy. So when he recommends a book I figure I'll stick in on my reading list-to-do. Especially when it addresses our public education. Check it out.

theMK

Another word on the Mexico City Policy

lpreyman@mindspring.com (Lonnie Reyman) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 19:26:00 +0000

Katherine Jean Lopez weighs in on the recently rescinded Mexico City Policy.

theMK

The future "Hope"

lpreyman@mindspring.com (Lonnie Reyman) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 06:36:00 +0000

I had a friend who posted on his Facebook page that he was counting Tuesday of last week as "Hope day 1." Perhaps (& I consider that a BIG perhaps) there is some reason for hope in the new administration. Time will tell.

However, it was not a day of hope for unnumbered unborn children on Friday. In fact, the toll that Obama has enacted on an international scale will never be known. His rescission of the Mexico City policy will literally, not figuratively, bring about the death and destruction of untold lives around the world. It's also not a good indicator of what is to come.

God forgive him.

theMK

Zimbabwe burning!

lpreyman@mindspring.com (Lonnie Reyman) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 02:41:00 +0000

I just received this from my parents. Eddie Cross is a Zimbabwean MP who sends out updates on a fairly regular basis. I don't have time to comment right now & I know that my little blog isn't even a drop in the bucket, but maybe some interested person will read this and be heartbroken with me.

>Despair and Despondency

>An immediate outcome of the meeting last Monday was nationwide despair and

>despondency. On the street, the people have virtually given up any hope that

>the political process will deliver a solution. At the same time they are not

>looking elsewhere, just thinking about moving on to another country where

>sanity might prevail.

>It is the possibility of flight that has changed the character of African

>conflict. Its implications are yet to be fully understood or appraised. When

>failed by their leaders at home, increasingly Africans are simply packing

>their bags. I saw a study this past week where a think tank in the UK

>estimated that remittances from the UK to Zimbabwe alone, could be running

>at over US$1 billion a year. If this is true, it puts a new dimension on

>this issue it shows that the actual Zimbabwe origin population in the UK

>is much bigger than estimated and that they are sending much more money home

>than we ever imagined.

>This would explain where all the foreign currency that keeps this country

>going, is coming from. It explains why many more people are not actually

>dying from the present crisis in terms of hunger, malnutrition and neglect.

>It also explains why the regime in Harare prints money to buy foreign

>currency on the street in such quantities and then uses the resulting hard

>cash to buy luxury items and food or to send abroad to secret bank accounts.

>The total population of Zimbabwe is certainly now down to below 9 million.

>An astonishing figure when you know that it should have been close to double

>that had conditions remained the same as had existed at the time of

>independence in 1980. Some of the decline can be explained by millions of

>deaths due to the deteriorating situation here, but even more by the flight

>of millions as economic refugees. The most popular destinations being South

>Africa and the UK followed by the USA and Canada and then Australia and New

>Zealand. And I am not talking about white African migrants.

>I am convinced that the authorities in South Africa have little

>understanding of the implications of this massive human migration. Half of

>the population of Somalia and the Sudan has left their homeland. Millions of

>Congolese are on the move and if this migration is not slowed down, it has

>the potential to drown the social and economic systems of South Africa.

>There is the upside in terms of skills and experience with thousands of

>migrants now occupying key roles in their destination countries. I

>personally know of men and women who have quickly assumed top positions in

>their new homelands. The problem is that this just reinforces the collapse

>of the societies they are fleeing and makes recovery and growth more

>difficult to sustain.

>So when the SADC leadership gather outside Pretoria on Monday, a great deal

>is at stake. It�s not just about power sharing. It�s about acting decisively

>to bring to an end a political and economic crisis that has plagued the

>region for over two decades. The fact that SADC clearly backed the position

>of the Mugabe regime at last weeks meeting in the face of overwhelming

>evidence and rationale, is a real indictment of African leadership. They

>were not even acting in defense of their own interests, let alone the

>interests of the long-suffering Zimbabwe people.

>As for the Zanu PF and the Junta in Harare, they continued to behave as if

>it was business as usual. There was no change in the propaganda that pours

>out of the Ministry of Information via the print and electronic media; there

>was no let up in the spurious allegations about the MDC sponsoring

>terrorism. Those abducted and disappeared in recent attacks were still not

>seen or heard from and we fear the worst. Those being charged with treason

>are still in custody. Food is being interfered with and directed on the

>basis of political affiliation, agricultural farm invasions and the theft of

>private property continue in the face of the SADC Legal Tribunal rulings.

>One of the most bizarre aspect of the past week was the leaking of a paper

>prepared by Gono, the illegally appointed Governor of the Reserve Bank,

>where he sets out plans to adopt the Rand as an anchor currency and suggests

>that mineral and other high value exports could generate up to US$1,2

>billion a MONTH. His figures and rationale show no understanding of the

>scale of the crisis we are in or the remedies required. The astonishing

>thing is that this buffoon is actually taken seriously in Zanu PF circles. I

>am sure the officials in government departments do not give this sort of

>rubbish any credence but they are not directing our affairs. Another of

>his astonishing ideas is a 30 per cent export tax!

>In the meantime, Rome burns. Cholera infections (official only) are now

>nearly 50 000 with reported deaths at over 3000. Aids deaths continue at

>about 3000 a week, human flight at whatever figure you want to estimate

>but not less than 25 000 a week. Deaths from TB, malaria, child deaths and

>death of women in childbirth run at another 1000 or so a week. It is a

>silent genocide and Graca Machel said it best this past week when she

>slammed SADC leadership for standing by and doing nothing, in fact making

>the situation worse by not acting to support democracy, the rule of law and

>all international standards of human and political rights.

>One of the worst centers for cholera and the town with the highest death

>toll (18 per cent of all infected) is Chegutu, about 100 kilometers from

>Harare to the south. This past week a fellow MP told me that he went to the

>local hospital to try and get an impression of what was going on. All he

>found was an empty shell every thing that could be moved had been stolen,

>there were no staff on duty and the complex was abandoned.

>Another colleague stood up in Parliament and said he had just visited a

>relative in the local Prison. He detailed conditions in both the remand

>section and in the main prison itself. Hundreds of prisoners ill with

>cholera, little or no treatment available, dead bodies left in the cells for

>days and food rations down to 25 per cent of �normal�. It was a chilling

>statement and was received in complete silence by the House.

>Eddie Cross

>Bulawayo, January 24th 2009

God only knows what will happen.

theMK

Oregon Medical Marijuana Program

lpreyman@mindspring.com (Lonnie Reyman) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 22:16:00 +0000

And they say medical marijuana is a harmless help to society! What BS!

theMK

Kyosaki hits the nail on the head

lpreyman@mindspring.com (Lonnie Reyman) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 02:59:00 +0000

I was linked to this article that Robert Kyosaki (of Rich Dad, Poor Dad fame) wrote for Yahoo. It doesn't get much better, or slightly depressing, than this.

theMK

Palin in the economic ring

lpreyman@mindspring.com (Lonnie Reyman) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:18:00 +0000

I think Sarah Palin's great, but....from a financial perspective I think she's whiffing (like a LOT of others) more than connecting:

I'm concerned about the moms and pops, the small businesses and the
families who have trusted that their investments would be secured, and
we've got to take some action now and shore this up. (Italics added)

Whiff. Investments always carry risk, what's the point otherwise. And why should someone else shore up your risky investment.

And then Americans, too, have got to start taking some more personal
responsibility so we never find ourselves back in this situation again.

Hit. Hey, some personal responsibility!

And I say this not to condemn the decisions that a lot of Americans have made, because I think...

Whiff. And there goes the personal responsibility. Wave bye, bye.

...a lot of Americans have been taken advantage of by those on Wall Street
who have tried to entice credits to be extended and tried to entice us
into a system that ultimately punishes us and makes us become more and
more at risk with our investments.

Whiff. Can you say "lenders"? Wall Street's different. In fact Wall Street is selling to us, so we're making bad financial decisions and then we're clamoring for the opportunity to invest in those decisions.

And Americans, as individuals, we have to start changing our habits also and not incur debt.

Whiff. Not where I come from.

It'll be simple lessons that, shoot, our (grand)parents probably taught us years ago.

Hit. So simple both our parents & us thought it was beneath us.

Don't take out that extra credit card. Don't buy a $300,000 house if
you can only afford a $100,000 house. Simple things like that, that
Americans as individuals have got to play a part in also, to start
helping to recover our economy.

Hit. That personal responsibility works magic.

theMK

MSM meddling

lpreyman@mindspring.com (Lonnie Reyman) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:59:00 +0000

I thought this was an interesting little tidbit, especially when most of our info comes from these folks. I found this from Hugh Hewitt's blog.

theMK.

Zimbabwe's tailspin continues

lpreyman@mindspring.com (Lonnie Reyman) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:25:00 +0000

The situation in Zimbabwe continues to deteriorate as talks of a transitional or power-sharing government drag on. Soon there will be nothing left to transit or share.

theMK

The newpaper industry's big Owee

lpreyman@mindspring.com (Lonnie Reyman) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 19:42:00 +0000

As a fan of the radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt, I've been fascinated by his insight and involvement in the new media vs. old media conflict. This article just adds fuel to the fire, more newspapers!

theMK