Simple Choice

Posted on 03/11/2008 by Grumpa Joe
My Flag Flies Everyday

My Flag Flies Everyday

My Flag Flies Everyday

My Flag Flies Everyday

We have a very simple choice ahead of us tomorrow. We vote for one of two philosophies. First we have to decide if we want Uncle Sam, or Uncle Obama to take care of us from cradle to grave. If we do, we are admitting we are unable to do so for ourselves. The second choice leaves us free to choose how we are to live, make a living, worship, and spend our money.

Its easy for me to make that choice. My parents taught me a lesson in self dependence. Both of them came to this country seeking a new life. They were sixteen and seventeen when they arrived with a single bag of belongings. They didn’t speak the language, they had about a fourth grade education, they were a thousand miles from the closest friend or relative. Somehow they managed to get to Chicago, meet each other, marry, have four kids, educate them in parochial schools, and retire. They didn’t have Uncle Sam to care for them cradel to grave, they had something better. They had their God given talents, and the motivation to live. They brushed aside the bigoted references to “Greenhorn, or Hunky. They had a desire to raise their kids to have a better life. They loved each other “for better or for worse.” They didn’t even think of divorce. They might have thought about  how to kill each other once in awhile, but never divorce. If they were alive today, they would vote Republican for the first time in their lives. Why? Because the Republican philosophy of small government aligns with the way they lived.

Mom and Dad taught us to be self sufficient. They advised us to own land, because “if you have land you will never starve.”  As I write this, I am dreaming about the vegetable garden I will plant in 2009, to sustain us in the coming financial crisis. That is, if I can still afford to pay my mortgage and I still live here. 

The choice is easy, vote for someone to take care of you. Or vote for the liberty to care for yourself. Remember our history. It is filled with stories of “pioneers,” who left their countries and their homes to live free! Use your vote wisely.

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Good Deal, Bad Deal, Crooked Deal?

Posted on 30/10/2008 by Grumpa Joe
My Flag Flies Everyday

My Flag Flies Everyday

A few weeks ago I watched someone explain the land deal that BO made when he purchased a house in Hyde Park. At the same time, Tony Rezko bought the empty lot next door. It appeared to be a straight deal. BO then negotiated a deal to buy a piece of Rezko’s adjoining land. Still not a bad deal. BO increased the size of his property to give himself space around the castle.  The commentator then quietly announced that the Rezko lot was now unbuildable.

It took my old brain a few days to think about the “unbuildable,” comment. Why would Rezko spend such a huge amount of money on an empty lot in the highly desirable neighborhood adjacent to the University of Chicago, and then sell a small piece of it to make it unbuildable? I have a bunch of questions about this deal. Who is paying the real estate taxes on the unbuildable lot? Does BO now use the property next door as his own? There is nothing on it, and it is continuous to BO’s lot. It is on a corner, and improves BO’s view. Who maintains Rezko’s unbuildable piece of property?

At least two possibilities come to mind. First, Rezko might have intended to ask for a political favor to re-zone the lot to make it buildable. In Chicago, that is not unthinkable. Second, Rezko intended to give BO the property as a payment for some favor still unknown, by making the deal appear “legitimate.”

All I know right now is that Barack bought a big house on a small lot, then made a deal to double the property size by buying a small piece of the lot next door. We know that Rezko owns an empty lot next to BO. He paid market price for a buildable lot, and then reconfigured it so no one will want to buy it. What kind of business deal is that?  Where is the profit?

Its my guess that BO will take the lot off Rezko’s hands, at a bargain price, sometime in the future, when the public forgets about the details. Perhaps Michelle will plant vegetables on the unbuildable portion to sell to the neighbors Ayres, and Farakhan. Another possibility; Rezko will keep the property forever, pay the taxes, and maintain it while the Obamas enjoy it, because Rezko likes Barack Obama. Wouldn’t you do that for your best friend?

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Sarah Is Ready

Posted on 28/10/2008 by Grumpa Joe
My Flag Flies Everyday

My Flag Flies Everyday

A very dear friend asked for my opinion of Sarah Palin: this is what I told her. I worked in management for a mid-size company for thirty years. My knack for recognizing talented young people was credible. I was responsible for hiring, and recommending for hire, some of the most talented people in the company. The current President of the company is a man who I recommended we hire as a new grad engineer. I was also responsible for hiring the first woman engineer in the company. Sure, I hired some losers. Some of them were losers, and women too. My record, however was over .500. In the professional sports world a player who has a .500 record makes millions more than someone who does not. The talent I hired was usually young, and filled with energy, enthusiasm, and had the tools to succeed. They never let me down. I mentored them toward their goals, and in the process they helped me achieve the company goals.

From the first moment I heard Sarah Palin speak at the Republican National Convention, I saw her as a unique talent; a winner. I wrote about it in my post titled “Genious.” She affected me the same way the many young grads I hired during my career have affected me. She is a keeper, a problem solver, a go-getter, she is driven to succeed, she is goal oriented, she is self motivated, she is eloquent in her speeches, she will do the job. I think that much of her without ever having mentioned her practical experience of running governments. She has what it takes to run our country. She has much to learn, but she openly admits that. Most of what she has to learn is how to deal with a bunch of clowns in the media who don’t want to see her beat their candidate. I don’t think anyone who becomes president knows it all on the day they take office. Granted, being mayor of a town is nothing like being president, but being governor of a state is close. Think about the presidents who were governors before they became president. Bill Clinton is the first to come to mind, Jimmy Carter is another..

Many of my friends who are life long Republicans have told me they are voting for Obama. I ask them why? They give me two reasons: first, they are afraid of John Mc Cain’s age (see my post Write Me In), second, they don’t believe Sarah Palin is in over her head. Women especially, are very antagonistic and negative about her. I do not understand that, except that the women are being sexist. Is it possible for a woman to be sexist?

Women today are in the army, navy, marines, and the air force, they are lawyers, CEO’s, mothers, Senators, Congressmen, business owners. The current Secretary Of State is a woman. Women have done amazing things for the world, why is it that we can’t see Sarah Palin as Vice President?

I see Sarah Palin as extremely qualified, especially when I compare her to Obama, and she is eons more qualified than Joe Biden. If you don’t agree with me on that, look at her as the lesser of two evils.

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Stick to the Issues Barack

Posted on 27/10/2008 by Grumpa Joe
My Flag Flies Everyday

My Flag Flies Everyday

Throughout this campaign, I have heard BO angrily proclaim that John Mc Cain should stick to the issues and not smear or dwell on negatives. Well, I seem to think that Mc Cain is doing a great job of sticking to the issues. He continuously talks about tax cuts, building business, creating jobs through business, energy dependency, Roe vs Wade. What issues have  I heard from the BO campaign? How about Joe the Plumber owes taxes, he’s not a licensed plumber, and so on. On the VP side of things, he has attacked Sarah Palin relentlessly on her lack of experience (as a community organizer) her wardrobe, her brother in law, her lack of foreign affairs experience, etc. Well, if the sexist, racist, socialist liberal Democrats call this a clean campaign without negativism what else will they try to sell us?

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Redistributing the Wealth

Posted on 27/10/2008 by Grumpa Joe
My Flag Flies Everyday

My Flag Flies Everyday

Here is my idea of “redistributing the wealth.” Last Sunday, Peggy and I began the day by meeting some friends at the Country Club. We boarded a bus ($30.00 per) and were driven to Chicago. We were early, so the driver gave us a tour of the city. At 1:30, we arrived at the Cadillac theater for the show “Dirty Dancing” ($95.00 per in the Dress Circle). The show was fantastic. I have never seen a better set design than this one. The dancers were phenominal, as was the music. I rate this production five stars.

The driver must have had a promise from his wife, because we made it back to the Country Club in forty five minutes.  We disembarked in good condition($5.00 tip for the driver). Afterward, the group convened in the Club dining room for pasta night. ($40.00 per with drinks). Now I ask you this, would Barack be able to redistribute the wealth as well? Would he have picked as good a show to see? Would the bus be as good? Would the driver take you on an impromptu tour? Would he pick a nice place to eat? Would he pick great people to redistribute too? Just how will he redistribute your dollars?

 I don’t have a single common interest with Barack Obama, how could he possibly know how to redistribute my limited dollars? It just makes sense to control your own dollars. Barack Obama wants to own your wealth and spend it as he sees fit. He may not even spend it on you.

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