Gambler vs Slippery Dick

Romney screwed up in debate tonight by trying to force fellow candidate for president into $10,000 gambling wager over one of the presented issues. I don't think many people feel comfortable with the image of a big-time gambling president in charge of our money in the White House. Americans are looking for monetary common sense, fiscal conservatism, frugality, cut the waste, cut the spending, treat my tax money like royalty.

Romney also addressed sobriety and stability in defining why he is the best candidate for the Republicans. This comment was obviously a focusing point on Newt Gingrich's sordid past. When asked to describe how his childhood had influenced Gingrich as an adult, the speaker skipped over the issue and just mentioned his father was in the military and he moved around. Then, Gingrich referred to some of his shelter corporations which produce movies, books, and other things, headed, in name, by his wife and daughter.

Bachmann kept struggling for attention.

No real winners tonight. I would give negative points to Romney for gambling. I would give Gingrich the "Slippery Dick" award for skirting more interesting issues.

Newt Auditions For Donald Cronyism

Donald Trump will lead a panel for one of the Republican debates. It is like"The Apprentice." Who will Donald choose for the presidential job. And if Donald does not like any of the candidates and decides to become a third party candidate, does this mean the Republican candidates are "fired?"
If the Republican candidates are fired by Donald, can they come back and challenge the boss and king-pin decision-maker?
Others looking closely at Donald's hosting a debate are Rush Limbaugh, Karl Rove, Chris Matthews, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, and Sherri Shepard. Could talk show hosts become the new political heavyweight debate moderators?
Some say celebrity hosts can increase political viewership and TV ratings, as it did for Dancing With the Stars? What's next? It can go as far as your imagination.

Congress fails AGAIN

How can America rise from the recession and decrease the deficit if the Congress, Democrats and Republicans, can not make any decisions? The congressional Republicans want to protect the wealthiest 2% of Americans and will not allow any increase of the multimillionaires and billionaires.
Now there will be $2 trillion dollars tax of automatic financial cuts of domestic and defense spending starting in 2014. Family financial supports will also end. This will be a hard hit and no one will be happy! Congress must talk and arrive at a balanced plan. By not acting and not making a decision , Congress has voted for tax increases for everyone, including the wealthiest. Everyone will pay $1,000 or more in taxes because of our dysfunctional Congress.
Today, Congress, as is the norm, is taking a holiday work break. Representing constituents in Congress is a voluntary position. If you can not do the job, you need to stop going to Congress and get another job or start a business in your local area to decrease unemployment.
The minute people get elected to Congress, they begin the political games and sell out the local interests in favor of high-paying lobbyists. We saw that with Jeff Denham's election. After he won, he went to Washington, DC and threw a private $250,000 party for Republicans and lobbyists, using money from the Central Valley - one of the poorest places in California.
Register to vote and vote them OUT!!!!!

Cain accuser a prostitute?

Today a lady, Sharon Bialek, came out and made more specific accusations against Republican candidate Herman Cain. According to her story Cain's behavior showed that he considered her a prostitute, or some other sex worker. We certainly don't want have this sort of behavior going on in the White House by a president. However, I am sure many of the presidential and congressional candidates have done similar activities as Cain, but the accusations were not made public for various possible reasons.
I believe this woman has credibility, but the event is old and there were obvious mixed messages between the two. First, why would she fly in to meet Cain and stay in a room paid for by Cain, in order to ask him for a "job?"  She met Cain at night in a bar and had drinks (I find this unusual for a job 1st interview). Sharon Bialek calls Cain, Herman (I have worked for bosses for years and never called them by their first names - it is a sign of respect and acknowledgment of the employer/employee relationship). Then, she had a private dinner with Cain - why would this potential employer take Sharon out on an upscale dinner date? Next she consented to go off into the night to visit some vague empty restaurant offices. Why would she go to an empty building site late at night with a man she is asking for a job? She had no prior connection with Cain and Cain even asked her why she was there? We can only imagine her answer. She could remember all of Cain's remarks, but she left out her side of the conversations. She said she was sent to meet Cain that evening by her "boyfriend." Perhaps he is a pimp-like person.
Anyway, this lady has no common sense and seems like a "set-up," probably trying to get money from the event. She probably wanted the sexual advancements to occur in the Restaurant Association offices so she could sue for big bucks against Cain and the association. She says Cain took her home (the hotel room he paid for) the minute she protested (she never said how far they went before she protested).  Since they were not in the association's offices, Cain was not at work, Sharon Bialek was not an employee or client, she accepted a hotel room from him and they went out on a date (which she asked to fly in for at night), this becomes a bad date experience by a married man and a potential prostitute. I feel Cain was confused because she was acting like a prostitute. Cain actions can not be overlooked. If Cain is in a bad marriage, it will only get worse in the White House. Washington, DC is full of stories, going back generations, about political sex scandals and prostitutes. We need leadership, not more sex scandals.

HSR -time is of the essence

The High Speed Rail(HSR) debate goes on. Some people, like Republican congressman Jeff Denham said "just widen highway 99 - high speed rail is not needed and too expensive."


Now, today, other Republican obstructionists are coming out to propose - "just expand our already existing Amtrak lines. Much cheaper and could get the train to go up to 110 MPH." 


Amtrak currently runs from Oakland to Bakersfield area, then you switch to a bus to go over the mountains. I took this trip a couple of years ago and I seem to remember using 2 buses and 2 trains, then a taxi, to get to my destination. Quite a trek. I did not save much time, but it was more relaxing than driving. I love Amtrak and would love if we could crank it up to do the job. But, it has been ignored too long.


The truth is the central valley has been is dire need of a transportation overhaul for over thirty years. Unfortunately, none of the city councils, county supervisors, state senators, state assemblymen, or transportation heads have ever addressed the issue. so, the valley has crumbled and existed as a "difficult to reach" area with sluggish economies. 


Now, we finally have a president who is interested in growing the valley and willing to commit federal cash to get the job done. Obstructionists fail to see that the project will be expensive because they have ignored the valley for decades. State senator Jeff Denham did nothing to improve valley jobs, improve valley transportation, or improve the valley housing market. Now, as a valley congressman, Denham continues to want to impede valley economic growth, safety, and transportation. It is stupid and totally irresponsible to say the transportation solution is to just widen highway 99. I want even more from this transportation overhaul, but the High Speed Rail Authority has repeatedly told me they do not want to address the huge volume of trucking traffic along highway 99 with this current HSR package. Too bad - it is a huge, huge problem and it makes a lot of sense to address the trucks at the same time.


The HSR system is elevated, so there should be fewer collisions between trains and people, cars, and various pieces of junk placed on the tracks. This is a big advantage over the current Amtrak tracks. Also the HSR will be quieter, so residents living near the tracks will be less stressed from train noises.


Obstructionists complain HSR will cost $13 billion for the Merced to Bakersfield route. Well, let's face it, every year you wait to get the job done, it will cost more. The costs will not go down. In the meantime, the valley suffers. Maybe we can improve the valley economy and get some locals significant employment and careers. Certainly cities with HSR stations will grow greatly. The complainers of HSR are probably the same people who blocked UC from building a valley campus for so many years. Now, UC Merced is a continuing success story with many benefiting from the investments.


The main thing about HSR is that it must be completed in time to handle the aging "baby boomers" who will be losing their driving capabilities over the next decade. They will use HSR in large numbers. After the baby boomers, there is a population drop, so ridership will depend more on costs, convenience, etc. So, time is of the essence.