W.W. Parrish "Porter and Ale" 1860 era bottle....

This past week I had the opportunity to Scuba Dive up in New Jersey with my Instructor and friend Chet at a favorite dive site in the Atlantic Highlands of New Jersey. We have been diving this river for 15+ years and continue to find bottles from the 1850's era and this was an interesting find....
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We had very poor visibility underwater 18-24" and at 20 feet down it was almost total darkness. many of the bottles found in this area are "encrusted" with marine growth such as sponge, etc. and while searching I came along this bottle covered with growth. As I moved it I felt the shape of a bottle so took a look. At first I saw the color and then cleaned off the neck to see the "blob" top which told me it was old. But the length was very short so I expected it to be a broken bottle like many we find in this area. (many people would throw broken bottles in the water to get rid of them) I then found that it appeared to be intact so kept it to look at it on the surface....
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Turns out this is a bottle from "W.W. Parrish Jersey City N.J." and has "Porter and Ale" on the backside. It is 6-1/2" tall and no chips or cracks with little sand scratches. It is from the 1860 period (civil war era) and called a "Pony" bottle.......










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Easy "Cheap" credit the problem?....

As I sit here watching the Summer Olympics a commercial comes on telling me how GM General Motors has had one of their best quarters and sales of GM vehicles have been thru the roof. Funny because last week it was reported that GM motors has a new finance company that are making car loans to just about anybody walking thru the door and the majority of the loans are made to those who are on the lower end of the credit rating scores.

Commentators were quick to point out the double benefit of this practice being that GM is able to report increased sales of automobiles, thus making a flashy commercial to broadcast during the Olympics, and the resale of relatively “New” vehicles once they reposes them from those who obviously could not afford them in the first place…

I am also reading for the second time “The Big Short” by Michael Lewis which explains a lot of what went on with the subprime collapse and it appears we are headed right back in the same direction as evident with the GM financing to those who can’t afford the cars they are buying. Another example is one provided in “The Big Short” regarding the practice of providing “Free Checking” by the banks…   

And he explained that they avoided free checking because it was really a tax on poor people—in the form of fines for overdrawing their checking accounts. And that banks that used it were really just banking on being able to rip off poor people even more than they could if they charged them for their checks.”

Lewis, Michael (2010-05-12). The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine (p. 20). Norton. Kindle Edition.

So here you have it. Many have always made profit off of lending money to those who need it or those who want it to improve their status. The dangerous one is the guy who uses credit to “keep up with the Jones”, get that new smartphone, or make that major purchase to have that house comparable to what took generations before us decades to be able to afford…

But is it the fault of the person doing the lending or the person spending by use of credit to make purchases that will take months\years\decades to pay off? Many people get caught up in the experience and rush of shopping and even justify this overspending by use of special credit promotions that make it almost foolish not to take advantage of these promotions. I have seen people walk around the store looking to spend another $100 to put them over the $299 minimum required to get that 12 months no interest offer. Seems like a good idea in taking advantage of “interest free money” but already the consumer is in the hole for spending the unnecessary $100 to get the offer and if the total purchase is not paid off in the 12 month period full interest is required. Fault of the “lender” or the “borrower”…

Many of my Liberal friends are quick to point out that wages have not increased across the board for everybody as it “Should” in their perfect world. First let me say that I look at CEO’s pulling down millions in bonus as incentive programs are eliminated to temporally raise stock prices and quarter bottom lines, but what happens to long term productivity? It has become evident that many in the “Middle class” have dealt with little wage increases by way of cheap credit to get the “Toys” they wanted before they could actually afford them. With that many people have gotten themselves in trouble and never really able to get ahead as they should.

Do people really need the new Smartphone that can do more than what many computers could do just a short time ago? Technology is a great thing and very valuable if you can make it work for you. I see friends who can run their companies with these phones and make very nice money by being smart with these phones. I take grief at work for being the guy still with a “flip-phone” but without running a business with it all I need is a portable phone and the smaller monthly phone bill…

More to come (?)…..

Staunton VA 4th of July Parade ~2012~

Nice sunny day for a 4th of July Parade in Staunton VA and had a good turnout even with it being the middle of the week...

Military personnel got standing ovations all along the parade route as well as several people stepping up to shake their hands and show appreciation for their service to our country...
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Congressman Bob Goodlatte walking the parade route in Staunton VA...
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I walked the parade route several times looking for the Democratic Party parade float and did not see anyone marching in support of the party or it's candidates. I also could not find or identify any campaign workers for any of the Democratic party candidates running this November. I eventually found the Staunton\Augusta County Democratic Party table along the parade route with a surprising small amount of campaign literature and support items (ugly Tim Kaine signs). This in stark contrast to the 2008 election cycle where the DNC and Obama sent  considerable amounts of money and support into the Shenandoah Valley...

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This also being in stark contrast to the representation provided by the Shenandoah Valley Tea Party who had a impressive showing by citizens who organized themselves and supported themselves along with help from other citizens in the valley.

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"Unions" just another form of government?...

I saw this sign out front of one of the major distribution centers here in Stuarts Draft encouraging workers to sign the "Union card" calling for a union to be formed at this location. Here we have a force which claims to represent you but infact takes money from the paycheck that you earned, spends it as they see fit claiming they know  better than you what is good for you, and restrict your ability to grow and improve yourself...

Ironic...

This the day after the federal government grew it's ability to do the exact same thing to us because of the ruling passed down by the Supreme Court regarding "Obama-care"...

Also Ironic is the low popularity of private unions as well as the low popularity of Obama-care with the true workers (private sector) of the United States...





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Yes Mr. President, it is a big deal to many of us...

SWAC-Ambush at the Golden Corral...

Did Congressmen Bob Goodlatte know what he was getting into when he accepted the invitation to the "SWAC-Breakfast" this past Saturday at the Golden Corral?...

The "SWAC-Breakfast" is a new  political forum that is made up of several local political "activist" and made up primarily of a former Republican committee chairman, a Democrat committee chairman, and others who once were active in local party activities.

As reported by the faithful reporter from the NewsVirginian, Bob Stuart, he described the confrontation between the congressmen and his Republican primary challenger who was waiting for him at the SWAC-breakfast.

"She said that if Goodlatte was for decreased spending, she wanted to know why he voted for an increased debt ceiling and for federal health care as part of an omnibus spending bill. Kwiatkowski then pounded her fist on the table at the Golden Corral and said, “You need to cut spending! You need to cut spending!”

The organizers of the SWAC-Breakfast club have hosted a breakfast forum for the primary challenger, Kwiatkowski, in the past as well as a breakfast forum for the Democrtatic party challenger to Goodlatte as well....

Did the Congressmen walk into a local breakfast gathering to meet and talk with his local constituents or did he walk into a "ambush" set up and hosted by the "SWAC-Gang"?...

Goodlatte confronted by opponent at local political breakfast
By: Bob Stuart | News Virginian Published: April 29, 2012

Rep. Bob Goodlatte’s talk before the SWAC Political Breakfast on Saturday morning briefly turned into an impromptu discussion with his opponent in the June Republican primary, Karen Kwiatkowski. Kwiatkowski questioned the fiscal conservatism of the congressman, whose 6th District includes much of the Shenandoah Valley.

She said that if Goodlatte was for decreased spending, she wanted to know why he voted for an increased debt ceiling and for federal health care as part of an omnibus spending bill. Kwiatkowski then pounded her fist on the table at the Golden Corral and said, “You need to cut spending! You need to cut spending!”

Goodlatte, who introduced a balanced budget constitutional amendment last year that failed to pass the House, responded by saying that if “you balance the budget in one year, you never have to borrow more money. Each year the budget is not balanced, you will need to ask for more resources.”

When asked by another questioner why he would not debate Kwiatkowski, Goodlatte said he has chosen to conduct his re-election campaign by “reaching out to my constituents like today. I expect my opponents will do the same.”

Kwiatkowski said the lawmaker and his office have refused to honor debate requests. She described the incumbent as “weak and hypocritical.”

Goodlatte said he is running on his record of 20 years, and believes that if Republican Mitt Romney is elected president in November and the U.S. Senate becomes a majority Republican body, federal spending will be cut. For much of his talk Saturday, Goodlatte detailed what he described as the excesses of the Obama administration. He described the administration as the “worst in our nation’s history.” Goodlatte said that he considered then-U.S. Sen. Barack Obama as the “most liberal and inexperienced person” ever to run for president when the Democrat campaigned four years ago, and that his hypothesis has proved true.

Goodlatte said that he is cautiously optimistic that the Supreme Court will overturn federal health-care reform legislation. He said Obama has done an “abysmal job on the economy, regulating sector after sector.” The overreach by Obama is at its worst on executive mandates regarding the Clean Water Act and the Environmental Protection Agency, the congressman said. Goodlatte said the EPA’s imposing of mandates onChesapeake Baywatershed states is wrong. “The federal government has the authority to set standards, but the states have the right to implement them,” he said. He said the EPA has failed to provide a cost-benefit analysis of what it is asking states to do with nutrient-pollution reduction in the bay.

One member of the audience, military veteran Andrea Jackson, wondered aloud why those in Congress are unable to work together in a more bipartisan way. She said she wished the “bickering” would stop inWashington.

Goodlatte pointed to a list of bills passed by the House and stalled in the Senate. “We would love to sit down with the Senate and work out our differences,” he said in response toJackson. Goodlatte called Saturday’s breakfast a good discussion of the issues, and then he left to attend a full day of activities in his district.

What to do with that "SWAC-promise"?....

Operation Drumbeat asks the oh-so-important question of if Supervisor Karaffa has already ruled out any increase in the real estate tax rate on Wednesday night, how will he fill the budget shortfall that the county now faces? Will he vote for a massive property tax increase or will he find ways to cut spending and waste within the budget?......

Is raising Tax-rates the correct thing to do?.....

There is much in the news right now about many local governments looking to raise their tax rates to cover the budget shortfalls they are looking at. Just as our federal government is looking at massive budget shortfalls and incredible deficits, our local governments need to understand that we can not continue to spend more than what we take in and there is little room to increase revenues by raising tax rates. Americans for Prosperity came out with this today and well worth looking at....

Right now, several localities are proposing various tax increases that will have a negative impact on families across the Commonwealth. At a time when families and businesses have cut back on spending, in addition to feeling the pinch of rising gas prices, it is appalling that localities would consider raising taxes. Bottom line, Virginia's cities have a spending problem, not a tax problem.

Principles are not always popular, and we need to ask local government offices to stand for the principles of limited government and economic freedom, and to cut spending rather than raising taxes.

The following are just a few of the localities that are proposing some form of a tax increase. To find out more about your locality, check out or website.

Augusta County is proposing a three cent increase in real estate taxes and a 32-cent increase in taxes on cars and trucks. If the tax increases are approved later this week, taxpayers would end up paying;

a rate of 51 cents per $100 on real estate
$2.57 per $100 personal property taxes on cars and trucks
Call your board members at (540) 245-5610 to let them know you are against these tax increases.

Lynchburg City is trying to increase the city real estate tax and add a new storm water fee that could result up to a 13-14 percent increase combined. We’re standing with City Councilman Jeff Helgeson against the fight. Stand with us by contacting the board by clicking here.

Pittsylvania County budget proposes a 50-cent increase in the personal property tax and an increase in the real estate tax rate by four cents. In addition, several fees for homebuilding, and water and sewer will increase as well.

Fluvanna County is proposing a 20 percent increase, which would raise the tax on the average county property to roughly 350-400 dollars. Click here to call or e-mail the board members.

In addition, the following localities have all proposed a tax increase on tobacco sales.

Buena Vista: Tobacco tax proposal that equals 30 cents per pack of cigarettes. Call the city council to express your concern: (540) 261-6121

Danville: Tobacco tax proposal that equals 30 cents per pack of cigarettes. Find your Council person here and tell them to oppose this tax increase.

Williamsburg: Proposed cigarette tax hike of 30 cents. Click here to contact the city council.

Emporia: The proposed tax increases would increase to 50 cents per pack in the city of Emporia. Click here to contact the city council members.

Newport News: Proposed cigarette tax hike of 85 cents per pack. Click here to contact the city council members.

Poquoson: Proposed cigarette tax hike of 25 cents per pack. Click here to contact the city council members.

Town of Bridgewater: Proposed cigarette tax of 20 cents per pack. Click here to contact the board of supervisors.

There are dozens of cities and counties that are proposing various tax increases. Click here and tell your local officials to cut spending now.

Sincerely,

Audrey Jackson
State Director
Americans for Prosperity

Senator Webb can even see what would happen....

Even Democratic Party Senator Jim Webb understands what would happen to the gas prices we would face if they were to eliminate the government "subsidies" to the oil companies. There has been much talk about the profits that the oil companies have been getting but little follow up with the facts showing that the oil companies have one of the lowest profit margins when compared to other industries as well as the incredible amount of taxes already paid. Many tend to point to the profits made by the oil companies but yet avoid mentioning the Billions paid to federal and state governments at the same time...

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Unfortunately our President has decided to make this a campaign issue and practicing the art of only mentioning select data and avoiding the truth were needed to maintain the agenda. Fortunately Senator Webb saw that by eliminating "subsidies" for companies seeking out additional sources of energy would only raise the retail price of the product at the pump...

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Now if we could only get Virginia's other Senator, Mark Warner (D), to understand that Virginia needs to develop and provide the large resources of energy we have offshore...

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Additional info over at RollCall...

“Is this the best we have to offer folks who are staring at $4-a-gallon gasoline?” McConnell asked before the vote. “A bill that even Democrats admit won’t do anything to lower the price of gas? And a process that blocks any other idea from even coming to the floor for a vote?




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