The Cranky Voter

Healthcare: The Government Option

January 3, 2010 – 2:20 pm by Cranky Voter
There has been a lot of conversation about Health Care reform. I am not quite sure that I understand all the conversation as everyone talks about access to Healthcare. We all have access to Healthcare. If you were really sick you can walk into an Emergency Room and find someone that will help you. There are also a bunch of free or non-profit clinics that you can go to, as well as the newest addition to the Health Care Scene, the minute Clinic at CVS as well as other pharmacies. You get to go into a CVS and walk up and see a Nurse Practitioner who can prescribe you antibiotics and stuff to feel better. Of course don't tell the Nurse Practitioner that there is something really wrong with you because if you have a heart condition, or Diabetes, or Cancer, or any other severe condition they won't examine you ...

Posted in Economy, Health Care | No Comments »

WHO thinks American Healthcare stinks? Why are we really ranked 37th?

September 23, 2009 – 2:01 pm by Cranky Voter
So I was recently having a conversation about healthcare. I was expressing my concern over the proposed legislation and describing certain portions needed to be changed. I believe that there need to be some reforms in the Healthcare system, but I am not really in favor of the huge costs or the implementation of a 'public' government run program, or cutting money from Medicare to pay for Universal Health Care. Perhaps that is a topic for another article, but what really got me was the comment that America did not have the best Healthcare system in the world but instead was ranked 37th by the WHO - the World Health Organization. Although I remembered something about that ranking, I was taken off guard and really didn't know what to say. My gut told me that if I wanted Healthcare, there was no place I would rather be. If I need ...

Posted in Economy, Health Care, International Policy | No Comments »

An Opportunity Missed in Iran

July 9, 2009 – 12:49 pm by Cranky Voter
When the President of the United States can't see obvious election fraud and actually takes more time to condemn the inhumane actions by the Iranian Government than France, well something is wrong in the District of Columbia. When did the United States of America become afraid of being provocative when the choice is to be on the side of freedom and democracy? We should have been standing with the protesters in Iran. The people that risked their lives to fight for democracy and the will of the populace. Instead, Obama took a wait and see approach. While the world was condemning the actions of the Iranian government, While congress and many of our leaders here in the United States condemned the actions of a totalitarian and oppressive government, the leader of the free world was waiting. While the President of France, spoke out in support of the protesters and against ...

Posted in International Policy | No Comments »

Banking, Bailouts and Treasury - No Clue?

March 12, 2009 – 12:49 am by Cranky Voter
Does anyone in government have a clue? Are bailouts the answer to our economic woes? Do you trust Tim Geithner to come up with a plan to rescue our economy when he couldn't even pay his own taxes? Why doesn't he have a plan already? Heck, Why haven't they done something other than give Billions of dollars to failing companies and inspired so much fear that the stock market has lost 50% of its value? Yeah, maybe it sounds a bit cranky, but I don't think Geithner has a clue and neither does Saturday Night Live. Ok, I will admit it, I was watching Saturday Night Live (SNL) the other night and the opening scene was an actor playing Tim Geithner. But it seems that everyone else watched the opening scene also, since they showed it on Meet the Press, This Week with George and I saw it on Fox ...

Posted in Economy | No Comments »

The End of AIG

March 7, 2009 – 12:05 am by Cranky Voter
It should be the end of AIG! Kill it! Put it out of it's misery! Are we doing anyone any favors by keeping it alive? Billions of dollars have created a company in limbo, with no direction and no chance of survival. It is a money pit with no end in site. All the good talent at AIG is leaving and those that are left behind are like the walking dead with no direction and fearful of the eventual end. So do everyone a favor and let the end come. Long live AIG, now let it die! Do you think that is harsh? Maybe a little cranky? We the American Tax Payers have contributed $180 Billion dollars to AIG in order to keep it from failing? $180 Billion is a lot of money. So maybe I just don't understand. Perhaps I am missing it. Why did taxpayers have to give all ...

Posted in Economy | No Comments »

The American Dream - Blackmailing China and India

February 24, 2009 – 6:52 pm by Cranky Voter
So Hillary Clinton took her first trip as Secretary of State. Of all the places in the world she chose Asia. Most incoming Secretaries visit Europe first, but not Hillary. President Obama went up to Canada, well maybe that was to make sure a trade war wasn't started over his rhetoric, but not Hillary. Perhaps she is sending a message, that Asia is important, and the United States is going to focus on those guys .. over there .. on the other side of the world. Then again, perhaps Hillary wanted to get some silk pajamas. If you think about it, it makes sense, visiting Asia. Our President spent a lot of time in Asia as a child. He grew up in Indonesia and went to school there, although I am not sure it is acceptable to mention his schooling in Indonesia without being called a racist or a "religist" or ...

Posted in Economy, International Policy | 1 Comment »

Anointing of the King

January 21, 2009 – 4:35 pm by Cranky Voter
All praise the King of the United States. President Obama. He gives hope where there was none before. He finds solutions for things that can not be solved. He represents "Change that we can Believe in", yet most of his cabinet appointments have all worked in the Clinton Administration. He offers tax cuts for all people, especially those who do not pay taxes, I prefer to call it a welfare check. And promises that the rich, those that hire workers and get the economy moving, will pay their fair share .. so that maybe, they won't be able to hire any more workers. Obama has already talked about creating another stimulus package to save us from the next great horrible depression. He will continue the policy, the failed policy of George W. Bush, providing bailouts to poorly managed companies whose management should be punished for allowing the destruction of their ...

Posted in Economy, International Policy, Presidential Election | No Comments »

An Alternative Bailout option for the Big 3

December 10, 2008 – 12:04 am by Cranky Voter
The problem is that providing a loan to the Big 3 auto makers, doesn't solve the problem it perpetuates the problem. If these car companies can't sell cars, then does it really matter how much money you lend them? If the cost structure that these companies are burdened with can't be resolved, then these companies will never be able to compete with companies that don't have such a cost structure. In the days when these companies ruled the car industry, appeasing the Unions and giving them such huge pay and benefits perhaps was acceptable. The cost is passed on to the car buyer and in effect we are subsidizing their inefficiency. However you can't fight market forces, as you introduce competition, especially competition that hasn't made such concessions to workers, you see that these companies can not compete. It is not about quality any more. It is about the cost of ...

Posted in Economy | No Comments »

Paris Hilton Campaign Ad - The Best Position on Energy

August 6, 2008 – 10:49 pm by Cranky Voter
Paris Hilton strikes back. The Hotel heiress has put out a political campaign ad out on the internet in response to McCain's ad which included her image while comparing Obama to a self import publicity hound. The reference to Paris did not go unnoticed and she responded. The problem is the response wasn't just funny, it actually made a lot of sense. She took time out from her sunbathing, and actually articulated what many Americans are probably thinking. We should try anything and everything to solve our energy problems. That by prohibiting offshore drilling in the short term while we are waiting for some of this advanced technology to ease our dependence on foreign oil doesn't make a lot of sense. Let's try everything we can including offshore drilling in order to break our addiction to foreign oil. And the most important point she makes is that she is running because ...

Posted in Economy, Presidential Election | No Comments »

Leadership and the Presidency - Prisioner vs. Community Organizer

July 29, 2008 – 3:27 pm by Cranky Voter
So there has been a lot of talk about Leadership this political season, who has exhibited leadership and who has the experience to lead. The President of the United States is referred to as the leader of the free world and we expect the person who is elected to that office to have the skills required to manage this country and the world effectively. A poor leader can have a disastrous impact on our country. Can we all remember the one term President who presided over the worst combined Inflation and Unemployment in our history. Allowed gas prices to soar, allowed a terrorist nation to invade our embassy and capture our citizens for hundreds of days. It took the leadership of the next President to free those hostages, which shows how important leadership is for a president. If we choose a President who can not lead or worse leads ...

Posted in Presidential Election | No Comments »