[Rhodes22-list] Katrina Update

Sun Feb 4 10:31:13 EST 2007

Wally,

Are you a "the glass is half empty" kinda guy when you're out making sales
calls?

The market is what the market is, and right now it is damn good.  My home
value isn't falling, it wasn't overinflated to begin with.  My savings rate
is still good (having a Chinese wife doesn't hurt) and we're agressively
paying off debt.

These are personal decisions.  I don't want or need a nanny government to
tell me what to do.  Inflation is low, market returns are good, unemployment
is at record lows (and good help difficult to find) - how much good news
does one need to cheer up?

But if you really feel that things are bad, buck up!  Hillary and Obama are
on the way with a chicken for every pot!  Maybe you're right, W is
responsible for every little thing that's wrong with every little misery in
life.  Thank goodness for elections, assuming you believe in elections.
Apparently you don't if you're an Iraqi.

Gone flying, have a nice day!

Brad

On 2/4/07, TN Rhodey <tnrhodey at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> Brad, Comparing Dave to Steve L...either you are joking or your memory
> sucks. Steve's goal was to insult and attack those who did not agree with
> him. I don't think that is true with Dave.
>
> Brad I disagree with your rosy fiscal predictions and your slant on the
> Iraq
> war. There are more economic indicators than Dow Jones. Debt is at all
> time
> high, Savings at all time low, home values dropping for first time since
> 1930s (Great Depression). We are building a house of cards and wasting
> billions on this war.
>
> Wally
> >From: "Brad Haslett" <flybrad at gmail.com>
> >Reply-To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
> >To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
> >Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Katrina Update
> >Date: Fri, 2 Feb 2007 13:55:03 -0600
> >
> >Wally,
> >
> >I don't have a lot of time today but I'll take a quick stab at your
> >question.  I stand behind every post and I've been pretty consistent over
> >the years.  I don't like entitlement programs, don't think most work the
> >way
> >they were intended, don't think many were needed in the first place, and
> >they seldom end long after the original perceived need is gone.  Bush 43
> >hasn't cut a single domestic entitlement program that I can think of, and
> >expanded some that we couldn't afford (think medicare).  There is nothing
> >inconsistent in my criticism over that. Bush and the Congress had their
> >heart in the right place over Katrina, but the inefficiencies and limits
> of
> >government have reared it's predictable head. You could double the amount
> >of
> >money appropriated and it wouldn't speed things 10%. Deficit spending is
> a
> >necessary evil at times, and certainly the post dot-com recession and
> >financial hit from 9/11 warranted deficit spending in my
> opinion.  Nothing
> >inconsistent about that.  Dave's rants reminds me of the old Steve from
> >Little Rock - one side is all bad and the other is all good. Both parties
> >have engaged in deficit spending, sometimes needed, sometimes not, and
> >neither party owns all the bragging rights on fiscal responsibility.  To
> >think so otherwise is naive.  What I took offense to is the thinly veiled
> >prejudice that heavy equipment operators, especially ones from
> Mississippi,
> >can't think for themselves or have their own opinions.  If Dave meant it
> >differently he can explain himself, but I interpreted it much like
> Charlie
> >Rangel's statement, drunk with power three days after the election, "why
> >the
> >hell would anyone want to live in Mississippi".  It is more of the same
> >elitist bullshit, "we know what's better for you than you do yourself".
> >The
> >people of the Gulf Coast do need federal assistance, ie, money.  They
> could
> >also use a lot less interference at the Federal level.  More government
> is
> >not the solution to the problem, government IS the problem.  If you, or
> >Dave, or anyone else think you have better solutions, you might want to
> >spend a few days along the coast and and look around first. Guess
> >what? Islamofascism will still be here in two years and so will the
> >rebuilding needs on the Gulf.  Hillary is already on record for
> "resenting"
> >being left with potential problems if she wins, but that's life.  If she
> >can
> >waive a magic wand, or broom, and make the world's problems go away, more
> >power to her.  I suspect the sane and rational arguments about what works
> >and what doesn't will get lost in the usual class warfare static.
> >
> >So let's summarize:
> >
> >I don't like entitlement programs.
> >
> >I don't like deficit spending (or mortgages or business debt) but
> recognize
> >it as a useful tool and necessary evil.
> >
> >I don't like politicians (and journalists) making broad sweeping
> statements
> >and drawing conclusions about problems they haven't even witnessed or
> >bothered to study.
> >
> >I'll say this one more time - I don't mindlessly agree with either party
> or
> >any one President.  However, like Ed Koch, the WOT is our greatest threat
> >and by comparison, every domestic issue takes a back seat.
> >
> >Wally, if as you imply I waffle on positions then I'm obviously in the
> >wrong
> >profession!  Maybe I should run for Senator from Massachusetts.
> >
> >Everyone is welcome to come to the Gulf and volunteer.  They could use
> the
> >help!
> >
> >I'm going back to work!
> >
> >Brad
> >
> >
> >On 2/2/07, TN Rhodey <tnrhodey at hotmail.com> wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>Brad,
> >>
> >>I don't understand your response to Dave. Why would folks from Miss kick
> >>his
> >>ass because of what you said? I am trying my best to stay out of these
> >>threads but sometimes I can't help myself. I looks to me like you don't
> >>want
> >>to stand behind your posts.....not the first time you have back peddled.
> >>
> >>Dave called it like he saw it.....good call!
> >>
> >>
> >> >From: "Brad Haslett" <flybrad at gmail.com>
> >> >Reply-To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
> >> >To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
> >> >Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Katrina Update
> >> >Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2007 21:12:59 -0600
> >> >
> >> >Dave,
> >> >
> >> >Forgive me for being short, the office is unheated.  My operators are
> >>not
> >> >in
> >> >awe of me or too many other people, but I wish you were here.  They
> >>would
> >> >kick your pompous ass in the first two minutes for your condesending
> >> >attitude towards them and Mississippi.
> >> >
> >> >Brad
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >On 2/1/07, DCLewis1 at aol.com <DCLewis1 at aol.com> wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>Brad,
> >> >>
> >> >>You say I put words in your mouth - I come back with quotes from
> >> >>your  posts.
> >> >>You say it's word twisting.  Read your cited posts, it's  pretty
> clear
> >> >>what
> >> >>you wrote.
> >> >>
> >> >>You talk about the need for deficit spending to fight the war and a
> >> >>recession.  The post-bubble//9/11 recession started towards the end
> of
> >> >>2001  and ended
> >> >>in 2002(see the first paragraph of
> >> >>_http://www.fdic.gov/bank/analytical/fyi/2006/032306fyi.html_
> >> >>(http://www.fdic.gov/bank/analytical/fyi/2006/032306fyi.html) )  ,
> this
> >>is
> >> >>2007.  The deficits from tax cuts in the intervening 5 years
> >> >>have  had nothing to do with recession - but I'm sure you knew that,
> >>just
> >> >>another  half-truth.
> >> >>
> >> >>You know darn well these guys have been living on
> debt  forever.  Each
> >>FY
> >> >>is
> >> >>always a "special situation" whose unique  circumstances require your
> >> >>idiot
> >> >>buddies to run up debt, right?  I  don't think so.  8 years of
> "unique
> >> >>circumstances" with Reagan, followed by  4 years of "unique
> >>circumstances"
> >> >>by Bush, and
> >> >>now 6 years of "unique  circumstances" with Jr - gimme a break.  Any
> >> >>public
> >> >>company that tried this  would be trashed and its management in
> >>jail.  Any
> >> >>private company would be  dead broke.  But your emotionally aligned
> >>with
> >> >>these
> >> >>idiots so it's OK with  you.
> >> >>
> >> >>Oh, and as per your post I have kept in mind that the Congress has to
> >> >>authorize the egregious deficit spending - and that brings me right
> >>back
> >> >>to your
> >> >>idiot buddies, many of which are no longer in Congress.  The
> electorate
> >> >>collectively threw up - and your buddies are gone.  But you
> knew  that.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>It would be gratifying to see a little intellectual  honesty.
> >> >>
> >> >>By all means, go to Mississippi maybe they'll believe you.  I'm
> >>sure  your
> >> >>equipment operators stand in awe of your encyclopedic  grasp of
> >> >>misinformation.
> >> >>Be sure to tell them about Keynesian  economics and the recession of
> >>2006,
> >> >>or
> >> >>5, or whatever, and when they quote you  remember to say "I never
> said
> >> >>that".
> >> >>They'll be impressed.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>Dave
> >> >>__________________________________________________
> >> >>Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
> >> >>
> >> >__________________________________________________
> >> >Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
> >>
> >>_________________________________________________________________
> >>Valentine's Day -- Shop for gifts that spell L-O-V-E at MSN Shopping
> >>
> >>
> http://shopping.msn.com/content/shp/?ctId=8323,ptnrid=37,ptnrdata=24095&tcode=wlmtagline
> >>
> >>__________________________________________________
> >>Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
> >>
> >__________________________________________________
> >Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Turn searches into helpful donations. Make your search count.
>
> http://click4thecause.live.com/search/charity/default.aspx?source=hmemtagline_donation&FORM=WLMTAG
>
> __________________________________________________
> Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>