SamSaid!

GASOLINE PRICES

     We are over the $3.00 per gallon threshhold heading for who knows what, and the national media are having a real treat beating up on those greedy, selfish, nasty, money-hungry, Corporate sharks who are taking advantage of every opportunity to gouge US Citizens while the fat cats swell the Corporate coffers  by millions and millions of dollars at the expense of the “man in the street”. No one in the private sector is spared, including all of those nasties driving gas guzzling SUV's (except those in Hollywood). The news is stronly anti-Corporate and anti-business.

     I am not all that happy about gas prices over $3.00 and climbing. But with all of the moaning, groaning and ciiticism of the oil industry, there is one fact that seems to be ignored by the gurus of the left. During this run-up of gas prices at the pump, the price of crude oil has increased from $50 per barrel to $70 dollars per barrel. I have always felt that the  price per barrel of crude drove the price at the pump. No matter what the use of the oil may be, it all starts with the price of crude oil. It is not my purpose to defend the practices or pricing policies oif Big Oil. But it seems to me that in the broad condemnantion of the oil companies, and the hardships caused by high gasoline prices, the soaring cost of crude oil (almosts a 40% increase) has to be fingered as the main culprit.

     Is the news you get from the media accurate without even mentioning  the huge price uncrease of crude oil?  –  an increase not controlled by the US Government or the US Oil companies ???  

     Think about it!

WARMING

     Global warming is the buzzword of the day and is now the popular cause of self styled experts on both sides of the political aisle. We are being bombarded by statistics trying to prove the case for the different points of view. While I am not indifferent to the gloom and doom global warming forecasts, I do not like to be snowed (no pun intended) by the careful arrangement of partial, selective facts.

     One fact does not seem to be in dispute, i.e., in the last 100 years, the climate of the earth has warmed by about one (1) degree. But there is one other fact that many folks seem to ignore; that is, over the history of our planet, whether measured in years, centuries, millennia, or millions of years, the climate of the earth has continually changed —  sometimes in major swings. We have had ice ages, some longer than others,  and warm periods (maybe we could call them hot flashes?) as well. Our planet has evolved so that we now have glaciers at the poles and tropical rain forests in between. And these extremes have come about, thank you, without the help or hindrance of mankind. Nowadays the culprit of climate change, i.e., “warming”, is placed at the doorstep of human activity  —   hence the gloom and doom global warming forecasts.

     I can buy the idea that PART of the climate increase that has occurred over the past 100 years is due to human activity, but ask yourself the question  –  is that element of “warming” 50% of the total, or maybe just 5%? The answers to that question show the fertile ground for statistical exaggeration.  For one, I will be much more comfortable about the whole global warming issue if that simple question is accurately answered. But the obfuscation of factual data by scientists who know better as well as journalists with their own agendas continues. The environmentalists are having a field day and happily throw kerosene on the fire. In the meantime, Mother Nature, the master architect of long term climate change, goes along her merry way toward another millenium  –  with or without our help

     Economics  –  and the price of gasoline?  That  is another matter.

IMMIGRATION

The demonstrations continue in cities across the country. The Mexican flag is flying and illegal aliens are demanding THEIR RIGHTS. Can you imagine that?  People who are in OUR country illegally are demanding THEIR RIGHTS?? Some kind of a country, right?

     The immigration issue is not a new one. It has been around for 10-15-20 years and more, dating back to the memorable Edward R Murrow telecast, “Harvest of shame”. For many years, the problem of “illegals” was considered manageable, and our Congressional folks just looked the other way. At that time, maybe the problem was too small to waste a lot of time on it. If it was too small then, it is too big now. Twelve million people is a whole lot of folks to try to locate, identify and manage. I don't think we could round up all of the illegals –  even if we wanted to. And that ignores the big furor it would create.

     It is not too difficult to put your finger on the essentials of the hassle. First of all, these 12 million  are not “undocumented workers”, as the left wingers like to describe them. They are aliens in our country  — and they are here illegally. To describe them otherwise is to obscure the issue. Second, their services are of value, and certain industries strongly depend upon them. Third, they definitely are a drain on our services that are available to citizens. Fourth, some of them pay taxes  — others do not. Fifth, some immigrants are in the country legally  — most are not. Sixth, the inflow of immigrants continues without our ability to stop it. Seventh, most of the aliens are in the US for money  –  jobs to better their families  — here or in Mexico.

     But any way you look at it, the US government has to deal with 12 million people, and we are not sure who they are, where they are, what they are doing,  or where they may be headed. In my view, no country should tolerate that kind of  situation. In order to have any governmental control or real security, a government should be able to control its borders. Right now, we can't, and that comes at a time when terrorism raises both concerns and doubts about strangers who are loose in our midst. It may require strong medicine for change, and of course we have no shortage of bleeding hearts who will support any measures as long as nobody is disadvantaged or hurt. But we have to face the problem, not finesse it.

    First of all, we need to control the borders and dry up the source. Second, we have to differentiate the legals from the illegals. Third, we must have a reliable ID system toallow us to track the “illegals” and deport the undesireables. Obviously there are details to be determined, but we should not overlook the basic fact  –  they are aliens who are in our country illegally. That has to be the starting point,   demonstrations or no demonstrations.

     In California, bi-lingual means teaching English as the second language. Can we see our future?  Si!

RIGHTS

     Every once in a while I spot an article in which a learned author offers words of wisdom worth thinking about.  James Q. Wilson is is one of those authors. The notable quote was (don't hold me to the precise words);

     The rising demand that every personal preference become a constitutional right is a worrisome disease. People do have rights, and the Constitution and the First Ten Amendments spell them out. Adding new invented rights by either a ratified amendment or judicial overreaching is a mistake. ”

     It seems that everyone nowadays has special rights. The obese, the handicapped (major or minor), aliens, immigrants, illegal aliens, children, unborn children, women, minorities (of all kinds of mixtures), gender deviations, political proclivities, ethnics, religion, age  —  and the list goes on. When a particular group starts to scream and protest, Congress, in some cases,  rushes in to “protect” them by creating new  “rights”. The legality of these rights does not come from a popular vote. The desires of the people are immaterial. In most cases the rights are the product of  the Judicial system —-  the opinion of one man (woman)  — a judge. Just by the stroke of a pen, a group becomes “entitled”, and a new set of “rights” comes under the umbrella of the law —-   and become almost impossible to revise or eliminate.

     They say we have a Democracy, but what good is a system in which the majority opinion of citizens is neither sought nor honored? How many politicians have been ecouraging or proposing plebiscites to “put it up to the people” for a popular vote on key issues? The death penalty?  Abortion? Gay marriage?

     Don't hold your breath. Just suffer in silence.  It's your right!!