SnakeRiverLib

Pension funds are sinking cities and states all over the nation.  Why?  They were funded based on 8% returns, and so the moon was promised.  Now that they aren't delivering, those pensions are eating into general budgets.  Cities are going bankrupt because of these liabilities, which by the way number into the trillions of dollars, nationwide.  Not a local government or state employee?  Don't smirk,  you are sitting on a huge liability that dwarfs the pension issue.  Social Security.  The difference, of course, is that if things get too desperate, money wise, Congress can pass legislation changing how much you receive, or add an earnings test, to see if you qualify for Social Security.  Yup, the Supremes did that back in the 1960s, and we know how important precedent is.  Social Security is now a drain on the general fund.  And what is anyone doing about it? What about other entitlements?  The welfare reform of the mid 90s was very successful at helping people cut their pla

First, As much as I hate to say it, with the Democrats showing their hand, and making no pretense of "working across the aisle", I feel like as much as I want to not vote Republican, I am in a District where the luxury of voting how I need to, instead of how I want makes that pretty clear.  My district, which has been Republican with the exception of the Nancy Boyda years is a toss up.  No labels Lynn Jenkins is retiring, and the Republican has been a no-show for most of the campaign season.  We saw in the Kavanaugh rape that the Democrats see their work being flushed down the toilet, as it was not built on statute.  (Notable exception is the Affordable Care Act, which is still around, though it is the walking dead without the individual mandate.) Speaking of the ACA, as it does impact the Missouri Senate race.  When I did my paper on health care policy, I pointed out the difference for average people between having insurance and access to care.  I did the whole ACA thi

Why? As the debt and deficit explode, the real fear is that with interest rates on the rise the number one budget item will be servicing the debt.  More than defense, more than Social Security, more than Medicare. Of course, debt being number one does not detract from the desperate need for reforms of the two headed hydra, Social Security and Medicare.  Why? The obligation to those two programs isn't factored into the debt.  For years these programs took in more than they spent.  While that money was allegedly put into a "Lock Box" somewhere in a building in West Virginia (no doubt named for Robert Byrd, former Democrat Senator and Klansman), what was really put into that lock box were special government securities for that purpose.  The government then put the money into the general fund to offset the annual deficit (which was how they said they balanced the budget) or to make it not look as bad as it was.  All the while things were great, money was rolling in, and n

Tomorrow is Columbus Day proper, written about it, not much to add there. I am formulating some ideas that I am going to pursue with some serious research, and feeling like there could actually be something to it.  The concept of property rights and the erosion of them always seems to precede the failure of democracy.  So, people are like, "what's the big deal?  We already know that."  Do we?  If so, why has it gone on, taking more and more?  Yeah, that. I won't have you look to Venezuela for socialism, or rather, the nanny state.  There is a much closer example, and it is a tragedy.  Surprisingly enough, it also has to do with property rights. Know what I am talking about? There is very little poverty in the US that compares to the depths that one may find on Indian Reservations.  People stuck living off the federal government, which, due to neglect, and stealing property, has left many Indians destitute, and without hope.  As the government and tribe hold the

Okay, so it is the Spanish spelling. Today is the observance of Columbus Day, when federal employees are paid to not work, (or paid double) and protests blow up around the nation.  The actual date that Colon landed on Hispaniola was October 12.  I suspect more protests are in store. Columbus is one of those figures that was built up through history, and is now being torn down.  All Columbus wanted to do, besides find a shorter route to the Indies, was to bring Christianity to the native people.  Of course, one may think that was terribly privileged of him, but spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ is one of the signs of a Christian.  I would hope no one would fault him for that.  Many of course see a different Columbus, the one that intentionally brought smallpox infected blankets to slaughter the natives, and then to enslave the ones that lived.  Please. Columbus was no son of wealth.  He was a sailor that learned his craft from the Italians and the Portuguese.  The Portuguese at

I wanted to put this in to my assignment, but thought it too long,.  I also was not sure on how it would be received.  Too bad in a university setting that that is a concern.  No matter, you all get the benefit.  For the record, I want to be clear that I don't know that my professor would receive it badly, but it was awful long.  Any way,  here goes. All I can say is that hindsight is 20/20.  But in truth, I suspect the authors of How Democracies Die (Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt) laid a lot of the whole demagoguery thing at the feet of Trump.  Because of the aftermath of the election, I wonder if they could have imagined that everything that they pointed to about Trump, could easily be said about the Democrats..  In fact, let me take a moment and go point by point before I begin the response.  These are the Four Indicators of Authoritarian Behavior.   1. Rejection of, or weak commitment to, the rules of the game: Yes, Trump did not commit to accept the results of the e