I am now very with it! I am part of a social network. I am a Facebook enrollee with my own primary network of ninety-six online friends. I no longer have to read books, watch television, listen to radio (NPR) or read the New York Times to keep informed. That task now belongs to my Facebook friends. Instead of investing four or five hours a day reading, listening and watching the media, I merely spend ten hours at my computer desk or with my iPhone logged into Facebook. I just need my friend's one or two line status updates, a few carefully considered and posted URL links and a smattering of YouTube flicks to provide all the meaningful information I can ever use. I am a liberated man person.
For example, I never was one to watch Fox News. In fact, we inserted a V-chip in our television to prevent the children from watching the station or for Fran or I to accidently scroll to the channel when channel surfing. Today one of my Facebook friends posted this item on Facebook:
Republicans Object to Stimulus Dollars for ACORN - First 100 Days of Presidency - Politics FOXNews.c
Source: www.foxnews.com
Republicans say voter registration and community groups like ACORN could be eligible for funding under the Democrats' economic stimulus bill.
Never in a million years would I have been aware of this insightful article. But thanks to my informative Facebook community I read the article this afternoon. All in all, the article raises some very valid points about how we could be addressing the next round of "stimulus" dollars. I am not writing to justify how this money is spent, I just thought I might interject how my mind digests, disassembles and reassembles thoughts as I read. So bear with my reflection and try to put aside mine or your political views!
Let's run through some of the lines in the article. My mind at work will be in bold italics.
"Republican lawmakers are raising concerns that ACORN, the low-income advocacy group under investigation for voter registration fraud, could be eligible for billions in aid from the economic stimulus proposal working its way through the House."
Good start to the article. I do remember ACORN from some of the campaign ads and news commentary (pre Facebook, I had to rely on conventional media!). Somewhere my mind links ACORN with Bill Ayers. This same mind of mine, is preparing itself for the Republicans to be not in favor of this section of the stimulus package proposal. Under investigation sounds a lot like under indictment like so many of our current politicians. I know that that is not good.
"House Republican Leader John Boehner issued a statement over the weekend noting that the stimulus bill wending its way through Congress provides $4.19 billion for "neighborhood stabilization activities.""
Hmmm, $4.19 billion is a lot of money, even when compared to the $700,000,000,000 already spent on economic recovery the past few months. "Neighborhood stabilization activities" is in quotes. This sounds like a good activity, but this mind of mine thinks the article is going elsewhere with this.
"He said the money was previously limited to state and local governments, but that Democrats now want part of it to be available to non-profit entities. That means groups like ACORN would be eligible for a portion of the funds."
Didn't the first stimulus package passed by the previous Congress give funds to non-profit organizations? No, that was not the case at all, I am not thinking straight! Congress and the administration gave money to large corporations that formerly were profitable, but now were experiencing no profits due to some minor lapses in business judgment.
"Sen. David Vitter, R-La., told FOX News Tuesday that the money could be seen as "payoff" for groups' political activities in the last election. ACORN generally supports Democratic candidates and actively backed President Obama last year. But he said the funding is just one example of frivolous spending items in the $825 billion package."
Payoffs for political favors, this is something new! Thank goodness giving billions, multibillions to the banking, brokerage, insurance and automotive industries could never be construed as payback for favors received or payoffs for future support. I can just imagine future Democratic congressmen, congressional staffers and administration staffers getting high paying volunteer jobs with organizations like ACORN when they move back into the quasi private sector. My mind wonders why I have not been following the career and wisdom of Senator Vitter more closely! To be able to see the dark side of an organization like ACORN that openly supported Senator Obama. Senator Vitter's penetrating insight about political payoffs is a gift. My mind is just assuming that Senator Vitter is a new senator and was not in Washington during the last few months of 2008 when we bailed out AIG, Bank of America, Wachovia, Citicorp, Ford, General Motors, Merrill Lynch et al. No chance of any payoff from these outstanding organizations!
"Obama plans to meet with Republican leaders on Capitol Hill Tuesday to hear some their input on the package. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Obama is open to suggestions. "If there are good ideas -- and I think he assumes there will be -- we will look at those ideas," he said Monday."
My mind is shooting all sorts of confusing electrical impulses across the synapses in my brain. Would a retroactive $40 billion dollar grant to ENRON be one of those good ideas Obama might hear? How about redoubling bonuses to Countywide brokers who made subprime mortgage loans to people who did not have enough money to play the Pick Four lottery game? Perhaps we can also give bonuses to the Wall Street geniuses if they can successfully sell banks packages of subprime mortgages and Confederate Treasury Bills. Perhaps a blank check for all CEO's to redecorate their offices in order to improve their spirits.
I really do not know what needs or could be done to stimulate our US economy. From what I gather, the first $700,000,000,000 did not seem to do the trick. (Please review my blog article Buddy Can You Spare Me $700,000,000,000? to get an idea of how much money this is!). Better get back on Facebook to see what is going on.
The Mackinac Bridge at 6:30 AM in a light fog.
One of the harbors on Lake Superior.
A view of the harbor.
Actually passed through the town of Christmas.
Notice the light house on the logo.
The light house theme repeats on all the tee boxes.
Downtown Duluth and the local brewery.
Sunset heading back to the motel in Duluth.
There was no lack of places of worship in the neighborhood. The church above was directly across the street from 40 West 116th Street. Below is another store fromt church nearer to Central Park.
