Large Numbers Update

    

Shortly after publishing the previous post another question popped into my mind:

What kind of numbers “per day” is the government wasting?

One quick answer: According to a 2010 CBS story, Medicare alone pays $60 billion per year in fraudulent claims.

That is $164,383,561 every day or $6,849,315 every hour.

Their S.O.P. is to “pay first” and then hire contractors to chase fraud. That’s just Medicare.

Look! Look Over There!!

                                                                                                                                  

At a recent speech, President Obama, attempting to evade responsibility for skyrocketing gas prices, said “Exxon pocketed nearly $4.7 million every hour.”

He also said, “The biggest oil companies are raking in record profits — profits that go up every time folks like these pull into a gas station.”

True enough. But what is the rest of the story?

Exxon is a MASSIVE, global company. There are 4716.2 million shares of Exxon stock out there.  That’s four BILLION, seven hundred sixteen MILLION, two hundred thousand shares. That is how many ways the ownership is divided up. If you have a pension fund at work or have mutual funds in an IRA you probably own some and don’t even know it.  Anyone who wants to buy one share today will need to part with roughly $87.

What do you get for your $87? You become a part owner in Exxon with an opportunity to share in their good fortune should the company do well (ya’ know, make those “evil” profits) and the risk of losing your money should they do poorly. You also get $.65 (a dividend) every three months. That’s right; sixty-five cents. Do you think that if you put $87 in the bank you might get roughly the same?

But, but, but….. they make so much money!  Do they really?

Their last quarterly report showed that each of their shares earned $5.22. That’s 6%.

You can verify here: http://research.investors.com/quotes/nyse-exxon-mobil-corp-xom.aspx?fromsearch=1

If your kid had a lemonade stand and invested $20 would you think it was an “outrageous profit” on the $20 if he made $1.20 over three months? That’s 6% too.

When the “Divider-in-Chief” speaks of “record profits” and numbers like “$4.7 million per hour” he is trying to make it appear that this is somehow “unfair” when in reality it is ultimately fair. Each stockholder takes a risk for which he is rewarded with roughly a 6% profit (providing the company is well run) and his small dividend. It just so happens that there are more than 4.7 BILLION shares out there. Of course the numbers are large.

I have just one question Mr. President…… If Exxon is pocketing $4.7 million every hour while making $.06 per gallon how much is the government pocketing when they get their $.46 per gallon in taxes? (If you don’t feel like running the numbers, here’s a hint… it’s north of $36 million per hour).

102.9

  

 I understand that most peoples’ eyes glaze over when economic numbers or calculations are put in front of them but this is a case where you really should take a look. Once a month you are being sold “snake oil” statistics by your government. The unemployment rate you see on the nightly news has little or no connection to reality. There is no recovery. Things are better by the about the thickness of a razor blade. To use a medical analogy, the country has been in a coma with a fever of 104.8. We are now in a coma with a fever of 102.9.

Let’s break down how you’re being misled with a small-scale example. Suppose on Jan. 1 you have 1000 jobs available and all are filled. The unemployment rate, as calculated by government, is zero. Nobody is out of work.

On January 2, ninety people lose their jobs so the unemployment rate is 9%. So far, pretty simple.

Number of people actually out of work: 90. Looking for work: 90.  Workforce: 1000.  Unemployment rate: 9%

Here’s where the snake-oil deception begins. Let’s say on Jan. 30th, 10 people lose their jobs but 20 of the original 90 people give up and stop looking for a job. The twenty who have “given up” are no longer counted by government as “unemployed.” So here’s how those government numbers would break down:

Adding the original 90 unemployed to the 10 who just lost their jobs, they then subtract from the workforce the 20 who have given up. We now have 80 people listed as “unemployed” and the government unemployment rate goes down to 8.1% while the total of people actually out of work goes up to 100.

Number of people actually out of work: 100. Looking for work: 80.  Workforce: 980.  Unemployment rate: 8.1%

Let us further suppose that by the next year the oil industry is crushed, new company formation is stonewalled by taxes and healthcare legislation, and that government debt sucks all the money out of the economy (that should be easy). This creates a huge downturn in the economy and we now have only 800 jobs available overall and they are all filled.

Let us assume that over that one year period 130 people have “given up” and are no longer considered part of the labor force. We now have 200 fewer jobs available and the calculation goes like this:   Out of a total labor force 870 we have 800 working, 70 looking for work, and 130 “out of the work force.” The government unemployment rate again goes down to 8.0% but the total of people actually out of work goes up to 200.

Number of people actually out of work: 200. Looking for work: 70.  Workforce: 870.  Unemployment rate: 8.0%

 

To translate this to the “snake oil” you are being sold by your government here are a few facts:

1. The number of people “out of the work force” and not being counted is now over 5 million.

2. The percentage of those working out of those who are able to work is now at 64%; the lowest in thirty years.

3. Part-time workers are at an all time high as are those who hold multiple jobs.

4. There are roughly 2 million fewer jobs available than there were on Jan. 20, 2009.

5. The true unemployment rate is in the neighborhood of 16%.

6. Unemployment among young black males is routinely over 30% and in some cities near 50%!

7. It takes roughly 150,000 new jobs per month to just keep pace with population growth, new grads in the workforce, etc.

8. Only one in five males in the U.S. actually work.

9. As unemployment benefits run out for more and more folks, there has been a huge spike in the number of “mental disability” claims. Disability benefits never run out. 

10. Even according to the ABC government news outlet, a survey showed that only 19.7% of college grads from 2009 who applied for a job were able to find one.

There is so much more but one has to end a post somewhere. Suffice it to say that it is shameful to pretend that, with the use of your snake oil, the patient has recovered when he lies there in a coma with a 102.9.

 

How Dare You Speak to Women That Way! I Have Daughters Sir!

 

A very prominent, very wealthy entertainer recently insulted women all across the country using terms not totally printable here. In describing a serious, politically active woman, he described her as a c***. On another occasion he described her as a “dumb tw**. When asked later if he had any regrets about what he had said he replied, “I’m not trying to hurt somebody’s feelings. But if you want me to say ‘I’m sorry, what I said was wrong,’ no, sorry, I can’t go there.”

He has since referred to the same woman along with another woman as MILFs (for those of you who may not be familiar with the term, just Google it).

This behavior should be condemned. President Obama was right when he said he wants a world in which his daughters can speak out without being attacked. He should call this woman and offer his support. The networks should be outraged! Advertisers should drop this guy like a hot potato! Damn those “woman hating conservatives!” Something has to be done.

What was the reaction in this case? Not what you might expect. A CNN evening show host shortly thereafter welcomed this entertainer with, “Your show is brilliant. I love watching it.” On MSNBC, “always great to have you on.” On a different MSNBC show, “It is nice to see you….I’m very excited….Thank you so much for being on with us…. It’s really nice to see you. Thank you.” Back to CNN…“I love your show. I watch you every week, and I really get irritated when they put you on hiatus.” And on Chris Matthews show,“You’re the funniest, smartest guy around….Thank you for coming on.” Were there any outraged advertisers? Nope, not a one.

Well, President Obama must have given these women a call to express his support for women’s right to be heard, yes? Well, in a word, no.

By now you may have guessed that this “entertainer” is not the conservative woman-hater you may have originally thought. He is Bill Maher; as left as they come. The women he insulted were Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachmann. Apparently, it’s OK to insult conservative women. No apology. No network outrage. No controversy.

It also turns out that Mr. Maher has donated $1 million to the Obama election campaign. Is President Obama going to keep $1 million given to him by a man who has referred to serious-minded political women as c***s, tw**s, and MILF’s and, if he is, how does he square that with his actions in the Sandra Fluke controversy? Did Sarah Palin get a phone call? Michelle Bachmann?

And this is not an isolated incident. Ed Schultz, on MSNBC called Laura Ingraham a “talk slut.” He is still working there and, predictably, one of the advertisers who saw fit to leave Rush Limbaugh’s show over the Fluke incident saw no such need to leave the Ed Schultz show. Still there.

In a very cool side note, Carbonite (the advertiser in question) saw their stock slide a mind-boggling 12% the day after they announced they were leaving Rush’s show and word came out that they were major liberal contributors. If you are currently using their service and are seeking an alternative I would like to recommend Sugarsynch.

Further incidents include Michelle Malkin being called “a mashed up bag of meat with lipstick,” Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison being called a “female impersonator,” and conservative commentator S.E. Cupp being referred to as “a perfect demonstration of the necessity of the work Planned Parenthood does.” Did you happen to hear any outrage about any of these insults to women? I bet not.

On a personal note, my own wife was insulted by an ex-friend when she expressed her opposition to Obamacare during the so-called “debate” on that issue. She was called a “bigot, racist, tea-bagger” among other things by a fairly senior staffer for Senator Dick Durbin. And make no mistake, “tea-bagger” is a sexually loaded insult (again, Google it if you’re not familiar). Perhaps Senator Durbin will be calling my wife soon to express his support for my wife’s right to speak without being attacked. I don’t think she will be holding her breath.

You shouldn’t worry about your daughters, President Obama. They have the protection of the Presidency and the Ministry of Truth “press” should they be attacked for speaking their views.

Unfortunately, my wife, my daughter, my granddaughter, and any woman reasonably attached to the word “conservative” do not.

 

 

A Guide to Cheap Sex

 

 

During her testimony before Congress in which she wailed that she could not afford her contraception, Sandra Fluke said “Without insurance coverage, contraception, as you know, can cost a woman over $3,000 during law school.”  Three thousand dollars for three years.

As a public service to Ms. Fluke and all other women attending Georgetown University, this author would like to pass along a bit of information which should help you enjoy the sex life you are entitled to and have some significant money left over to help boost the collapsing Obamaconomy.

Get out a pen and paper your I-Pad and jot this down…..

 

Birth control prescriptions are available at Wal-Mart for $9/month and have been since 2007. Your nearest store is:

Alexandria Wal-Mart Store #5753

At this store
  • Pharmacy
6303 Richmond Hwy
Alexandria, VA 22306
Phone: (703) 253-9901
 
Oh, I understand. Wal-Mart is so “uncool.” Well how about your nearest Target store with a pharmacy? They decided to match Wal-Mart’s deal back in 2007. Your nearest store including a pharmacy:
 
Columbia Heights Target
3100 14th St NW
Washington, DC 20010
Details(202) 777-3773
 
Running a few calculations, it seems that this information could help lower your costs from the $3000 you spoke of to $324 for your three-year stint at Georgetown. I mean, after all, $9 a month? I’d be willing to bet you spend more than that on coffee in a couple of days. That’s quite reasonable!
 
You’re quite welcome Ms. Fluke. We conservatives always like to help out where we can. We really do like women and are quite pleased that very reasonably priced contraception is so easily available for you should you need it.
 
 
 
 

Can You Believe It’s Been Twenty Years?

 

Official NBC/ABC/CBS/CNN/MSNBC U.S. Approved News Dissemination Agency 

Washington D.C.  –  March 2, 2032

It’s hard to believe that it has been twenty years since Sandra Fluke broke down the stone-age barriers thrown up to prevent students obtaining free contraception but time flies when you’re… uh… having fun. Senator Fluke has now moved on to more serious issues (currently sponsoring a bill to provide free I-pads to those who have been out of work for more than five years) but we thought it would be appropriate to take a look back at the last twenty years and the other trailblazers who have testified before Congress regarding the cost of other voluntary activities on campus:

2014 – I.M. Bauzin complained before Congress that the cost to keep him in Starbucks coffee continued to rise and his job at the windmill would not let him keep pace. With coffee being such an essential part of the college study experience as well as being necessary mornings after binge parties Congress agreed and, as you know, all students now receive unlimited free coffee.

2015 – Ralph Keggar made history by citing Ms. Fluke’s precedent in his testimony before Congress stating that “Sex is a prevalent voluntary activity on campuses across the country. The only activity which might be more common is drinking beer. If the cost of sex is covered why not cover the cost of beer?” Congress agreed and, as you know, all college students now receive unlimited free beer.

2019 – Jack Schtrapp made the unique claim of discrimination against athletes when he testified that, as an avid intramural basketball player, he went through 4-5 pairs of basketball shoes per year. We all remember when he said “If our now Senator from California could receive free contraception based on a cost of $3000 over her time at school I am entitled to the same amount for my chosen activity.” President Obama, acting like he wanted to continue to reign for a fourth term, responded by ordering Nike (still in business at the time) to provide free sneakers to all college students.

2022 – In probably the most significant testimony other than Ms. Fluke’s, Destiny Bacchanalia said, “Like, what good is the contraception and beer coverage if one of the major reasons to have it is, like, out of my reach financially? Like, my average costs for spring break would be totally more than $3000 for my six years at school. I could, like, go through that in, like, one year! Like, what about fairness?” Congress agreed and all students enrolled since 2023 have had mandatory spring break coverage.

2025 – In his testimony, Obama Bott (yes, he was named after our amazing, visionary leader) said “I have had great difficulty just making it to and from school at the beginning and end of the semesters. I can’t take the Nissan Leaf; at 40 miles per charge it would take three weeks. Our Chevy Volt caught fire so I can’t take that. Unfortunately, my only alternative is to take the gasoline engine car. I would never ever want to use anything coming from those evil oil companies but I have no choice and with gas getting near $19.00 a gallon I just can’t see how I’m going to make this work” (Yes, believe it or not, gas was only $19.00 a gallon just seven short years ago). In his first year using his current title of “Great Leader,” Barack Obama ordered Exxon/Mobil to provide free fuel to all college students for beginning and end of semster travel. Remember Exxon/Mobil?

2031 – Finally, just last year, Puff Marx 2 testified before Congress and convinced them that all students should just have a “voluntary activities expense account.” In his testimony he said, “Why keep having all these hearings about college students needing free this or that? The precedent is now set in stone going all the way back to Sandra Fluke. Why don’t you save the cost of all these hearings. After all, we are now $137 trillion in debt. Just reimburse all voluntary activities of college students.” Congress agreed and, as you know, passed the Voluntary Dollars Act of 2031. Students just submit an annual expense report of their “voluntary activities to Government Accounting and it’s all paid for. Every student in America now has access to VD.

Can you believe how far we have come in such a short time? Thank you Sandra Fluke.

This Was No Fluke

 

The raging controversy these days seems to be the Sandra Fluke testimony before Congress in which she stated that she simply cannot afford the contraception necessary for her to have the proper amount of sex. She doesn’t just want it to be easily available (and it is). She wants if for free and thinks the American taxpayer should pay for it. Rush Limbaugh once again tweaked the nose of the government media by linking Ms. Fluke to the definition of a “prostitute” (sex for compensation), they jumped at the bait, and the media frenzy switch is now in the “on” position. There are calls and petitions to have Rush removed from the air, leftists everywhere are knocking each other down to get to a microphone, and even President Obama jumped into the fray by calling Ms. Fluke personally.

Let’s just step back for a moment and look at what is really happening here. First of all who is Ms. Fluke? The mainstream media would have you believe that she is the traditional “twenty-something” struggling law student, scratching and clawing her way through school, and getting by on the few meager dollars she can scrape together waiting tables while on summer vacation. Ms. Fluke is actually 30 years old. She is a grown woman. She chose to go back to law school at the age of 30. Not unheard of, but a little unusual. Why, you ask? More on that later, but suffice it to say she is not your typical college student. She is also out of step with most of her classmates at Georgetown.

One of her classmates, Angela Morabito said ” Sandra, we might be on the same campus, but we are not on the same planet.

Sandra told some sob stories about how contraception isn’t covered by the Jesuit institution we attend. (Maybe they don’t cover it because, you know, they’re a Jesuit institution. Religious freedom? Anyone? Bueller?)

A student group called Plan A H*yas for Choice staged a demonstration against the university health plan last year, duct taping their mouths and chaining themselves to the statue of Georgetown’s founder on the university’s front lawn. Then, a funny thing happened – nothing. We left them there. Now Sandra has chained herself to the sinking ship of Pelosi Liberalism. She will always be remembered as a Welfare Condom Queen.”

There are a few other facts about Ms. Fluke you will not see or hear in any of the “Obama re-election media” even though all of this is easily available at Georgetown Law’s website.” She received her undergraduate degree from Cornell University in Policy Analysis & Management, as well as Feminist, Gender, & Sexuality Studies in 2003.  What would that qualify Ms. Fluke to do? Seems to me the logical career choice with this background is political activist.  And so it is.

Also from the Georgetown Law website: “Through Georgetown’s clinic programs, Sandra has proposed legislation based on fact-finding in Kenya (interesting connection there) regarding child trafficking for domestic work, and has represented victims of domestic violence in protection order cases. Sandra is the Development Editor of the Journal of Gender and the Law, and served as the President of Law Students for Reproductive Justice, and the Vice President of the Women’s Legal Alliance.” To sum up, Ms. Fluke has a long history of political activism on behalf of traditional leftist causes.

And here’s a fact you will NEVER see or hear in the mainstream media. In one her first interviews Ms. Fluke is quoted as talking about how she reviewed Georgetown’s insurance policy prior to committing to attend and, seeing that it didn’t cover contraceptive services, she decided to attend with the express purpose of battling this policy. She is attending Georgetown for the very purpose of creating the controversy we are now witnessing.

This entire event was staged. She was asked to testify by Democrat members of Congress only. There were only Democrat members present during her testimony. Even the Huffington Post got it right by posting this: ”Fluke got the stage all to herself and was hailed as a hero by the crowd and Democratic lawmakers on the panel, all of whom rushed to appear on camera with her at the end. “Excuse me. I’d love to get a picture with our star,” Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) said as she pushed her way through the packed room to Fluke.”

What is the purpose of the Democrats staging this event now? Simple. Obama is in trouble if the country focuses on his record and the condition of the country. He and his propaganda press are trying to distract you from the crushing debt, the disaster of Obamacare, and the bleak future you will face should his destructive policies continue. Enter Susan Fluke and the phony contraception issue. Distraction.

If Rush Limbaugh was not engaged in satire and actually meant Ms. Fluke was a prostitute he would have been over the line. She is, however, a “prostitute” in a different sense. She is prostituting herself to the liberal cause. She is standing in front of the entire country making a complete fool of herself for future gain. She’s a 30 year old grown woman who is paying $23,000 a year in tuition and can’t afford contraception? She can’t figure out that Planned Parenthood (of which she is most likely a supporter) is giving out contraception on every street corner? Kids in 6th grade are being given free condoms and as a 30 year old law student she can’t find one?

What future gain might Ms. Fluke reap for her little stage show? You can bet there will be a political appointment in her future. Maybe even a book. Play ball with the Politburo and you will be rewarded. If you’re just an average Joe on the other hand you should have to pay for sex (someone else’s that is).

As the controversy swirls, remember this was all staged. This was no Fluke.