Revisiting Losing Ground by Charles Murray

I was at a political party talking trash when the subject of what books do you read came up. Most of the thirty something crowd liked the current political authors Jonah Goldberg Liberal Fascism, Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt, Crash Proof by Peter Schiff and others. With the Internet and cable television people today have access to information that not so long ago was reserved for the halls of academia. Way back in 1984 before the Internet this was not the case. Government and private institutions hid embarrassing data like the CIA hiding the latest jet design from the USSR. One scholar, Charles Murray, decided to go public with a most politically incorrect set of data and observation that eventually let to welfare reform in 1996. The book was simply described as “explosive.”

Charles Murray AEI Scholar

So if welfare was reformed in 1996 why is the book still relevant? Because a lot of politicians today on the left and right want to impose the same mistakes and moral principals into law. The politicians on the right want to abolish abortion keep drugs illegal, keep prostitution illegal, and for women who want an abortion to force them to pay for an ultrasound to see their unborn baby they are about to kill. On the left they want even more government goodies for the “disadvantaged” to “even the playing field.” As with the goals for ending poverty on the left and making people more moral on the right both are fighting a battle that should not be fought. The proper role of the government should be to let moral law be decided by those of faith. History shows when the government interferes in the family structure with programs and policies disaster follows.

First some highlights of Losing Ground. The book shows that the greatest gains in black education and employment were from 1950 to 1965. You will not learn that in any textbook today. Up to that point black teenage unemployment was 19% compared to 15% for white teenagers. Two parent families had been stable for decades at 78% compared to 88% for whites. Out of wedlock births varied little from 4.5% to 5.3% overall for both races. Then from 1965 to 1970 the year the Great Society programs were signed into law and gradual implementation and spending for the programs the poor and especially black progress towards integration into mainstream society took a huge leap BACKWARD.

Losing Ground by Charles Murray

The easiest example to understand why this happened is the case of a couple of teenagers starting a new family with a child on the way. Back in 1960 a woman could get Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) $23 dollars a week (about $171 today) and could not have a live in boyfriend. She was subject to unannounced searches of her residence for evidence of a live in boyfriend. This means that the man cannot live off the welfare of the woman and must set up a separate household with the accompanying expenses. If the man gets a bare substance job he will make after taxes $111 a month (about $824 after taxes today). So the choice was $690 a month and living alone with duel residences or $824 with a single residence, social approval, psychological and physical comforts. Statistics show most couples in this predicament choose marriage.

By 1970 the equation had completely changed. Unannounced inspections of a woman’s residence were eliminated; men could come and go as they pleased. AFDC payments were $50 dollars a week (about $1160 a month today); food stamps $11 a week (about $255 a month), rent subsidies and Medicaid another $5 a week (about $116 a month). On the conservative side an unwed mother would get $66 a week (about $1550 a month today). A typical low wage job would pay $64 a week (about $1,480 a month). The woman gets these benefits as long as she is unwed and there is no legal responsibility for care from the father. Clearly for any young couple starting out the contrast is quit stark from the 1960 couple. By the mother remaining unwed and with no father they can double their purchasing power ($1,480 verses $3,030 today’s dollars), the man can cohabitate as he pleases. If life becomes difficult the couple can split up and go their separate ways.

As a result of this federal government intervention into the low income black families out of wedlock births went from less than 25% to over 50%, two parent families dropped from 78% to 60%, homicide almost doubled, rape, theft all increased in black communities. The one group that escaped was upper income blacks who took advantage of their opportunities and left these communities in large numbers making huge strides in white collar employment opportunities.

This is just one example in the game changing book but my point is that when the government gets involved in family law there are unintended consequences no matter how good the intentions of the law are. As Mr. Murray correctly points out the greatest strides in family formation, out of wedlock stability, black economic progress, black educational progress was from the period of 1950 to 1965 when there was very little government intervention into black and poor white families. Is there a lesson to be learned here?

I believe in Jesus Christ as my savior. I believe God gave man free will. Jesus if he were alive today would use the power of the church to fight abortion and other social issues. I somehow don’t envision Jesus lobbying Pontius Pilate for anything. Render to Cesar what is Cesar’s.

19 week old baby

Republicans would be smart to understand the true root causes of the destruction of the family in America and look to get to that cause. Passing ultra sound laws will cost mostly poor women extra money and for some even further traumatize them for the rest of their life. Maybe some babies will live. But is it the role of the state to enforce moral law? Would Jesus lobby Pontius Pilate for an equivalent law?

Outlawing abortion on the federal level will drive it underground just like drugs, prostitution and other very expensive law enforcement issues. Do we go back to throwing doctors in jail? How will that look on every cable news outlet? That will be a one way ticket into oblivion for the Republican Party.

Conservative religious politicians who want to attempt moral laws that are destructive (or help?) to the family should first recognize what the bad laws are first. This would include child support payments and their effect on the divorce rate. Tough hard issues that will make a change for millions of parents and children. Without a basic understanding of these issues there will most likely be more harm done than good. We need to get back to 1960 where it made more sense for a young couple to get married then playing the system. Anything less is politics.

When is Florida’s Gay Governor coming out of the Closet?

It’s pretty much out of the closet now. For those not paying attention Florida Republican Governor Charlie Crist is gay. The guy is still in the closet but he has been ousted a long time ago by many others including the gay guys up in Chicago at Hillbuzz. Charlie is most famous for his drag appearances at the Green Iguana in Tampa, Florida as “Sweet Charlotte, Belle of the South”. Normally this would be just another Mark Foley or Eric Massa story but Crist is going to run as an independent for the Florida Senate seat.

Florida Governor Charlie Crist

This would split the vote up three ways. Kendrick Meeks a nice articulate Negro like Obama will get 30% to 45% in a two way race. Marco Rubio who would get 50% to 60% in a two way race and Libertarian Alex Snitker would get 1% to 3% of the vote.

With Crist as an independent he gets 32% of the vote, Rubio 30% and Meeks left in the dust. A very bad outcome for the Democrats in a key swing state. Not only that but a lot of disenchanted Democrats, independents and some Republicans would look at Snitker as a viable alternative.

Libertarians appeal to thinking liberals who hate the police state. Meeks will get the black vote from the Democrats because his skin color but a lot of white traditional liberals might be attracted to Crist or Snitker. Most likely Crist.

This presents the Democrats with quite the dilemma. Should they secretly support Crist and hope he keeps his secrets in the closet while undercutting Meeks? Undercutting Meeks would leave a very bitter taste in black voter’s mouths. Here is Florida’s Obama gubernatorial candidate and the DNC cuts the legs right out from under him? Something tells me that will not happen. Without the Negro vote the Democratic Party is history and they know it. The Democrats are now forced to be racist every election if they want to win from now on since they have abandoned the elderly vote with health care reform. In the past the Negro vote could be taken for granted, not now. Look for the Democrats to throw Crist under the bus.

Libertarian Senate Candidate Alex Snitker

There will be photos surfacing of Charlie in drag coming to the light of day if the polls show Crist digging into the white Democratic vote. Charlie just jumped into no mans land. He is out there alone and will be taking shots from both sides. The most damaging blows from the Democrats since the Republicans are a bunch of dorks that don’t know how to fight. The fighting on the right seems to be coming more and more from the Libertarians.

Look for Libertarian Snitker to do the most damage to Rubio’s campaign and Crist. Meeks will be a side note in this campaign. He will get the black vote because he’s black. The real fighting will be between the DNC, Crist and Rubio. In the end look for Rubio to prevail out of this little Florida civil war. He’s got the Latino vote and an abundance of charisma. He is polished and smooth. The only hope Crist has is if the Democrats throw their support behind him alienating the black vote. Either way Republicans win. If Democrats hoped to divide and conquer it will back fire on them.

Dear Congresswoman Kosmas,

I received your campaign literature in the mail today and disapprove of you using taxpayer money for propaganda proposes. I know most Democrats think like mobsters looking for money or are useful idiots so let me be up front with you. I am a member of the Libertarian Party, the most educated political group in America by far. Propaganda doesn’t work and I am not that emotional. Unless you kill a baby I really don’t tear up that much.

Suzanne Kosmas thinks I am a dumb as my dog

First you say that I can keep my doctor if I want to. Really? Like it’s any of your business? Who the hell appointed you the granter of my rights to do as I please? Are you for real? We are going to have a serious man to man in the future if you don’t get out of my face.

Second I am not an economist, well maybe I am, but if you take $500 billion from Medicare how will those recipients not lose access to services? Do you have a pile of Obama cash somewhere you pay doctors under the table with? Please don’t insult my intelligence. You need a better education than you have if you believe seniors will not suffer under this reform. If you lower payments to doctors some, not all, will choose to not see Medicare patients. This will reduce the supply of doctors and services available. You will need to import doctors from India and Arab countries to make up the difference. Same a Britain and Canada. Me I like American doctors whose first language is English educated in American medical schools. Cheap imported doctors is not what I would call a gift to our seniors. Hell why not just ship them over to Mexico for treatment?

Sebastian is a great dog but he does not listen to me when I tell him not to defecate in my neighbor’s yard. He is not a complex thinker and cannot foresee the unintended consequences of his actions. I end up cleaning up after his mess and he hardly notices. He and my Congresswoman Kosmas are similar in IQ and behavior.

Third I am a Veteran and I avoid government care whenever possible. Nothing personal but I like avoiding long waits and delays in getting treatment. Oh I guess that is what is in store for all Americans.

So our small businesses get a tax credit of up to 35%? Well golly gee I guess that $150 bucks a month make the $5,000 expense of a new employee worth it? Really? Did they teach this in real estate class? Next time give the 35% write off to individuals who buy their own health insurance. Better yet allowing 35% write offs for Health Savings Accounts. I bet that would be popular with the young people. Just a guess.

So the pre-existing condition people get a special pool. And what is to stop people from dropping their coverage and waiting until they need insurance to sign up? That $700 dollar IRS fine verses a $8,000 health care plan? Are you really that stupid Mrs. Kosmas? There is a reason the free market works better than the government. They have IQ’s over 100 and they don’t have a pool of Obama money waiting to dip into when things don’t balance out.

Requiring “free” preventive care for private plans and Medicare. Free? Free? Really? Is it that Obama stash of money somewhere paying the doctors and staff for the “free” preventive care? Why did I even read this? Nothing is free. Private health care plans will raise cost to cover the “free” preventative care or cut back services in other areas. The stupidity of Democrats is just mind boggling. Why do I even bother? It’s like convincing my dog shitting in someone else’s yard is not good. He smiles at me and seems to agree but still shits in my neighbor’s yard whenever we go for a walk leaving me to clean up the mess.

There are some other points like lower the age of eligibility for Medicare down to 55, banning limits on coverage and ending pre-existing conditions for children. Really is there a problem with children getting coverage with pre-existing conditions? Is there one sick child in America that cannot enter any hospital anywhere with a serious illness and be refused treatment? I don’t think so. This is not England or Mexico. Most Americans including doctors have common sense and compassion.

Extending coverage through parents up to age 26. Hell when I was 18 I wanted out of the house and joined the Air Force. My kid went into the Army when he was 18. Do people really live with their parents at age 26? I say give them mom’s health insurance coverage up to the age of 65 as long as they get a vasectomy and don’t reproduce.

So Mrs. Kosmas we don’t see eye to eye. I like you just like I like my dog. You smile just like him and have about the same intellect as my beloved Schnauzer. I know the real motive is control over the peasants and to create another flow of revenue to politicians. As with GM things will get propped up and lies told but the people will still flock to Toyota for their cars. People don’t like working for free. Not even doctors. So please save the taxpayers money and resign yourself to the fact that Karen Diebel will be taking your place soon. She’s a really nice mother and has a business degree! I have even heard rumors she can do arithmetic and complex business type of things. So as you become just an average citizen again in less than a year be assured Karen and others will clean up your mess and you will not be doomed to government rationed care in your golden years.

Obama throws Goldman Under the Bus

We all remember the campaign of 2008 when the going got tough for Obama. He was ousted for attending a Marxist Black Liberation Theology church with Pastor Jeremiah Wright of “God Damn America” fame. The weasel came back with the infamous “grandma “speech where he threw grandma under the bus for some political points. Obama accused her of being a racist confiding to the press grandma “once confessed her fear of black men who passed by her on the street and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe.” Of course now we know blacks are 6.5 times more likely to end up in jail and commit 59% of the homicides in America while making up only 13% of the population. Sounds like grandma had some common sense. For Obama throwing grandma under the bus to deflect criticism of his belonging to a Marxist church for 20 years made it all worthwhile. The press bought it and he is president.
Goldman CEO Lloyd Blankfein use to like Obama

Goldman CEO Lloyd Blankfein

So why is it a surprise that Obama wouldn’t throw his number two campaign contributor Goldman Sachs under the bus? Goldman family members gave Obama $994,795, (Citigroup $701,290, and JPMorgan $695,132) Goldman gave Democrats $4.5 million out of $5.9 million in political donations the last election cycle. Obama met with Goldman Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein four times. The Goldman employees in the White House number what 13? 15? Glen Beck posts their mugs up on his show every now and then. Obama, Democrats and Goldman Sachs seem to be very close. Time to show ego and ideology are more important than loyalty.

Really is anyone surprised? Did Joseph Stalin show any loyalty to the Jews that helped build up the USSR in the 1920’s and 30’s? The same Jews and communist that helped kill 7 to 10 million during the Great Ukrainian Famine of 1932-33? The same year the USSR exported grain to Western Europe? Hell no. As soon as Hitler had enough power after 1933 and prior to Germany’s invasion of the USSR on June 22, 1941 Stalin was shipping Jews over to German authorities as fast as the trains could carry them. With communist there is no such thing as loyalty. Only the dictator and party count. Goldman Sachs just relearned a lesson form history. Obama has shown he has no loyalty to anyone but himself and his communist ideology. Need more proof?

All Obama’s legislative proposals are death to Democrats except one. Financial reform against the evil Wall Street greed monsters. So write up the take over of another industry, throw your friends under the bus, show the Jews once again how much you despise them and move the dictatorship forward another step. Did I get it right Mr. Axelrod?

Another Bail Out Disguised as “Financial Reform”

One of the biggest misconceptions the public has is that Wall Street is for Republicans and they are in bed together. This despite the fact that Wall Street firms regularly donate $4 million to Democrats and $994,795 to Obama. And why not? Almost a trillion later in TARP slush funds Wall Street seems to be doing great thanks to Bush, Obama and our Democratic Congress and Senate. So why would anyone be surprised Chris Dodd was proposing to further rip off the public and enriched his clients on Wall Street?

Corrupt Bastard Chris Dodd wants to extort more $$$$ from the American Public

What the bill does is add new restrictions on credit. That means it will drive up the cost of money and that means more profits for the banking community.

Look at Dodd’s credit card bill that has been law for a year. Costs have increased and credit availability has decreased with the bill. A great deal if you are a banker and not so great if you are a consumer. The American public just gets pummeled time after time because they have no business or economic education to filter out the bull crap coming out of Washington. Just label it “Financial Reform” and the dolts with a “D” next to their name line up to support it.

The Dodd proposal would increase regulatory cost of compliance and increase litigation cost. Got to throw the lawyers a bone right Dodd? Does any of this sound familiar? Buy off the special interest, restrict competition, and stick it to the people. The public buy this crap time after time. Democrats, Republicans each have their clientèle and each are con artist ripping off America.

The new restrictions would narrow the market for credit and marginal customers would be locked out of the market. People who may want to start a new business would not be able to get financing even if they wanted to run up their credit cards. But the lawyers and bankers can look forward to higher profits from the remaining customers. How convenient. How evil.

George Mason University Professor Joshua Wright estimates that the Dodd bill’s credit restrictions would reduce job creation by 4.3 percent — about 60,000 fewer jobs every year.

Same crap different day. Where is the new regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? If the money goes to Negroes we don’t need none of that fancy regulation do we? Washington sticking to the people, killing jobs, redistributing the wealth, enriching lawyers and bankers. So what’s new Dodd? Time for your ass to hit the road. Let’s pray Peter Schiff gets elected to replace the corrupt son of a bitch.

Florida’s Congressional District 24 Race Heating up

Florida’s congressional District 24 race is home to Democratic Congresswoman flip flopper Suzanne Kosmas. The race is heating up with the entrance of restaurant executive Craig S. Miller. The established front runners on the Republican side are Sandy Adams and Karen Diebel. Also running are Dorothy L. Hukill, George Thomas Garcia, Sean Campbell, Robert Lawrence Robey, Chad Macinnes, Ometrias Deon Long, Jason Paul Davis, Jim Foster, James P. Heinzelman, independent Larry Sinclair, Democrats Paul Partyka and Suzanne Kosmas. In 44 days Craig Miller has raised $341,000 moving ahead of Diebel and Adams throwing a new dynamic in the Republican race.

Restaurant Chain Executive Craig S. Miller

Kosmas had a lackluster 90 days since last December budging her contributions to not quite $1.36 million from her previous amount of over $1.3 million. The lobbyist in Washington DC must be reevaluation her chances of winning. Her disastrous flip flop sure must have inspired Craig Miller because he put in $200,000 of his own money into his campaign chest.

Of the top three Republican challengers Diebel has invested $26,000 of her own money, Adams $100,000 and Miller $200,000. Miller leads with $341,000 followed by Diebel with $333,000 and Adams with $287,000. Adams and Diebel have been matching each other almost one for one in spending with Miller lagging behind. Locally Miller has almost no following that I am aware of and I live in the district. Just another rich guy with the money to buy commercials. I have yet to see him at any civic functions.

The fact that Diebel has raised 92% of her funds from others verses 65% for Adams and 41% for Craig S. Miller pretty much tells me what I already suspected. Diebel just plain has more star power and charisma than her competitors. She has a lot of friends in Winter Park with large bank accounts and she easily mingles with the wealthy elite that dominate her community. Mrs. Diebel’s assets of belonging to a privilege community also make her venerable to attacks from Adams who is a blue collar type of woman and former police officer. Of the three she has the best education having graduated from Notre Dame and USF with a MBA. She is a single mother (widowed) of three boys 13, 12 and 10. That’s got to be tough. Overall she has the package to successfully defeat Kosmas in the general election.

Craig S. Miller is a restaurant chain developer and has served Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Red Lobster and Pizza Uno. His positions are standard Republican fare with nothing innovative I can glean from his web site. He is, as we all learned in business school, at the end of his sales curve at 59. Seems a lot of people are looking for government work these days and Craig is one of them. Pizza Uno is on the rocks and I suspect so is Ruth’s Chris. Without a law degree or a MBA what does Mr. Miller have to offer congress to help with the financial crisis that will consume America over the next decade? Privatizing the food service in congress?

Karen Diebel, her son Liam and Campaign Manager Anthony Bonna

Adams and Diebel also have a situation in that there are only so many female republican women voters to attract. If either one were the sole strong female republican candidate in the primary the female vote could easily push them ahead of Miller. Rumor has it Adams may drop out of the race but having invested $100,000 of her own money that doesn’t seem likely. If either one dropped out and endorsed the other the primary would be the remaining ones for the taking. If Sandy Adams drops out of the race look for Mrs. Diebel to run away with this contest.

Overall this race is rated as a toss up but living in the district without Obama running Kosmas will be lucky to get 45% of the vote. If Kosmas would have voted against health care reform she would have easily won. But that didn’t happen. The Democrat fat cats need to contribute to independent Larry Sinclair and hope he can get some Republican votes. Kosmas looks one and done. Look for Diebel to out class her and destroy her on her record as a flip flopper.

Financial Regulation

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