I was in Krogers yesterday buying produce and noticed that much of it was either from the Valley or from Mexico. How hard would it be for the Swine Flu Virus to hitch a ride on produce imported from Mexico? Not that hard I would think. If the Virus is easy enough to catch just by touching a door knob or another object that an infected person has touched, then it’s not that far fetched to think that produce or other products handled by infected people would be contaminated.

I don’t know what you would have done, but I passed on anything imported from Mexico.

Of course our Government would never step up and shut down imported goods from Mexico. So that leaves you and me to protect our Families by being educated as to where your food is coming from. You can choose whatever you want, but for the time being, I’ll stay clear of Mexican restaurants, produce from Mexico and anything else that comes from below the border or where immigrants are known to work at.

You’ll have to decide for yourself if it’s smart to boycott products from Mexico due to the Swine Flu. I’m just giving you some food (no pun intended) for thought.

As the CEO of this business that employs 140 people, I have accepted the fact that Barack Obama is our new President, and that our taxes and government fees will now increase in a BIG way.

To compensate for this additional overhead, I figure that the clients will have to see an increase in our fees of about 8% but since we cannot raise those prices right now due to the dismal state of our economy, we will have to lay off several of our employees Instead. This unfortunate economic reality has really been eating at me for a while, as we believe we are family here and I didn’t know how to choose who will have to go.

After giving it considerable thought, this is what I did. I strolled thru our parking lot and found 11 Obama bumper stickers on our employees’ cars and have decided these folks will be the first to be laid off. I can’t think of a more fair way to approach this problem.

They wanted change; I gave it to them.

If you have a better idea, let me know.

Sincerely,

The Boss

See, I told you it was a darn good idea! Wish I still had employees so I could use this!

For those that do not know, Proposition 8 in California amends the Constitution to define marriage as a union between a Man and Woman.

Yeah, I know. It’s a sad state when a State or Country has to have an Amendment to define what marriage is. Pretty soon, we’ll have to have one to defince what S*x is. Oh wait, didn’t Bill Clinton already do that?

So the Gay and Lesbian community is wanting to boycott the State of Utah because they feel that the Mormons were the reason they lost.

I’m sure it couldn’t be because most people find their life style immoral and disgusting. Surely not. Yep, it had to be the Mormons!

But notice they don’t want to boycott anything in California. Just Utah. Apparently Utah has this magical power of people in California. Or at least that is what the Gay and Lesbian groups would like you to believe.

And this from a group of people who run around telling us to be “tolerant” of others. They’re all for tolerant and diversity as long as it suits them. But the minute that someone disagrees with them, you see what happens. Suddenly they’ve been “wronged” or their “rights” have been taken away.

Puhhleeez!

Someone needs to explain to them they have the same rights as you and me. Nothing more and nothing less. What they really want is for Government to recognize their immoral behaviour and reward them for it by accepting such behaviour as normal. Which, as we all know, it isn’t.

Back to the boycott. It seems that they are urging everyone to stay away from anything that has to do with Utah. That’s cool with me and I’m sure it is with the Mormons. It means there will be fewer people on the slopes skiing into trees.

So I would like to encourage everyone who agrees that a marriage is defined as a union between a Man and Woman to visit Utah soon. It’s a beutiful state with some of the best Skiing anyplace. The people are friendly and hospitable. There are a ton of others things to do and the State if full of History.

Go tell all your friends that you know to vacation in Utah this Winter. If have a blog or website, tell your readers to visit Utah as well.

Let’s show the people of Utah that we do agree with the Mormons message about what a marriage is about. The best way we can support the people of Utah is by visiting their state. The Gay and Lesbians want to boycott Utah (for some stupid reason, they still believe Utah put a “curse” or something on them) because the Mormons are headquartered there. Like that makes a lot of sense!

Anyhow, I’m thinking we all can get more people to go to Utah than they can keep away from Utah!

Some time ago, Dallas did a survey and asked what the street currently named ‘Industrial Blvd’ should be renamed to.

The local Hispanics wanted it named to Cesar Chavez Avenue.

Quite understandably, the Dallas City Officials said “Ummm…No”.

Once again, the Hispanics are up in arms over some wrong they believe has been done to them. Personally, if you really want a street name ‘Cesar Chavez Avenue’, you should just pick one of those litty dirty streets in anyone of those little dirty Mexico border towns, throw up a piece of scrap plywood and spray paint ‘Cesar Chavez Avenue’ on it. That’s about what the name is worth.

I don’t blame Dallas city officials not wanting to put some crap like that on a city street. Especially in an industrial section of town where you’re working hard and spending taxpayer money to improve its image to bring in more business.

The Hispanics have started a task force called the Cesar Chavez Task Force. It’s leader, Alberto Ruiz said this about the City’s decision

“If the results would have come back for Stevie Ray Vaughan, it would have gone through,”

Well DUH! Hell yeah!

I’m sorry, but if I spend 2 BILLION dollars to clean up a crap hole, then I wouldn’t want a crap hole name on it either. It looks like the Dallas city officials have made good on this decision about renaming this street along the Trinity River revitilaztion project, now lets see if they cave like spindless jelly fish!

Well, what Obama and the Democrats aren’t telling anyone is that Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden is a, c’mon…guess it…YOU”RE RIGHT…A DC LOBBYIST!

A very well paid lobbyist at that. To the tune of 1 million dollars plus per year!

Yes, Obama and Joe are trying to keep Hunter Biden under cover. It’s been suggested that Joe even helped get his Son name president of a hedge fun just so Hunter wouldn’t be a liability during this Presidential election.

Now, Joe’s son Hunter and Joe’s Brother are involved in a lawsuit with the hedge fund founder. The found is saying that Hunter Biden and Joe Biden’s brother took him for millions of dollars. The Biden’s say that guy is wrong and that he didn’t know that much about hedge funds. Go figure.

But Hunter has also been real busy when he was a consulting lobbyist to a drug company. All the while daddy Joe was involved with legistlation concerning…drugs. Hmmmm

It’s also very interesting that on the Biden campaign website that list Hunter as a “lawyer”, not a lobbyist. Of course, that would be hard to own up to seeing how both Obama and Joe Biden have made speeches saying they will throw the lobbyist out of D.C. if they get elected? Perhaps Joe Biden has another job lined up for his son that he’s not telling anyone about?

Did anyone see Joe Biden stutter on stage at the DNC?

I found it funny he was telling everyone how proud of Beau he was then he stuttered and said “I’m proud of both my sons”. Now see Hunter, how fast Family will throw you under the bus when it suits their needs?

While the Dems make a big deal about Palin’s pregnant 17 year old daughter, why aren’t they making an even bigger stink about the actions of Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden? Yeah, that’s what I thought also!

Also, Sarah didn’t try to hide her daughter the way Joe Biden tried to get his Son a “real” job to hide the fact that he’s a D.C. insider lobbying for the highest bidder.

If Obama had been as tough as he said on lobbyist, he would have never picked Joe Biden in the first place!

I don’t know. On one hand I can see how he just stole any momentum that Obama may have had coming off the Democratic Convention. He’s upstaged Obama by choosing a woman Governor with little experience. I’m sure the talking heads in the media will have a field day with this one. If this was McCains plan, he succeeded.

Down the road, I can see this hurting his campaign. With all the credible and experienced people he could have chosen that would have helped him win Northeast states, like Lieberman or Romney, why he chose Palin is beyond me.

I don’t see him winning many of those states now. Especially the big ones like PA and NJ. He would have had a good chance with Lieberman, Romney or Ridge. Also, if he’d chosen Lieberman, you could have just about sewed up Florida.

I know, I know, you’re not suppose to pick your VP just because they can deliver swing states. John McCain certainly proved that he wasn’t after the states his VP choice could win him. I mean, gosh John, you think Alaska is really going to come into play with its 2 electorial votes?

I’ve been reading about Governor Palin for about the last year. She has done some pretty tough things in Alaska. But at the end of the day, she has zero foreign policy experience. (I know some of you Liberals out there believe Alaska is a foreign country, so I won’t tell you any different here)

Perhaps John McCain is going after the women voters? As tough as Palin is, I don’t see many women relating to a woman who hunts, ice fishes, rides snow machines and eats Moose burgers.

No, when I heard John had picked Palin, I had a very sick feeling deep down. I hope this doesn’t come back to bite him in the posterior, but I believe it just might.

It looks like both candidates have missed good opportunities to tie up the election in the last two weeks. Obama missed out by not tapping Hillary for the VP job and now John McCain has missed by not tapping someone with more experience.

Of course, Obama has good reasons for not choosing Hillary. I mean, that would be like living with a dog that bites you every chance it gets. Letting the Clinton’s back into power would be far more dangerous for this Country this time around than it was last time they were into power. I doubt we have many more secrets that they can give to China.

Thank you Joel and Victoria Olsteen for standing up against scum such as these to goldiggers! Anyone who’s been in business and have had to deal with these types of low lifes filing frivilous lawsuits knows what relief it is to see the innocent prevail.

Now the question is, what is going to happen to the bottom feeding Sharon Brown and her ambulance chacing lawyer?

First off, Continental Airlines should fire Sharon Brown for all the bad publicity that she has caused that company. They would be in their right to do so.

Second, Sharon Brown should be made to pay for the Olsteen’s legal fees.

Third, a complaint should be filed with the Texas Bar Association against Brown’s attorney for filing a frivilous lawsuit. It’s been done to other ambulance chasers.

I’m glad now that the whole World now knows what type of bottom feeders these two are.

Oh,  by the way, I’ve never been to the Olsteen’s Lakewood church, have never met them and only read a few pages of Joel’s first book.

I’m j ust happy the truth came out and Sharon Brownand her lawyer were made to look like the golddiggers they are. Now if these two could be made to pay for the Olsteen’s legal defense, justic would be served completely!

Personally, if Mass. wanted it’s citizens to have health insurance, those Socialist lawmakers should have taken pay cuts and the State should have paid for it, all of it! Why anyone would live in such a place is beyond me!

And what is even better, the State decides who can and cannot afford Health Insurance! Give me a break! Stalin would be proud!

Plus, lawmakers say they aknowledge that their cost will go up, but plan on making up the money by raising the cigarette tax. Hey, that’s cool but what happens when everyone stops smoking? Yeah, then everyone’s taxes go up. You gotta love how those Democrats think!

I wish I could say I feel sorry for those living in Massachusetts, but seeing how they continue to elect bozo’s like John Kerry and Ted Kennedy into Office, they’re getting exactly what they deserve!

Why The Farm Bill Is A Bad Bill

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to skim read over the Bill and see why it’s a bad bill. A lot of the money goes to subsidize farmers. Sounds good doesn’t it? However, it doesn’t go to the Mom and Pop family farmers, you know, the ones we think of when we think of Farmers. No, this bill helps out corporate owned farms as well as farming associations and other non-essential farming groups. Basically, this bill subsidizes those who do not need it. But these people make huge donations to political candidates and hire lobbyist. So, we get a Farm Bill that sounds all nice, warm and fuzzy.

Top Ten Reasons The Farm Bill is A Bad Idea.

Here’s at top ten list from the Heritage Foundation on why this Bill is a bad Bill.

Reason #1: The total cost of the massive farm bill is not known.
Reason #2: The farm bill will cost households at least $1,805 in higher taxes.
Reason #3: The farm bill will cost households $2,572 in inflated food prices.
Reason #4: The farm bill will provide subsidies to an already steady and thriving industry.
Reason #5: The farm bill targets its subsidies to the richest farms and agribusinesses.
Reason #6: The farm bill promotes further consolidation of farms.
Reason #7: The farm bill censors information regarding the recipients of subsidies.
Reason #8: The farm bill perpetuates outdated and unnecessary policies.
Reason #9: The farm bill is based on self-defeating policies that do not make economic sense.
Reason #10: The farm bill will reduce agriculture exports and lead to a trade war.

Kay Bailey Hutchison – Queen of the Earmarks?

Next up, everyone should know that our beloved Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison refused to sign FreedomWorks “no earmark pledge” plus she voted against Senator Dimints 1 year moratorium on earmarks. Shame on you Kay, we’ll be watching you and your record when you get ready to run for Govenor.

Now, back to the other Lawmakers and the Pork Projects they took home. Just remember folks, this is where your tax money goes. (courtesy of the Topeka Capitol Journal)

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., pushed to allow the federal government to sell portions of the Green Mountain National Forest to a ski resort in the state. Leahy’s office said the provision would save the Forest Service management costs for the land.

“Save the Forest Service management of the land” what a load of B.S.! So Senator Leahy, why not sell off all the freakin’ National Forest and then we could save all those management cost also!

Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., wants to allow state and local governments and nonprofits to issue $500 million in tax-credit bonds to buy forest land for conservation purposes. The provision would authorize the purchase of 400,000 acres of land in Montana from a single owner, the Plum Creek Timber Co.

Hmmm…what do you want to be that 400,000 acres of land is not profitable to the Plum Creek Timber Co.? I also bet they would sell it for a jacked up “market value” then deduct the “loss” from their taxes.

Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., pushed for $170 million in relief for the salmon crisis on the West Coast, while the U.S. Department of Agriculture argued the funds weren’t needed because West Coast salmon fishermen received $60 million in federal aid two years ago.

The only Salmon crisis I’ve been reading about on the West coast is the ones created by Politicians and special interest groups meddling in an industry they do not know anything about.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell included a tax break for horse owners that would benefit horse farms in his state of Kentucky. The provision ensures all race horses are depreciated over three years for tax purposes, regardless of when the horses start training. The Joint Committee on Taxation estimates this would cost $126 million over 10 years.

Yeah, we feel sorry for all those horse farmers. Why are horse farmers in Kentucky different from any other horse farmer? And since when do we farm horses?

Senate Democratic Whip Richard Durbin, D-Ill., inserted a measure to curb the import of puppies for commercial sale from foreign puppy mills. The bill, backed the Humane Society, also strengthens the federal animal fighting law.

Good Ole Dick Durbin wasted more time, money and good air than what this is worth. Just another route for the Humane Society to get events they don’t agree with thrown into the animal fighting law. Hunters, are you listening?

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., championed $175 million to provide water for desert lakes in his state.

Let me get this right? We’re now paying to fill lakes in the desert? Why?

Senators from Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland succeeded in including $382 million for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Conservation Program.

I wouldn’t have cared so much about this one, until I saw the $382 million price tag!

Baucus also got $1 million for a national sheep and goat industry improvement center.

Rep. Ruben Hinojosa, D-Texas, secured $10 million a year for five years for a program that helps people in poor, rural areas find housing.

Okay, 10 million a year for 5 years to help poor people to find housing. Isn’t this called a newspaper classifieds ad? Whose pockets will he be lining with this money?

The bill also authorizes funds for a drought mitigation center at the University of Nebraska, water systems for rural and native villages in Alaska, and a congressional hunger center.

Okay, I can understand water systems for rural villages in Alaska but that other crap? Perhaps we need to start sending these Congressmen and Senators home when they spend our hard earned money like this!

Now I’m not a huge Hannity fan, in fact I listen to very little Radio at all, but just knowing that Hannity said or did something that pissed this little Mexican man off, made my day!

Oh, by the way, he ran the red light and nearly caused an accident. A true Liberal if I every saw one.

Boy, at first glance you’d think things were tough when someone like Jose Canseco loses his home to foreclosure! 

But read on in the article. Please.

You’ll see that Jose said he let the home go back because there was a judgement on it and he didn’t see any reason to keep paying on a home that he didn’t own (umm…isn’t that what everyone who has a mortgage is doing?) Yeah, I know what he meant, but it’s not what he said.

“I do have a judgment on my home and it to me is very strange because it didn’t make financial sense for me to keep paying a mortgage on a home that was basically owned by someone else,” he said

Okay, so he let his home go into foreclosure rather than pay the judgement.

So now the Yahoo News (which is syndicated from Reuters) goes on to say this in the next paragraph.

Canseco said the foreclosure was not a difficult issue emotionally. But he sympathized with the millions of other Americans who have already lost, or face losing their homes, because of soaring interest rates on sub-prime loans.

Yeah, I’m sure Jose knows how the Family losing their home to foreclosures due to rising interest rates feel.

Now that you’ve read how Yahoo News and Reuters spun the story, let’s look at the truth.

Jose Canseco had a judgement against his home. Nowhere does it say he couldn’t afford his home or that his mortgage payment skyrocketed so high he couldn’t make the payments. Let’s be honest, I bet he didn’t use one of those “interest only” loans to get into the home. 

The fact is rather than pay the judgement, he’s letting the home go back. Yeah, he’s shirking his responsibilities then trying to blame it on the housing crisis. And Yahoo News and Reuters is playing right along, jumping on the bandwagon trying to make the housing “crisis” sound worse than it is.

Another fine example of how the left in the Media spin stories to make them say what they want.

The real title of the article should had said:

Jose Canseco Shirks Responsibility and Lets Home Go Into Foreclosure

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngRq82c8Baw]

All this why a bunch of Mexicans and a TV Camera looked on.

For those of you who do not know, flying any flag above Old Glory is prohibited. I’m sure the Senior of the Cantina knew this, but didn’t care and so far he hasn’t been fined or arrested.

Take a look fellow Patriots, this is how you take care of business. How many of us would have the gonads to do the same?

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nONjlZ8YMkA]

Notice that the Mexicans had no comments?

I think the really sad thing is that no Reno PD units showed up to fine or arrest the bar owner.

This is Day 4 of my consumer pet peeves. If you missed them, here are Day 1 , Day 2 and Day 3.

I’m not really sure how to classify Texas Home Builders and Texas Real Estate agents, slightly above tow truck drivers, below used car salesmen or above them all at the top of the list.

In my line of work, I have to deal with both of these groups of people. While there are good people in both groups, like tow truck drivers, I think the good ones are the exception to the rule.

Time and time again I see people from both groups prey on consumers. If its not a Texas Real Estate agent trying to push their client to the closing table with lies and deceit, it’s a crappy Texas Builder taking short cuts to get the consumer in the home and closed quicker.

As consumers, do we get protection from these predators? No. Both have a powerful Lobby in Austin and any law designed to reign them in is normally easily defeated due to all the politicians taking their money.

Texas Real Estate agents have the Texas Real Estate Commission. You have to screw up pretty bad in order to have your hand slapped by TREC. Most of the times it’s a relatively low fine for most infractions or a warning.

On the Texas Builder side of things, they were able to get the Texas Residential Construction Commission organized under the sheeps clothing of consumer protection. All one has to do is look at the past and present commission members to see what I’m talking about. The commission is made up of a Who’s Who in the Texas Residential Construction Industry. Builders, Attorney’s for Builders, Vendors to Builders, etc. You get the picture.

No truer words were spoken than when Carol Keetan Strayhorn called the TRCC “A Builder protection commission created for Builders by Builders.”

One only has to look at their rate of finding in favor of the Homeowner in construction related complaints against Builders to see that this statement has come to pass. The complaint process, designed by the TRCC, is a very complex and drawn out process. Some have said it was designed like this to discourage many homeowners from filing complaints. Imagine that!

Have you every tried to sue a Builder in Texas?

Good luck. It likely won’t happen. The way the laws are written, (again, thank your politician who’s taking Building Lobby money), it’s virtually impossible due to all the hurdles one must get over before being “allowed” by state law to sue a Texas Builder.

The Texas Building Industry also managed to prevent Texas Builders from being sued under the Texas Deceptive Trades Practice. They have also been successful in blocking every attempt into forcing Builders to be licensed and pass a competency test. You have to have a license to cut hair and go fishing, but not to build a $500,000 home. Go figure.

The more I think about it, the more I believe they deserve the #1 spot on the Dregs of Texas Consumers list.

Tune in tomorrow, Day 5 of the 5 Days of Consumer Pet Peeves when I’ll discuss TXDOT and DPS Troopers.