Politicians are no Help and never have been

Over the years I have had occasion to listen to a great many political speeches and to pay close attention to the descriptions of a lot of political promises. In the final analysis I don’t know why WE ALWAYS fall for the same tired old crap but we always do. Politicians promise us the moon and deliver a piece of green cheese.

It happens every single stinking time.

It just irritates me that a politician can blithely promise anything and it is written off as a “Campaign promise”, and if we were to do the EXACT SAME THING at work, it would be called a lie and we would get fired. See ya, wouldn’t want to be ya !

I’m not going to go back to the beginning of time; however I am sure you will recognize a few of these gems.

• We are going to mark a DMZ at the 38th parallel that will define the two countries so that we can train the local troops, which will allow Americans to come home. This was the idea in 1955 in Korea. We still have thousands of troops deployed there and hundreds of other places around the globe that have very little to do with the original reason we went there to begin with. If you don’t believe me, just answer what the hell we are still doing in Germany, decades after WWII, and have thousands of troops deployed there and Korea and Japan and etc.

• We are going to create “Enterprise zones”, which will encourage investment in poverty stricken areas, thereby preventing gentrification and the wholesale destruction of local neighborhoods. This was the idea behind one plan pushed by Ronald Reagan, and was the force which basically unleashed “Eminent Domain” actions by localities, thereby ensuring the wholesale destruction of local neighborhoods.

• Tax cuts will help those less fortunate to be able to “Insert latest lie”. Tax cuts do not help low income wage earners. It is no help to have your taxes cut $5 per paycheck. When you roll it up it allows a politician to say they have cut taxes by millions or billions of dollars, however the individual person isn‘t helped at all. Someone who has a billion dollars on the other hand? Well I guess it depends upon if you call a 20 million dollars reduction in tax liability “help”.

• The latest round of tax plans, Housing ideas, College tuition programs that all the candidates are blathering about have one thing in common. They are all so full of holes, tests, disqualifiers and so called “means testing” that they are more confusing than a tax form and when you get right down to it, a very low percentage of affected individuals are eligible for their “savior” programs and an even lower percentage will take advantage of it.

Here is why Its just another lie.

If you have to be 100 % caught up on your mortgage payments, have great credit, have “X” dollars in savings then your program is not designed to help people that are “underwater” or “in trouble” on their home mortgages. It is designed to help the doctor that lives next door to the Politician and owns a million dollar (or more) mansion. It certainly will help no one who is currently in foreclosure or bankruptcy , because by virtue of the fact that they have had to declare bankruptcy , it virtually ensures they will have no money, be behind on mortgage payments, and have ruined or wrecked credit.

Who do these idiots think they are fooling anyway? Why don't they just have Ron Popiel do all the political ads? Then at least they would be funny, memorable and you wouldn't mind being lied to so much because you would know it was a ridiculous boast to begin with.

I'd love to talk more about it but my pocket fisherman in the glove box is calling.  We are having fish for dinner tonite and I'm gonna cook. Just put it in the Oven and "Set it, then Forget it!"

I see my wife on the corner over there. ":Hey Good Looking, I'll be back to pick you up later!!". 'Scuse me while I spray my hair on.......

So I was wondering if Its just me

Seems like the more we talk about a recovery the longer it takes. If I remember right this has been going on since early 2007 in some sectors and tanked for sure about a month before the election that saw Obama swept into office. So under two Presidents, three different Congress's and getting ready to be three election cycles, nothing much has changed has it?

Lets see.

• Banks are still foreclosing on people and charging stupid outrageous fees to use our money right ? 

• Jobs are still headed over seas and no one is hiring except Fast Food restaurants ?

• Unemployment is still "Officially" over 10 %, reality is closer to 20 % right ?

• We still have a war going in Afghanistan and whatever you call that mess in Iraq right ?

• We are still TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS in debt right ?

• Bankruptcies are at an all time high still , right ?

• Advertising dollars are still lower than they have been in years right ?

• Meaningless statistics are still being touted as a useful measure of the Economy right ? (Housing starts for one)
• Wholesale prices have began to rise triggering Inflation in  some very important sectors including coffee , Right ?
• Oil prices are still high, Auto sales are still low and not much over last year if at all, right ?
• We are still fighting about the "debt ceiling" (14.9 trillion dollars) right ?
• Access to credit is still tight , right ? Most credit cards are close to 20 % on average, even though large banks borrow money at close to 0 % right ?

OK, so I am obviously confused.
What is it that is better ?