THE MAYOR'S BEST SHOT

The annual Chamber of Commerce luncheon witnessed 400 curious folks there to hear if the mayor would say anything different than last year and the year before that, and the …she didn’t.  This city, in her opinion becomes more wonderful each year. I repeat, her opinion. It had to be difficult to find anything to highlight, and accomplishments other than how we muddled through another 365 days. Few in that audience saw her “completed public safety initiatives and increased economic development possibilities” as any more than words. And try to fathom this part of her speech. “As we tell our story, we are marketing who we are and what we have to offer to the businesses looking for a place to set up shop, to tourists looking for a place to visit, to conventions looking for a place to meet and, of course, to families looking for a place to call home.” And This was the Mayor’ clincher. “If I had to pick just one accomplishment of 2010 that I’m most proud of, it would be when I learned that Suffolk had been selected as one of the top 100 small cities to live in by CNN Money magazine.”
I will say this for the mayor. No one in our city government could have done better.

SHE DID FORGET TO  MENTION UP COMING TAXES.

OBICI HOUSE GETTING MORE THAN A FACELIFT

It took but a year for reluctant Mr. Roundtree to move from doubtful to champion for the historic Obici House. He would like to wind it up by Christmas and contractors swarm like bees all over the famous building built as a token of love for his Louise.

The perfect place for this gem was just off the eighteenth green of Sleepy Hole, and still is due to pressure from those who realize how important Obici was to Suffolk’s history and future. Roundtree has taken the project to heart after first hearing it should be moved or demolished.

Restoring was almost considered impossible when one “fix” uncovered another problem. There had to be times when giving up was considered the right thing to do. We will all be proud of Mr. Roundtree’s product.

LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS AGAIN

Using only available numbers published by our local government there is 33,083 housing units in Suffolk but only 23,283 are occupied with taxpayers. If the City Mothers go with $18.50 per month for ordinary trash pickup those occupied dwellings would produce over five million dollars for the city.  Costs to pick up trash are already known and I’d bet my Sunday shirt there would be a handsome profit. And if the firm handling recyclables could do with $12 per month and survive, think what profit there would be with 23,283 forced customers. Seems to us the city could get a much better deal than $12. And those recycled goods are valuable to someone. Who would that be?           

AN APRIL MARCH ON CRIME

The SNH published an interesting list of names (89) from which you can learn more about the population of Suffolk and variety of crimes you can commit.

All are allegedly guilty of a crime.

Wide spread of ages.

Some unusual or strange names.

Minorities well represented.

Education level of Suffolk?

Possible Penetration of tattoos as body adornnent?

Variety of crimes available to South.

Allegedly guilty but loose on street.

Plenty of drugs available on street.

True sign of economic times.

George Bush at fault.                                     

AT 86 I HAVE SEEN MOST EVERYTHING

Except a tornado described as sounding like a freight train. I have seen the results many times and talked to people that lived through it. One young mother lost her little boy when he escaped her hand and ran into the collapsing boat well to save his fishing pole. This has been a record with over 800 storms that produced tornados. Twice this year I prepared for “lights completely out,” its not easy dragging out the generator, but rather before the storm, not during. And today they warn us again, so should I or take a chance that the storm will go away a third time? As I sat on a bench and contemplated I noticed our bluebird house about ten feet away. Ordinarily this time of year bluebird parents are trying to kick their first brood out of the birdhouse so they can start another family. And it looked like the young birds were cooperating, a head poked out as if the baby was surveying the territory for predatory animals. I was surprised that the adult male flew at the door opening scaring the “baby” back in. This happened three times before I realized what was going on. There was no evidence of a hawk in the area so it must be that there really will be a storm tonight. The bluebirds don’t want their kids out in a storm. OK, I’ll drag out the generator again. You can’t beat mother nature.

IN THE EVENT YOU CARE

From a former Chicago lawyer now practicing law in Tyler, TX . Facts can be checked out https://www.iardc.org “Illinois Attorney Registration And Disciplinary committee”. It's the official arm of lawyer discipline in Illinois; and they are very strict and mean as hell.  
President Barack Obama, former editor of the Harvard Law Review, is no  longer a "lawyer". He surrendered his license back in 2008 in order to escape charges he lied on his bar application. Michelle Obama "voluntarily surrendered" her law license in 1993. Consider this: A "Voluntary Surrender" just beats the State taking your  license, not something you decide. A "Voluntary Surrender" is something you do when you've been accused of something, and you 'voluntarily surrender."  So, the first black President and First Lady who parade as Lawyers - don't actually have licenses to practice law. Facts Source: http://jdlong.wordpress.com/2009/05/15/pres-barack-obama-editor-of-the-Harvard-law-review-has-no-law-license/
http://www.iardc.org/lawyersearch.asp
Obama claims to be a Constitutional Law Professor at the University of Chicago. A senior lecturer is one thing, a fully ranked law professor is another. Barack Obama was NOT a Constitutional Law Professor at the University of Chicago. The University of Chicago released a statement in  March 2008 saying Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) "served as a professor" in  the law school-but that is a title Obama, who taught courses there  part-time, never held, a spokesman for the school confirmed in 2008. "He  did not hold the title of Professor of Law," said Marsha Ferziger  Nagorsky, an Assistant Dean for Communications and Lecturer in Law at the  University of Chicago School of Law.
Source: http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2008/03/sweet_obama_did_hold_the_title.html ;

HIGH LEVEL TALKS AT THE DBA

Now this is important, something to argue about. We imagine business owners and high city officials will long confab the city regulations for those old fashion sidewalk signs that can be read from both sides, are portable, fold up, carried easily, and plopped down any where as long as there is eight feet of clear sidewalk for pedestrians to walk by while they study today’s luncheon menu or the price of that cute pair of shoes waiting inside. The Downtown Business Association will wrestle with what could be a problem, or an innovation depending upon your concept of marketing in good taste. An assistant director of planning will be the featured speaker at the DBA meeting, which begins at 3 p.m. at Bank of America, 210 W. Washington St. (The assistant’s assistant is tied up and can’t be there) He will explain the 35pages of regulations: size, color blending with street scene, quality of materials, the hundred-dollar permit, etc. Most important: the application must be reviewed by no less than the City Manager.

Check Your Oil

By R. Pock

For thirty years I was employed by New York Life, and about 1970 Pension Plans were becoming popular as a means for keeping employees around during their growing experience years, valuable to the firm. The pension, or retirement plan, also served as a noble method to move older more expensive employees out to pasture and make room for the younger hungry go-getters. My position at that time was estimating start-up costs and the amount of necessary annual funding so that employer promises would be kept and the employee happy to have a few years to play and travel. The money set aside in the employee’s name was invested carefully and examined often as the economy changed. The more employees in the pension plan the more effort is required to keep the plan on track.



Unfortunately thousands of pension plans get behind; funding proper amounts was often delayed or never paid. This obviously caused businesses to revise or amend plans and funding. Employees, if they were aware, became disgruntled and worried. So the Federal Government stepped in. And when the Feds step in so do you. Your tax dollars may now fund the pension plan shortages. Here is how they solved the dilemma.  Create an insurance program to protect the company that created the shortage. How this happens and the details are not important here.


Is Portsmouth in funding trouble? According to David Rose, Portsmouth’s financial adviser, they are behind $24,000,000 while Suffolk’s arrears amount to $6,000,000. David  Rose is also Suffolk's financial adviser. Perhaps he will provide citizens, especially employees, the status of our pension plans.

WHAT TO DO WITH BULLIES

WHAT  TO  DO 

If you were to have asked me back in the forties the answer was simple: expel them, boot them off school grounds, write and phone parents if they had one or more. But this came after the principal had pulled him by one ear to his office where the warnings about such behavior included a few hard slaps across the mouth. Then they sat there until the local policeman and a parent joined the scene. If this happened too often the bully faced reform school where bullies often tested bullies. I remember coming home after the war and looking for the thugs that had bullied me. They had grown to be much smaller. But how do they handle bullies, male or female in 2011? We understand that in spite of laws to the contrary students have been guilty of carrying knives and or guns. We don’t believe grabbing one of those malcontents by the ear would be productive. Perhaps a teacher will respond to this.                                                                                                                                              

OH WELL

Freshman Councilman Duman had the audacity to suggest looking at other options to recycling that could provide an incentive to recycle and bring the cost down. He was brash enough to make a motion that was seconded by Leroy Bennett. He was simply asking the city to get more info and crunch the numbers. Barclay, Bennett and Duman voted yes to the motion but ran smack into the old status quo wall…the mayor, Brown, Gardy, Milteer and Paar for the course. Why? Man of great wisdom, Brown displayed reluctance to change the budget and agreed with Curtis Milteer who uttered this gem “Lets stick to the guns and be a man or a woman.” The other four members showed an unwillingness to make any changes to the budget.
Even think for himself Gardy said something about it being dangerous to unravel the budget, preferring to amend it if they don’t get it right the first time.  So nice try Mike.

EVOLUTION

In the beginning there was nothing and trash covered the land. Then the Gods slowly awoke and spoke to us saying, “This place is a dump, we’re going to pick up your trash and garbage for free, one of the benefits we provide in exchange for your property tax. So we stopped dumping our “unreusables” in ditches, along highways, out the car window, we had been good at keeping home and site neat and clean. When some idiot invented trucks governments put thoughts together and the world was clean again, except for what blew out of the trucks on windy days. And it was free for Suffolkians for years until environmentalists invaded earth and recycling was invented. People then paid to have their “choice” trash taken away or were free to cart it to very special places giving them a very special feeling. Evolution decreed we move on from there and our gods awoke, finally realizing free won’t last. Over the heads of the masses an edict proclaimed, pay now and get used to it, we will hold the money for you. And the recyclers are now happy because everyone must join the force against evil waste. But what the cost, is it $18.50 monthly for trash, plus $12. month for recycling, totaling $366 annually? Or is Seward still toying with the numbers?                                      

MORE WORK FOR DONALD TRUMP

1) the original, long-form 1961 Hawaiian birth certificate.
2) Marriage license between Obama’s father (Barak Sr.) and mother (Stanley Ann Dunham) — not found, not released
3) Obama’s baptism records — sealed
4) Obama’s adoption records — sealed
5) Records of Obama’s and his mother’s repatriation as US citizens on return from Indonesia — not found, not released
6) Name change (Barry Sotero to Barack Hussein Obama) records — not found, not released
7) Noelani Elementary School (Hawaii) — not released
8) Punahou School financial aid or school records — not released
9) Occidental College financial aid records — not released. (These records were, however, subpoenaed but Obama lawyers succeeded in quashing the subpoena in court. No other Occi records have been released.)
10) Columbia College records — not released
11) Columbia senior thesis — not released
12) Harvard Law School records — not released
13) Obama’s law client list — sealed
14) Obama’s files from career as an Illinois State Senator — sealed
15) Obama’s record with Illinois State Bar Association — sealed
16) Obama’s medical records — not released
17) Obama’s passport records — not released

Demi Panogopulus

IT'S ALL OVER SO ADJUST YOUR BUDGET

If I were one of the dozen who make decisions for the 82,0000 citizens of tax broke Suffolk I’d continue as though there were no substantial objections to the proposed tax hike and charges for garbage pickup.  Oh people did stack the Chambers the first of two nights showing honest pain and fear of what may come. They are cutting down even on food as prices and transportation costs continue to rise.   It seems to them the city should forget starting a new city hall, skate parks, lower those high salaries and behave as though their responsibility was to be in favor of the citizen’s need, not city wants. Yet it is and will be the same year after year unless citizens are truly organized. Of course paid and elected top dogs know better about most things and are organized while the public never is. There are no leaders among the masses. It would have been good practice for the Tea Party if it exists locally. I’m sure there are Tea Party minded folks but not vocal. They, with a few hundred people, could put spines on the old Council members. That first public meeting got their attention; the second put them back to sleep for at least two years. They will get their new palace and keep their high salaries, while we muddle through. It's great to live in Suffolk.

SUFFOLK LOSES A MAN THAT CARES

Roger Leonard, now an employee of the Federal Government ,  must resign from the "IS" team. We will miss his clarity and ability to state his position clearly.

TAKE A BUS YOU PAY --------CREATE GARBAGE YOU PAY

One way to cut HRT bus costs is to do business with someone else. There are private bus services available. Leaving HRT could save $233,000 said the CM. She suggests booting HRT and try out I-Ride, run by Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia. HRT is dropping two routes in Suffolk to save money for them.  We can do that. Suffolk’s buses are among the worst performers in the HRT system. The average subsidy per ride throughout the system is $2.23.   Time to trim those costs. But  you are going to do what to us dear Suffolkians? 

"We are going to charge you plenty for picking up your garbage even if  you don't have any.  How's that for a starter? After that maybe we add a late charge, or wrong pickup position punitive fee? 


Eventually a charge for having a great and wonderful City for you to live in. Perhaps another for you having the benefit of living being under the watchful eye of a wonderful and caring City Manager?
                                             

A NEW HIGH HONOR OPEN TO SENATOR QUAYLE

QUAYLE   FROM A NEWS ITEM BY TRACEY AGNEW. The 2011 First Citizen winner will be honored with a program and reception at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts.
After nearly 20 years in the Virginia State Senate, Quayle has racked up numerous awards and accolades, the Suffolk First Citizen being only the most recent. He has been a tireless advocate for the 13th District while at the same time being a multi-talented family man. “He’s just a very humble individual,” said Brenda Quayle, the senator’s wife. “He’s very conscientious about his work and kind to people. But I’m too prejudiced. I just think he’s the perfect man.” That's it,  THE  PERFECT  MAN

HEADLINE WAS ABOUT CLOSING TWO SCHOOLS TO SAVE MONEY

Mount Zion and Robertson combined for the highest total saved in the closing of two of the three schools. The closure of Florence Bowser Elementary School was discussed, but the board decided it needed to remain open to account for the growth in North Suffolk. Most of the jobs at the two schools will be transferred to other schools, Suffolk Public Schools spokeswoman Bethanne Bradshaw said. Superintendent Deran Whitney said closing the two schools was a way for the board to cut spending while not compromising the quality of the programs and education in Suffolk.

But you did  and I suppose rightfully could, miss this sentence. School spokeswoman Bethanne Bradshaw said that most of the jobs at the two schools will  be transferred to other schools, so is this just being nice or a sensible business practice? Top man Deran Whitney said closing the  two schools is a way for the board to save money. This also a way to build an inventory of unnecessary people, one of the things the Board has complained about in the past.

The Most Frequent Questions I Hear Regarding Suffolk's Proposed Budget

1. The #1 question that jumps to everyone's mind is why the heck do Suffolk leaders think the city really needs a larger Municipal Building now –in the middle of a recession?

Why can’t this wait until the economy improves? Why didn’t Suffolk put away funds for this when the home inflation was was shooting through the roof and revenue from over-assessments was flooding into city coffers? Instead, they chose to spend every penny. But Northern Suffolk has the bulk of the increased population--and City leaders have used that to justify a huge expansions in municipal employee rolls! But let's be real here. Reality Check: It's not like anyone in northern Suffolk has any real need to visit old Suffolk so why do City officials feel they need all the extra space? N.Suffolk is a bedroom community for Norfolk and Newport News and most of the population up there doesn't even know where old Suffolk is! And many of the same members still on Council went out of their way to kill the Kings Highway Bridge, ensuring that most accessible artery between northern and southwestern Suffolk was taken out. Let 'em live with that decision! The only reason the existing municipal center is crowded now is because of the excessive hiring from 2004-2009 that definitely needs to be rolled back to pre-2008 numbers before looking for additional revenue! So as soon as they scale back to what the City can really afford, the problem solves itself. And if Suffolk really needs an auxiliary office up in northern Suffolk, there will be a whole lot of empty space available up there real soon—and it’s gonna be a renter's market! The new municipal building is a solution in search of a problem to solve and the problem is self inflicted overstaffing. AND THE CITY OWES A JOB TO NOBODY regardless of how good they are! Just look out for the best by getting rid of the rest!

2. Why implement recycling now?

It's a waste of time, money, and energy. Suffolk leaders want to act "Green" without understanding the science or the economics of what they are lurching into. They haven't obtained a recycling economics study and don't have the city staff with the education in solid waste management to perform it anyway. Solid Waste Management is a full semester Env. Engineering graduate level course--just for the overview--that few undergrad Civil engineers take. The biggest cost in setting up a recycling program is transportation! Next is the transfer station. And the economics will not work in any area with low density housing spread over 460 square miles! These facts should kill the economic prospects of a proposed recycling program to anyone who understands the basics of recycling engineering and management. So reach out to ODU and you’ll find a half dozen very qualified Environmental Engineering and Engineering Economics professors in Kaufman Hall who can give you an unbiased evaluation. But, like most colleges, the city can purchase the answer they want to hear also so, as a taxpayer, I would really, really like to see the City's proposed scope of work for such a study--to make sure City leaders are asking the right questions! But, one of my Masters is in Environmental Engineering and the other is an MBA --and unless the science has changed radically in the last 15-20 years (and I still work in the engineering field), this is only going to be a hole into which Suffolk pumps money—without any prospect of improving “the environment” one iota!

Those two items above--plus focusing the City’s contribution to the School Board funding specifically into areas where the funds will do the most good would more than solve the city's Revenue shortage caused by poor planning, poor understanding of economics and staff management, and plain and simple overspending!

PS: any school employee making over $75,000 a year shouldn’t be getting a raise during a recession without meeting specific performance improvement metrics —that are established before the evaluation period commences. And if they they threaten to walk, please encourage them to do so—and bring in management from the private sector to manage—and let teachers teach. Teachers have already proved they can’t manage! It’s past time to tie executive pay to measurable improvements in performance and nothing else!

PPS: And don’t even get me started on why we’re subsidizing the Suffolk Airport! Nobody uses it except for recreational pilots. I’ve got almost 6,000 flight hours as a former Navy pilot. There is nothing strategic about Suffolk airport and Suffolk’s economic interests that justifies continued City funding that I can see!

MILLIONS OF FREE MONEY THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN COLLECTED WAS IGNORED

Assume 23,283 households and using a conservative number like $12. per month we arrive at about 5 million dollars SPSA was “giving” the city of Suffolk because use of the dump was free to our citizens. And our Suffolk leaders knew the day was coming when the free use of the dump stopped. So why wasn’t an equivalent amount of money budgeted, set aside to grow until the time we would have to pay? We should have had an  administration including a Council that was wise enough to set aside the equivalent to the free stuff and pile it up for the day they knew was coming. It was certainly easy to calculate that sinking fund and let it grow toward the day that our long ensconced Council members knew would come and has arrived. But not being competent enough to look down the SPSA road even though they new the day would arrive and it has. But, you will pay, not those that should, content that it was free. Hand it off to those younger folks like you have allowed the National government to pile up trillions for your kids to pay.  Thank those, some still in  in power, like city managers, council members, like Seward, previous mayors and Councilmen who covered their eyes and ears. Thank professionals like SC Glenn and Davenport, and Seward who surely knew the bill was coming.

PERHAPS NOT THE BEST THEY COULD DO

OK, It appears we have heard from Seward and City Manager and it was what we were told it would be, six cents and perhaps a $120 a year MORE for garbage pickup. The city currently pays for it now using dollars already collected from us. So we now know the City Manager’s budget desires. But she works at the pleasure of the Council and there are more people available to weigh in on the subject than just the City Manager. It is the Council that must turn the little lights on the wall green and edge many citizens closer to bankruptcy. We have heard little from Council members but it is now their turn to wax eloquent and point to other measures the city can take during these testing years of economic disaster. For instance those dollars planned for the first year costs of the new city hall. Who knows that a year from now costs of construction will be higher? We have heard nothing about lowering high-end salaries, or eliminating assistant’s assistants even though the computer age is forcing it to happen elsewhere. It was simple when an astute Council sensing we were no where near bottom firmly suggested the City Manager disappear until the budget matched the expected income with no increase in the tax rate.

A THANK YOU NOTE TO A MYSTERY MAN

A gentleman in Smithfield sent me what he said was a small gift. I wasn't sure how to thank him, am still not sure this is the way to do it but I can't put it off any longer. so here goes. Many thanks for the gift of music. You can't miss with music because at 86 I've enjoyed many forms of it, decades of  creations by gifted composers beginning with Mozart. I wasn't around when his compositions filled the narrow streets of Vienna. It seems that every  decade we had to drop the beat of one,  resist change for awhile, then slowly accept the next artist and his style or musical instrument we hardly knew existed. The changes were endless, the new conductors,  the beats, the stories told in song. Music that soared, music that made you cry. Ennio Morricone that made Clint Eastwood famous. Lawrence Welk's  dance, Mancini, Mantovani, Ray Lynch, The Beach Boys, on and on, some great, many today just noise. I don't carry an electronic box of tunes around plugged into my ears, but I still stop an listen when I hear real music from an open window. A good share of the music sent to me was in its own way military and I assumed had something to do with the millions of  us who went off to war somewhere. And the gentleman is a first class composer. Thanks again.  
"  

NOW I FINALLY UNDERSTAND WHY

I voted Democrat because I believe oil companies' profits of 4% on a gallon of gas are obscene but the government taxing the same gallon of gas at 15% isn't. I believe the government will do a better job of spending the money I earn than I would. OK, I'm too irresponsible to own a gun and I know the local police are all I need to protect me from murderers and thieves.  I voted Democrat because I believe that people who can't tell us if it will rain on Friday can tell us that the polar ice caps will melt away in ten years if I don't start driving an electric car. And I voted Democrat because I'm not concerned about the slaughter of millions of babies through abortion so long as we keep all death row inmates alive.

I proudly voted Democrat because I think illegal aliens have a right to free health care, education, and Social Security benefits. And I believe that business should not be allowed to make profits for themselves. They need to break even and give the rest away to the government for redistribution as the democrats see fit. I voted Democrat because I believe liberal judges need to rewrite the Constitution every few days to suit some liberal fringe kooks who would never get their agendas past the voters. And I voted Democrat because it is unlikely that I'll ever have another point of view.

ASK YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER TO READ THIS LETTER

There is a letter in the Suffolk News Herald this morning written by “IS” team member Roger Leonard. To read it just skip across this page to where we have listed “Local News  On  Line.” Click on SNH then “Letters The Editor.”  As he always does, Roger nails it. Read the letter and then call your Council member.

WHY NOT...KIDS BELIEVE IN THE TOOTH FAIRY

So parents of truant kids finally get it when a uniformed truant officer knocks on the front door. It has come to the    point of “no more, the law has just stepped into the picture. Kids that will lie to parents or teachers about why their desks have been unused so often must now try lying to someone with time and sufficient authority to exact penalties. A Juvenile Probation Officer is now part of a team attempting to lessen truancy in the city's public schools. Up until now, apparently, schools have not earned the respect due any organization whose primary objective is to educate. It can also be said that too many heads of households dodge the responsibility required to properly prepare their brood for life with others. Or lack the courage to challenge errant ways by kicking some butt. Not sure even the new plan will work our school administrators will pass the buck to and pray the Juvenile Probation Officers are capable.                                                                                          

High gas prices. Thank you Barack Obama.

• I miss the last day of the Bush administration. Do you remember January 19, 2009? Gas at my local gas station was $1.60 a gallon. I just passed that same station this evening. Gas there is now at $3.59 a gallon. It is official. Gas has gone up more than 100% under the Obama regime.

  The left screams that this is not Obama’s fault. There are fluctuations in the market. Perhaps a history lesson is in order.

  In 2008, we saw gas prices skyrocket to well over $4 a gallon. The economic impact was immediate. A weak economy got much worse. Then candidate Barack Obama said he did not have problem with high gas prices. His only problem was the sudden increase in the price. In July 2008, the light finally came on for George W. Bush. Realizing that this was not only an economic disaster for America, but also the high gas prices were endangering Republicans, Bush did something remarkably simple. He revoked the Executive Order prohibiting drilling in outer areas of the continental shelf.

  This move was mostly symbolic. There is also a law in effect that congress would have to repeal before drilling could take place. But, it had the desired effect. It panicked speculators in the market and the price nose-dived. Before Bush left office, prices had dropped by almost three dollars a gallon. One of Obama’s first acts upon coming into office was to reinstate the Executive Order banning drilling on the continental shelf.

  Obama said under his energy plans; gas prices must necessarily go up. And they have. His Energy Secretary has said he wanted to see European style gas prices here in America. Gas in Europe is around $10 a gallon.

  The high Obama gas prices are going to cause problems. Fuel is the one requirement to transport all goods to market. We will have ripple inflation because of this. People are going to put off trips and vacations will be cancelled this summer because of fuel costs. That is except for the ruling elite. Obama, Biden, Pelosi and company will go on vacation. We will have the privilege of paying for their vacations.

  We faced a similar situation in 1980. Ronald Reagan had a great comment, which can be easily updated. “A recession is when your neighbor loses his job. A depression is when you lose yours.” A recovery is when Obama loses his.

  The day when we go Donald on Obama and tell him, “You’re fired” cannot come soon enough.
• From a 31 March 2011 Tea Party Nation Forum post by Judson Phillips.