In My Humble Opinion (IMHO) Part 2

Wash your hand often and don't kiss them piggies

A While back, I did a post about some of the things I feel strongly about. I offer these comments to let you hear what this old retired conservative guy is thinking about some of the news of the day:

• I am not sure who started the absolute non agreement going on in Washington but they had better start showing some leadership or the people who get to vote will end it. Instead of just dismissing the TEA (Tax Enough Already) rallies, the Democrats need to try to understand that most of us understood the 400 Billion bail out but were dismayed when it went to 1 Trillion before it could get enough votes to pass. Now, I love smoked Pork Loin but that was a double dipping of pure pork fat and it doesn't take 20/20 vision to be worried about the effect on the future. Why don't they care, or at least act like they do.


• A few years back the Oldsmobile dealer here in Topeka had the rear ends of their cars facing Kansas Avenue. To put it mildly, they were so ugly that I stopped into the dealership and complained. The sales manager let me rant and then he said, how would I like to work there and look at the rear of those cars all day? The cars were facing out because customers were driving into the lot and then driving on because the rear ends of the Oldsmobiles were so ugly. Needless to say, Oldsmobile as a brand closed shortly thereafter. This is the same feeling that I now have when I look at the Buick line. So, what line is GM being told to close? Pontiac. We are going to lose the line that produced the GTO, the Firebird and the Bonneville. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30438302/displaymode/1247/ Click here for the Pontiac story and pictures.
• Can you name any of the cars in the Buick line? What the heck is a LeSalle anyway? Where does common sense keep the GMC line open when it it is just a duplication of the Chevrolet Truck line?


• What does it say about our automobiles when a new PT Cruiser sells for $20,000 + and a two year old Cruiser is $12,000? A new Mini Cooper sells for the same $20,000 and two years old sells for $18,000. Guess who won't probably ever drive a new car again? (Unless I win the lottery)


• The average household Credit Card Debt in 2006 was just short of $10,000. That was an article today in the headlines of my home page. How come the Internet news site is using two year old data to make a point? Because the debt per household has fallen to just over $8,000. Sounds like someone was using bad data to support a worse idea. Instead of celebrating that the average debt has fallen almost 20% they just used old data. And they wonder why people don't believe in the media anymore.


• As far as I am concerned the electronic system has almost eliminated the check as a payment method. In fact a lot of the people we send snail mail checks send the bank an acknowledgement and not the check. The bank charges us if we really want our paper check copies back. Now if they could come up with a system that replaces Visa's name on my debit card. I don't want people to think that I have to use my credit card to buy things at Wal*Mart. If you want an insult, try writing a check at Wal*Mart. They think so little of your check that as soon as it goes through their machine they hand you back the paper. They don't want to even have their lowest paid workers handle the checks.

The weather her is typical spring in Kansas. The rain is scheduled to roll in all week and the rivers are bank full. By August there will be one inch cracks in the ground and we will wish some of that rain had waited. The only part of the rain that bothers me now is that it is too wet to mow and I need to get out soon.

MUD