HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARINES

Happy birthday to the U.S.M.C. born right here in Philly appropriately enough at Tun Tavern. While the tavern is long gone the celebration goes on at Daddy Wags. Officially Cookie’s Tavern after its owner James Wagner (deceased) Daddy Wags as it is affectionately known is the scene of a great Marine Corps birthday party every year. If you are a Marine like my buddy Fireboat John, this is your day. Since all you got was a nice uniform anyway you might as well make the best of it… JUST KIDDING!!!!

Semper Fi!

THE SAGA OF THE SALT MINES

I took a little heat over my stance on the SEPTA strike. So be it. I’m not a fan of SEPTA by any stretch and I wouldn’t use their service unless absolutely necessary. Just like any government-run monopoly you get the worst of everything. As much as I don’t like SEPTA I can’t stand their management or the politicians who created the monstrosity, then cry about it after the fact. I stand by my defense of the workers who show up everyday and do their jobs despite dealing with the public and an uncaring management day after day. In fact I wouldn’t want their job. All you have to do is watch one episode of PARKING WARS to understand how abusive the general public can be.

WASTE, FRAUD AND ABUSE – THE DEMOCRAT PLATFORM

One year after Mayor Nutter announced the closure of fire companies, pools and libraries to fight a financial crisis of “incredible proportions,” his administration announced today that the city will face a $31 million deficit unless further reductions are made next year.

City Budget Director Stephen J. Agostini and Nutter’s chief of staff, Clay Armbrister, outlined for City Council today the ingredients for the newest alarm, which include faltering wage tax revenues, expected state revenue that never materialized, and costs expected from new casinos.

Agostini has already asked department heads to slice their spending by 7.5 percent next year as he prepares to present a 2011 budget to Council in January or February. Agostini would not say how the city would close the deficit, though he said he was monitoring every hire right now in trying to avoid taking on long-term costs. LINK

Some cuts could come before the budget is passed in June.

You have to hand it to the democrats. When it comes to politics it’s a blood sport. It has to be when you are this incompetent. Since democrats can’t win a fair contest of ideas they must try to destroy their political enemies. That way there is no alternative to their failed policies. That’s what we have in Philadelphia. Like many other big cities Philly is a one party town and that keeps us in perpetual distress. 

TEAR DOWN THIS WALL!

Twenty years ago today the United States of America won a colossal victory for all of mankind without firing a shot. It was a political victory, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet-Communist empire. It was barely two months after I left the Army after serving four years. I spent two years in Germany and made one trip to Communist East Germany while I was there. It was a trip that forever changed me and my political beliefs. The day I left Germany to come home the wall was standing there as strong as ever. Two months later it fell and I was as astonished as the rest of the world. It was an event unimaginable at the time.

FREDDIE MAC LOSES BIG MONEY

BARNEY FRANK- THE MAN WHO DESTROYED AMERICA

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Freddie Mac (NYSE:FRE – News; NYSE:FRE – News), the second largest provider of U.S. residential mortgage funding, on Friday posted a loss of $5 billion in the third quarter and predicted it would need more government support amid a “prolonged deterioration” in housing.

Increases in the value of securities Freddie Mac held over the period helped buoy its net worth, however, erasing its need to tap government funds for a second straight quarter to stay solvent while continuing to buy and guarantee home loans.

Including a $1.3 billion dividend payment on senior preferred stock bought by the Treasury in previous quarters, Freddie Mac’s third-quarter loss increases to $6.3 billion. LINK

Oh yeah let’s give them our health care while we’re at it. What could possibly go wrong there? EVERY CITIZEN needs to track down their elected representative and let them know a vote for Obamacare is a vote for their opponent next election. Otherwise see you in line at the government clinic.

Big shout out to Barney Frank…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PEACH

Today Peach turned 12. Lucky for me I had to work. She had a party at the house with all her cronies. I know better than to hang around the house when there is a gaggle of eleven and twelve-year-old girls around doing whatever it is they do. With the Oberfrau leading the mob the boy was left to fend for himself. Sorry buddy. I’ll make it up to you.

At twelve Peach and her friends are into Aeropostal clothes, Chuck Taylor- Converse sneakers and I Pods. She is doing well in school and is a healthy, happy (more or less) kid. What more can you ask for? She is the best and I love her tons. Happy Birthday Peach.

Love Dad

DAMN YANKEES…

YANK’S beat the Phills but at least the Phills made it a series.I do have one comment on baseball in general. The World Series is being played WAY too late in the year. Despite all the global warming nonsense, it get’s too cold on the East Coast in November. It’s too cold to pitch and in the end the quality of the game suffers. IMHO the World Series should be over by the end of October.

Congratulations New York, you still SUCK! See you in the spring.

SEPTA – TROLLIES, TRAINS & LABOR PAINS

It been interesting watching the SEPTA strike here in the city so far. In case anyone needs an update, let me start by giving a rundown of the ugly details thus far: SEPTA workers Local 234 went on strike yesterday morning at about 3AM. The strike came after Local 234 worked without a contract since around March of this year. Negotiations were seemingly making progress late last week so the union agreed NOT to strike before Philadelphia hosted the World Series. That’s called GOOD FAITH. There were major events all weekend at the sports complex beside the World Series and a transit strike would not only have been a major embarrassment, it would have created HAVOC for thousands of people. It also would have cost the city a bucket of cash. The union and it’s workers came through for the city.

SMACKDOWN! GOP WINS BIG WHILE DEMS STICK IT TO WORKING GUY

You have to shake your head at tonight’s developments. The Republican party, all but left for dead on the side of the political highway has just pulled off the equivalent of a come from behind win. Tonight the GOP won TWO governors seats out from under the Democrats despite HEAVY, YES HEAVY incumbent support from the White House and a long list of democrat players. Those heavyweights included the Vice President- slow Joe Biden and former President Clinton, (Bill) that is. No matter what they say or how they try to spin it, this is a stinging rebuke of the White House and the Obama administrations policies of bailouts, stimulus, tax and waste and Chicago style, raced based politics and intimidation.

ELECTION DAY 2009

Today there are many local elections in process around the country. The most important one in these parts is the New Jersey Governor’s race. Republican challenger Chris Christie is within a hair of upsetting the woeful Democrat incumbent Jon Corzine. If you live in New Jersey and haven’t yet done so yet, do everyone a big favor right now. Stop reading this insipid blog, go pick up a few of your cronies and get to the polls. This one is going to be close and every vote will be critical.