Reader Contributions to TheFundamentals

The following three items were brought to our attention by TheFundamentals readers. We are fortunate and thankful for these involved and informed readers.

1. Greece Public Employees Strike. A reader notified us that on February 10, the public union employee unions in Greece made sure their members did not go to their jobs. Who were these Greek employees? Air Traffic Controllers, Teachers, Doctors, Custom and Tax officials. Why did they strike? Government salary freezes and reductions in pension benefits are deemed unfair to these workers who do not wish to see their generous pay and benefits affected by a government belt tightening. Why government belt tightening? The government is broke. What are the consequences? Surprise; surprise; surprise. These are the people who claim to be working for the people. Nonsense. They work for themselves. They describe themselves as public servants. These people will not give up a penny of their swag; their loot to do their part to rein in spending and start repaying the debt. Today it may be Greece. Can California, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Illinois be far behind? If anyone is listening, there is a common sense need across the land – city, state and federal, to eliminate public sector unions for all government employees. Outlaw them. Anything short of that remedy will never solve this problem. There is not one politician in this country who has the cojones (or whatever the female version is) to take this position.

2. Crony Capitalism? Call it what it is. Just plain corruption. Please click on this link before reading further - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvCZBKxP4TY&feature=player_embedded_  Some people are critical of TheFundamentals for getting its ire up. For being too negative. For complaining too much about Chicago politics and the way these hacks do business. Others say that stimulus payments and special government programs are the only thing between us and oblivion. And there are those who are doing a good imitation of breaking their arms patting themselves on the back for the heroic spending efforts they have taken to avoid a terrible depression. What is the one constant running through all these activities? It’s your money that is funding it. Someday, some taxpayers will have government confiscate their earnings to pay the interest and principal payments due on the borrowed money for all this nonsense. Something to keep in mind come November 2, 2010. This is an encore reader contribution to TheFundamentals.

3. Court stands by attorneys rights over the will of the people. Please click on this link before reading further - http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/05/us/05malpractice.html   On February 4, 2010, the Supreme Court of Illinois, in what may be one of the most misguided governmental creations ever, did the unthinkable. They overturned a law limiting pain and suffering medical malpractice claims (TheFundamentals refers to this entire category of claims as noneconomic damages) to $500,000.00. This misguided self imposed group of tyrants, all four of them, used as their justification that only judges and juries could set damage limits. In effect, this court is saying we are the law. We don’t care what the people say through their elected legislators. We are the law. Four people overturn the will of millions. Four people who are in the hip pocket of the trial lawyers. This is the stuff that comes straight out of stories with titles such as “1984” and “Animal Farm” and “Lord of the Flies.” This folks is Illinois politics. Remind us, mainstream media, where did Mr. Obama develop his political beliefs (?) and tactics?  Thank you mainstream media for scrutinizing (NOT) the politics and behavior of Mr. Obama’s training ground. We are grateful for this important reader contribution to TheFundamentals.

Thank you for participating in these efforts to bring common sense and fiscal sanity back to our nation.