Astoria's Amazing Tea Party

This video is from North Coast Oregon. I didn't take any pictures. A lot of these folks have never done anything like this before. This was a pretty big step to take for ordinary folks. And what a crowd! Astoria is a tiny city of less than ten thousand, and yet there were about 300 people who showed up to let our politicians know that we're going to be holding them accountable for their piracy.

Pretty impressive, really.

Tea Party Today In Astoria

What was started by an angry comment by CNBC reporter Rick Santilli has turned into a national movement. If you know what a trillion is the amount of money being spent to bail out people who took advantage of the free market, lost and now are being bailed out by the federal government is staggering.

The free market is being blamed by Congress and our President. Actually, if the market rules had been followed we would be seeing gains in the Market by now. Not just the short-term bear market rallies. Real economic growth. The fundamentals are, or were, in pretty good shape. Now those fundamentals are gone. When the reality sinks in on just how bad hugely expansive intrusion into markets by the federal government is and is going to be we can still make changes. But for those of us who can do the math the programs by this Congress and our President are excruciating.

In Oregon we have extremists increasing government spending and taxing at horrendous rates. It is possible that Oregon now has the highest unemployment rate in the country. Between the harsh investment climate--run into the ground by environmental rules--unbearable energy mandates and ridiculous minimum wage rates there are some with a background in economic science that could have predicted this outcome. But the Unicorn believers don't understand inputs and no grasp on how businesses decide to employ those inputs. It's tough building an Utopia. Some prices must be paid.

So join me today at the Courthouse in Astoria. Five o'clock. You don't have to bring a sign or chant. Just be there. You can even pretend you're going to get your mail.

Unemployment In Oregon

The Change!™ folks have to be excited.

Oregon's business policies are in Epic Fail mode, and our legislature is worrying about the major issues. Like putting a spike into the back of energy production under the heading of Cap and Trade. Oh, and making cigarette butt's a major felony. These people lack gravitas.

They already passed a law outlawing novelty lighters. They already voted for a law eliminating our vote for presidential candidates. Really. Under this new law our election results will be determined by the outcome of races in other states. Brilliant minds these Change!™ people.

The reassurance provided by the Unigovernor Ted Kulonzinski is provided below. Oregon could have the highest unemployment in the nation, but the national figures won't be out until Friday.

At 12.1 percent, Oregon's unemployment rate is the highest it has been since records started being kept. Before the Great Society, in Oregon if you wanted to feed yourself and your family you worked. Now, in Oregon, you go to the food bank, I guess. Getting a menial job and paying your bills just isn't done any more. Thank God we have illegal aliens to do the messy jobs.

It's easier for us to target rich, successful guys than to do any type of work ourselves. Why should the corporate bigwigs get big paychecks, when the little guys--with no job skillz and an outhouse attitude--get little paychecks? The answer? Tax the rich guy! Change!™

Oregon's business environment is horrible. A resource rich state, we keep those resources under an environmental lock and key, all the while talking about mandating cars that run on batteries made from good intentions and fairy dust. And the future of Oregon under Cap and Trade? My electric bill has already gone up about 20 percent. I'm sure larger users of electricity have seen their rates go up even more. The outlook for increases in baseline electricity for Oregon? Well, we've already been told that the Boardman coal plant has to go. That's part of the Governor's energy policy. We've already lost the Trojan plant in Raineer...that produced at one time 25 percent of the state's electricity. What will we replace this with? Windmills and solar panels? You have got to be kidding me.

So, who would buy land in Oregon to build a business? Someone who can't read the economic tea leaves. It's not going to get better until it gets a lot worse. But the residents of the Marble Nuthouse in Salem are doing just fine, thank you for asking. Here's the compassionate statement of your governor:

(Salem) – “The employment statistics released today are staggering, representing the many families across the state struggling to make ends meet during this recession.

“While national economists are noting positive signs, today’s numbers also tell us that we have entered uncharted territory – that this recession is not comparable to the recessions before that we remember or read about in history books.

“We still have a tremendous amount of work ahead of us to make sure we make smart investments in policies and programs that create jobs, open doors to new economic opportunities and put Oregonians back to work quickly. That means investing in our roads and investing in our schools. It means continuing to enact policies that advance Oregon’s leadership position in renewable energy. And it means making sure we have adequate safety nets for our most vulnerable in need of assistance.

“I know that tougher days are still ahead but I also believe that brighter days will return. Together, we can weather this storm, and together, we will see economic hope and opportunity return once again to citizens across this great state.”

Since when did the State become the provider of "smart investment policies"? Only under the Unagovernor. Previously the job of the state was to provide an encouraging environment for private business decisions.

Read it again:

"That means investing in our roads and investing in our schools. It means continuing to enact policies that advance Oregon’s leadership position in renewable energy. And it means making sure we have adequate safety nets for our most vulnerable in need of assistance. "

Change!™

Now the Unagovernor gets to decide what is, or isn't, a smart investment. Those of us in the private sector need not apply.

Have a nice day.

Jobs versus Jobs

Just watched Governor Jennifer Granholm (D-Michigan) on CNBC.

What is it about Democrats? How do they look at jobs they create with public money and congratulate themselves for "creating" jobs"? When the funding runs out, what happens to the jobs? Well, according to the good governor, governments will have to spend even more public money. The money being spent by government on jobs aren't creating jobs that have any long-term value. These are all short-run, make work jobs. They are, in fact, unsustainable.

There are still states that are working to create an investment environment that encourages job creation. Oregon does to an extent. If you have a crazy scheme to create Green Jobs Oregon has plenty of incentives for you to do business here. It's a mix of direct investment of public funds, tax credits and eased regulation.

But no such incentives exist if you are a regular brick and mortar business.

The latest unemployment numbers are due out today. Last month Oregon's unemployment rate was the third highest in the nation.

Will Governor Kulongoski figure out a way to congratulate himself in the face of higher unemployment numbers? Sure. He'll point out all the dollars coming in from public coffers and the jobs that will be created by those bucks. Our bucks. That we'd love to have to spend on our own businesses, but because the economy is in the doldrums, the pirates are going to suggest we're better off taking private dollars and spending them on public projects.

Oregon is being run by pirates. Congress is dominated by pirates. The president is a pirate.

Time to fight the pirates, laddies.