The Ramble: 4.18.11

Altoona,PA– The last several times I’ve come down to this Central PA town,  it was to visit the rail lines running through here. The place is famous for “Horseshoe Curve, and it’s true this is the biggest attraction for railfans in the east. This time, I actually have freight.  Arrived here early this morning. Not a bad trip, really. A fairly short hop of around 6 hours from the home base. Rain and a little snow mixed in, in the upper elevations. Typical spring… A spring which is coming on fast, by the way.  I note with no small amount of pleasure, the forsythia and willow trees are already blooming along with the various fruit trees, down in Southern New Jersey.My home, up in Rochester can’t be far behind.

• I spoke last week of the tragedy in Newburgh, New York where in a distraught wife and mother drove her mom-van off this boat ramp into the Hudson river killing herself and two of her three kids …. and at least seriously mentally injuring the third.  It turns out that the problem was the father of two of the kids, had a couple of girlfriends on the side.  So, the locals tell me, anyway.  The pattern is fairly easy to detect, and fairly predictable in results.
• This is precisely why I’ve never signed on with Rand Paul. I dare to suggest to you that compromise of principle is precisely how we ended up in this situation of crisis to begin with. We compromised on our constitutional principles when we as a nation started such a redistribution of wealth by fiat of government.    More compromise is certainly not going to be a solution for the problems we face.  That Rand Paul is mouthing such things now, justifies my lack of faith in the man.  Let’s put some meat in this stew: Just because I happen to have these numbers to hand, let’s look at the 2007 federal budget, shall we? 58% of Federal Income is Spent on wealth redistribution Social Security, Income Security, Medicare and Health;. I note with interest that defense only constitutes 20% of the Federal budget.  And of these, is the only constitutionally mandated the expenditure. These social redistribution programs came about by ignoring the principles as laid out in the constitution, by our founders. Putting these on equal footing when budget cut time rolls around, is at least hypocrisy. In truth, what Rand Paul is now calling for is more of the same. If he doesn’t have the stomach for his principles, or for at least ours, perhaps we should find another spokesman….  One more suited to the task of actually holding to the principles which he claims to espouse.  I said last week, that  it’s time to refocus the debate on the individual. The Tea Party… indeed ANY party, would do well, I think, to ask of it’s followers and people that the party supports for elective office: “What have you done to remove government from our backs, and what have you done to enhance the rights and liberty of the individual?” If Rand Paul is willing to compromise those rights, he deserves neither our support nor our vote. Can I make this any clearer?
• Want a clear picture of how racists operate? Here you are. By the way, the black guy is a tea party member. The thugs as usual, are leftists.. Oh, and lest white females feel left out, how’s the abuse of a 14-yr old girl sound? These anti-tea party thugs are so very brave, you know.
• Jon Kyl wonders why Obama is silent on Syria. Actually, he knows. The answer of course casts serious question about the motivations of the Obama Administration… as if we needed more questions.