OCTOBER 1st WILL BE INTERESTING

I think the Republicans made a mistake trying to defund Obamacare.  I admire Senator Cruz for trying but he was basically whistling in Dixie.  However, Cruz is an overt guy who hates the new healthcare law and he did his best.

Now, the Republicans are backed into a corner where if the government shuts down and Obamacare is stopped they will be accused by millions of people of throwing grandma over the cliff.  They would have been better off to sit back and let the monster come into effect on October 1st and enjoy the last laugh when it fails miserably.  There is always a certain pleasure in saying, “I told you so!”

As of this writing (Sunday afternoon), the Republicans returned to the Capitol today for more discussions but the Dems failed to appear.  They are a confident bunch with Harry Reid shooting his mouth off and Obama using immature expressions like “Knock it off” to the Republicans but I think the R’s will have the last laugh if this nightmare goes into effect as scheduled.

I enjoyed Obama’s most recent comment when he admitted that “We had to tax some things” to gain funds for the program.  Surely he isn’t naive enough to think the American people didn’t know that and are going to love this thing.  The polls show that the public dislikes it more every day.  Then there are those who have to now work part time because of their company’s disengagement from the law.  Can they afford the new insurance?

Never underestimate the government though as they try to work the numbers to show a silver lining:  June employment figures showed an increase of 120,000 jobs.   Wow, that’s impressive except when you read between the lines and see where 360,000 new part time jobs occurred while 240,000 full time jobs disappeared, hence, showing an increase of 120,000 jobs.  Unfortunately those are part time jobs.  Ya gotta love the government and their math!

Another situation that I haven’t heard discussed is, what about the people in the poor sections of big cities and elsewhere who have never had health care?  Many of them have probably been going to the emergency room or free clinics for the little medical care they even bother with.  Are they now expected to come flowing out of the ghettos in Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit and other large cities with a bunch of money to buy health insurance? 

I don’t care what Obama and his cronies say; studies show that this is an expensive boondoggle for most people.  Good health insurance isn't cheap so read the fine print before you sign up at a low cost.  On top of that, those who DON’T buy the insurance will be fined.  How would you like to be the guy who walks into South Chicago and tries to collect fines for not buying health insurance?  Even with government subsidies I smell scofflaws!

So here we are:  two days until Tuesday and the big roll out.  As John Stewart (no, not Jon Stewart) sang in 1979, “Bombs away Dream Babies!”

SOUTH SCOTTSDALE STUFF AND VOTE "NO" ON NOVEMBER 5.

A few months ago the Scottsdale City Council approved plans for apartments to be built on the former Pitre Buick property on McDowell.  Seriously, do we need more apartments?   Scottsdale must think so as probably the ugliest apartments yet have just been built at Lincoln and Scottsdale Roads plus the Borgata will soon be razed for, that’s correct, MORE apartments!

"Skydiaper"  in front of SkySong in Scottsdale

Then there is Skysong at McDowell and Scottsdale Road which replaced Los Arcos and was supposed to revitalize the area.  When I drive by, it looks like a couple of dead box shaped office buildings with some sort of cloth artistry in front.   As my friend Mike says, they ought to call it “Skydiaper.”

Did I mention a bunch of new apartments are being built at SkySong?  Yeah, more cookie cutter apartments.  Many years from now probably the most memorable event that ever happened at that intersection won’t be SkySong but will be the 2005 shooting murder at a night club across the street in Papago Plaza.

There’s more but you get the point.  However, there might possibly be a light at the end of the tunnel for McDowell in the form of something called the Scottsdale Gateway Alliance.  The Scottsdale Republic reports that this group is working on a plan to revitalize McDowell Road and the surrounding neighborhoods.  That sounds promising as long as the scourge of light rail isn’t dredged up again.  With the current city council and the Chamber of Commerce being involved, one never knows if that monster’s head will ever be cut off.

Perhaps we will someday see a beautiful new AJ’s market spring up to join long time south Scottsdale entrepreneurs like Babe’s Cabaret and Zorba’s Adult Bookstore.  Now, there’s a combination!  As far as SkySong, I don’t know if I will ever accept it.  I loved Los Arcos and think a remodeled version of it would have been a better use of the property.  After all, where else could you get the “Lu Ann Special” at Luby’s Cafeteria and then walk next door to Sears and buy a new hammer?

Final note:  By now everyone should know that November 5th is Election Day in Scottsdale.  Citizens are being asked to vote on whether they want to tax themselves for the next 25 years to pay off four bond propositions costing $212 million bucks.  Councilmen Guy Phillips and Bob Littlefield know the propositions are a boondoggle and adamantly suggest that you vote “NO” on all four items.  I agree and if you click here you will see a note from Councilman Phillips in John Washington’s blog explaining why in simple language.

OBAMA IS IN OVER HIS HEAD

The good news is that Obama’s speech last night was only 16 minutes long.  It didn't cause me to miss part of the Diamonbacks' game.  The good news also is that it was worthless in that it was basically a rehash of what we have been reading for the past few days.  I guess that when a president knows he will embarrassingly go down in flames if Congress votes on his measure, he may as well do 16 minutes of repetition and then thankfully disappear.

It was more of the same:  “No boots on the ground” has become one of Obama’s favorite expressions even though having never served in the military, he probably wouldn’t know a boot if he saw one.

Then there were the impassioned words about how horrible sarin gas is and how inhumane it is to kill people, especially children, through its use.  We know those things but when a president says it with a glint of moisture in his eye, it is supposed to have more effect on his followers.

After he finished, one reporter (Martha Radatz of ABC News) commented:  “It is highly unlikely that in the coming weeks or even months there will be a military strike in Syria … if ever.”

Howard Kurtz of Fox News said:  “It was more of a status report than a call to action, more justification than inspiration.”

Fox’s Charles Krauthammer saw the Obama message as “we will do this if we have to,” but put it “on the back burner.”

CNN’s John King said he had never seen a president “say I’m trying to prepare you for a Plan B.”

CBS’s Bob Schieffer hinted at a bit of face-saving, because “he was almost certainly going to lose this vote” on Capitol Hill.

It’s as though Obama is heaving a sigh of relief now that Putin is adding his two cents worth.  I can see him saying, “Phew!  I’m glad that’s over.  I’m going outside for a smoke.  Call me when Vladimir calls to give me his instructions.”