Merv's Politically Incorrect Audio Blog

Discussion in 'SBAF Blogs' started by purr1n, Dec 26, 2018.

  1. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    2020-10-05.jpg
     
  2. Senorx12562

    Senorx12562 Case of the mondays

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    Agreed. Except I did not say, or even imply, only.
     
  3. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    The concerns are lack of accountability and the institutionalization of political-machines. These concerns also apply for government that outsources to private entities. On a tangent here: private isn't all bad. Ask parents with kids in LA Unified School District if they would rather send their kids to charter schools and 100% will say that they would prefer to do so. LAUSD is a bad word. The reason is that charter schools by their nature have some level of accountability.

    On the political machines, the CA gas tax to repair roads is an example of this. The following year of the gas tax hike, a group of tax-payers pushed forth a proposition that the revenues from the tax would be used purely for what it was advertised for: road and bridge repairs. It failed. I wonder why. This kind of "big" government non-accountability, where funds are transferred from one intent to the general fund has been going on years. 34% of the CA Lottery is supposed go to schools - wait, wasn't the lottery money meant for schools? Oh, get this: an audit discovered that the schools were still being shortchanged $36million. Let's not even talk how how the US Gov't has been raiding the peoples' Social Security fund. And what happened to the 20B spent on the California high-speed rail (from nowhere to nowhere), now cancelled? Do we get a refund? Did anyone in charge get fired?

    I worked for a lobbying organization for several years, and what I found was super disgusting in terms of how money was collected and presumably spent on "legalized bribes" (lobbying) to support certain legislation. A huge victory for the movie studios was the passing of the DMCA, which was draconian in so many ways. (I'll let you guys read up on the details). DMCA pissed Google off for sure. Google was the loser, but that because Google was too dumb back then to realize the need to have an ex-Senator on retainer.

    When I was at the MPAA, I had several conversations with the CEO back then, ex-Senator Chris Dodd. He was earnest in the stated mission: eliminate content piracy. In my mind, I was like "why we don't make it easier to buy content than the steal content" with Netflix in mind (of course I didn't say jack shit). Guess what Disney, Warner, CBS/Viacom are doing now six years later? Rather than change the business model to one of the future, these studios had legislated, legislated, and legislated to keep us in the stone age.

    My experience was disheartening. Think of it as the Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, but with the F'd up ending. There is a reason why Big Pharma and Big Insurance won and the people (and providers) lost with Obamacare. Wasn't this supposed to be the Affordable Care Act? The fact is, Congress got bought off.
     
    Last edited: Oct 7, 2020
  4. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    FTFY
     
  5. winders

    winders boomer

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    This is biggest pile of crap I have read on here in a long time. We most certainly do not need more government. California is the most screwed up state in the Union and it precisely because the government has grown so big and wasteful that it has to tax citizens and corporations heavily. This state also has the highest level of regulation as well. That, along with ridiculous socially policies, is a reason companies and people are leaving this state in droves.

    You want that to happen on the national level too? Jeez, that is messed up. When I get a chance I am escaping this messed up state. I was born here and never thought I would ever consider leaving......
     
  6. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    Let me know when you do as I might consider moving back. I'll bring @jexby and @Hands along, too.
     
  7. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    I appreciate the enthusiasm. Not sure what else to say as there’s no reasoning in your post just an opinion.

    certainly NOT why people are leaving California. It’s how hyped the state is. SF is the perfect microcosm example. You can’t even buy local fish on the Jetty. It’s all fake. Everyone who makes the city cool and contributes to its culture can’t afford to live there. And the lack of diversity Jesus. Rich white people and a dwindling number of poor Mexicans are all that’s left. Its all so hyped and full of itself. No real culture. Just tech.
     
  8. jexby

    jexby Posole Prince

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    Exit stage left....
    hm, would never move to the big cities nor coastal parts of cali. maybe something in the remotes would be fun, if it didn't burn.
    furthermore, i just banned winders from moving into Colorado.
     
  9. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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  10. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    I’m moving to Oregon or Colorado or maybe Montana as soon as possible. Maybe a (small) home in each when my revolutionary ortho tech makes me a millionaire.
     
  11. yotacowboy

    yotacowboy McRibs Kind of Guy

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    I think the point being made is that "small" or "big" doesn't matter if gubmint is ineffective at acting without overt minority political policy monkey-wrenching. IOW, you get what you pay for.

    Aside: I'll never forget how pissed my dad was when he had to file his taxes AMT. "I can't take any deductions!!!" "The tax code is so complicated!!!" LOL!

    Definitely look to the eastern half of MT. The scenery is wonderful!

    I'm only halfway-to-2/3's joking, but "This place was great 'till rich old white people moved here" is becoming a bit of a meme. especially as folks get priced out of the ski towns in Colo-rawwhhhh-do.
     
    Last edited: Oct 7, 2020
  12. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    I won’t be old so it’s all good. :)

    I’m not really a Californian. My parents only settled here forcing me to grow up in Palo Alto because my father got his absolute dream job at Stanford directing a whole research center. And I spent all summer every summer traveling around the country outside California. My dad grew up on a farm in Illinois and my mom in Portland. I guess I feel so out of place here this post felt worthy.
     
  13. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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    FL in about 10-20 years will become more and more like the giant suburbs of costal California, minus the great weather and mountains. Jacksonville from folks who escaped SoCal reminds them of LA but on a lesser scale (very very flat as a big negative), while some of the beaches in Jax reminds folks of the snobbiest/rudeness of La Jolla who had sex with San Diego.

    Too many people moving in Jax nowadays, cost of living going up thanks to that. Errrr. :eek:

    I also had some jesus chicken (@rtaylor76 rep on this) at Chic-Fil-A about an hour ago and I saw four Cali tags on cars with two NY tags. Stop it stop it!!! :mad:
     
  14. winders

    winders boomer

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    Big government has NEVER been effective in the history of humankind....
     
  15. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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    China?
     
  16. winders

    winders boomer

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    As long as this is a free country....and that is in jeopardy.....I will move wherever I damn well please regardless of what the numnuts here think.
     
  17. winders

    winders boomer

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    Which era?

    The communist Chinese government of today has been very effective and dominating and taking advantage of its people. If you consider that "effective", well, maybe you should move!
     
  18. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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    You should been more clear with your comment. The modern Chinese government is pretty effective, but we don't like how they do it.

    If this is a free country, please let me know where I can legally get bump stocks for guns. Oh wait, the Trump Admin took that right way from gun owners. I guess we are the path of no return.
     
  19. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    This is why I like an isolated political discussion thread here! A thoughtful and intelligent post that challenges what I posted earlier.

    I agree with you. But the problem isn’t the “size” of government it’s corruption. I think privatization because our government is too corrupt to serve the people is throwing the baby out with the bath water.

    my ideas of balancing public and private services so they compete with each other only works if the politicians in power actually want to make things better. Which as you said, most of them don’t, they’re just interested in doing what’s best for corporations and the super rich who have bought them off.

    but the problem is corruption not the “size” of government. The answer to your school funding example is to fix the corruption that’s stealing the funds allocated for education and probably spending it on military contractors for stuff we don’t need. (Or if we do need should be properly funded legitimately and transparently). The answer isn’t privatization.

    an uncorrupted government that tries to make things better is the answer.

    again, I’m not a socialist, that’s too extreme. I believe in a public option for example not single payer. Because the public option (if the government isn’t corrupt and makes it good) will keep private insurance prices down and private insurance options will keep the public option efficient. Competition between the two to avoid the weaknesses of each system. Single payer with no private competition is destined to become inefficient and bloated and restricting.
     
  20. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

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    Uncorrupted governments are unicorns.
     
    Last edited: Oct 7, 2020

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