Our country is broken.  We have been lurching from one bad president to another, from one war to another and from crisis to crisis.  Our government spending is out of control and so many people are out of work that tax revenues are in the tank.

Our country has huge negative momentum and that’s bad for America and the American spirit.

We had the crash of 2008 driven by a failure of government to properly oversee the housing market and a failure of regulators in preventing speculators from creating a hugely leveraged, virtual debt pool that nuked companies and markets right and left.

Jobs  disappeared all around us as companies scrambled to cut costs.  Bush and Obama bailed out the banks, the big car companies and their unions, while doing nothing for Main Street.

In Washington, the Democrats raised spending like crazy and became obsessed with passing a health care law that is one of the worst pieces of legislation ever.

People got angry, got organized and sent the Tea Party to Washington with a single mission of getting our budget back under control by cutting the ridiculous spending spree.

From there, we’ve had a continuous fight over cutting spending that has paralyzed the country and the government on a number of occasions.  A fight that has yielded just tiny spending cuts that are real. All the big numbers are BS fake cuts from some imaginary future budget.

This past Friday the nation was dissed by S&P when they downgraded the US debt rating from AAA to AA+.  They did this despite the fact that they have countries with even worse debt problems, like France, rated AAA .

I found it both sad and amusing that  Sen. John Kerry declared that this was a Tea Bag Downgrade.  What a jerk.  Even though I voted from him instead of Bush, I never liked the guy.  The Tea Party folks didn’t create this problem, it’s lifers like Kerry that created this problem.

And to top things off,  Alan Greenspan, former head of the Federal Reserve, was asked if T bills are still safe and he responded “Yes, we can always print more money.”

Somehow, this has got to change.  Our government leaders are stuck in a mind set of no compromises and blaming the other guy.  Our business community has frozen up due to all the uncertainty about what’s going to happen next.  Our national attitude is one of doom, gloom and the pain of austerity.

We, the people, elected the 536 people who run our national government. They created this mess with their decisions. If our debt is too high, its because they decided to make it too high.  If our spending is out of control, they decided to spend way too much. If  our tax system is all screwed up, it’s because they decided to screw it up.  Everything comes down to their decisions.

These 536 people are also the only ones who can make the decisions needed to get us out of this mess.  From my perspective, each and everyone of these people should be forced to tell us their plan to fix things or to stand up and be counted for someone’s plan.  Whether you like it or not the House Republicans came up with a plan and stood behind it.  The Senate Republicans should do the same.  The Democrats should do the same.  And most of all the President should have some plan that is more than just talking points about shared sacrifice.

Personally, I don’t want more sacrifice, I want it to feel like it’s  “morning in America again”.  And I think that’s doable.

My plan would be simple:

1. Make growing our GDP is the top priority to create jobs and enable us to enjoy the privileges of this country. To do this I would focus on 2 policies:
• Figure out a way to eliminate the tax on jobs.  It makes no sense to tax jobs here at home, when companies can outsource and not pay the tax. It’s simply a bad tax that kills jobs and we should get rid of it.  The temporary reduction in payroll tax rates is a start, but the whole tax should go permanently.  It should be in the constitution:  Government  should not tax people or companies for providing jobs.
• Eliminate the capital gains tax on the first $5 million in gains from the sale of a small company.  IMHO this would do more than anything else to spur investment in small business.
2. Set spending and revenue targets at 18-20% of the GDP, and everyone should sign a pledge that compromise that gets to that range is the right thing to do for America.  To do this I would:
• Reform the personal and corporate  income tax system to fewer, lower tax brackets with few or no deductions
• Put all spending is on the table and force it fit within the 18-20% range within 5 years.  If we want more health care, we have to spend less on defense and vice-versa.
3. Put the country on a path to positive momentum.    Start making changes in a positive direction.  Start small and keep making decisions that make things better.  Rinse and repeat until we turn this nation of around.

From my perspective, if your  Congressional, Senate or Presidential candidate can’t come up with this plan or something else that fixes the mess they created, then they don’t deserve your vote.  They certainly aren’t getting mine.

BTW.  If anyone else has a better plan, I’d love to hear it.

The Long Beach Press Telegram continues to write misguided editorials about the recent passage of a law requiring out of state retailers to collect sales tax.  The last time I wrote to the editor, they totally censored my post.  So, here is the reponse I sent to them tonight.  I hope they have the guts to publish it entirely this time.

Here’s my response:

Supreme Court of the United States has already ruled that it is unconstitutional for states to force out of state retailers who do not have physical presence in the state to collect sales taxes.  This is the second time the Press-Telegram has advocated in support of an unconstitutional law on this matter.  Do your home work!

Secondly, you should realize that the biggest backer of the unconstitutional law is Wal-Mart, Inc.  Wal-Mart is not the friend of local small business. Because of their lobbying efforts and poorly informed editorial staff advocating unconstitutional positions, the State of California passed an unconstitutional law that caused thousands of people working for small business to lose their jobs.

California has lost jobs and tax revenues because of our legislature’s arrogant attempt to bypass the Supreme Court’s ruling.  Amazon is no saint, but like the Press-Telegram they have a right to fight for their constitutional rights.

If you’re going to write editorials, get your facts straight.

PS – either print this entirely or you don’t have permission to use it at all. The last time you edited my position you totally distorted my message.

I spent the past few weeks enjoying the Women’s Soccer World Cup and it really made me think about the importance of being “on frame”.  That’s soccer lingo for putting your shot on the target.  In soccer, the target is with the frame of the goal.  Putting your shots on frame is the only way you’ll score.

The US National team was like magic to watch.  The game against Brazil was especially fantastic with a last minute tying shot that Abby Wambach put on frame.  Then, they win it in penalty kicks with 5 more shots on frame that all scored.

The final game had everything you could want in a quality soccer match.  Ups, downs, the stories of two incredible teams, sportsmanship, and everything left of on the field by all involved.

Congrats to the Japanese Team.  They fought hard and deserved their title.

The US team was equally worthy of winning and that made watching them choke painful.  They chocked on defense, on offense and in the PKs.  Really sad to see this from such great competitors.

The team had two defensive mishaps that allowed Japan to tie things up in both regulation and in overtime.  Then, Japan won the penalty kick contest.

But it wasn’t the defensive mistakes that cost the US the game.  The problem is that too their shots we not on frame.

Before the penalty kicks, the US had 27 shots at the goal, with only 5 being on frame.  Japan only had 14 shots, but put 6 of them on frame.  Then in PKs, the US had two shots blocked and one that missed the frame.

If you’re not on frame, you have no chance to score.

It’s like that in life too.  If you’re not on frame, you you have no chance of realizing your goals.

I recently sent a letter to the editor of the Long Beach Press Telegram in response to an editoral they published called “Online Sales Should be Taxed”.  The editorial’s position was that we needed a law to make online retailers collect tax to make it fair for offline retailers.

The editorial board obiviously does not know what it’s talking about and has fallen prey to Walmart et al lobbying efforts, just like the Democrats in Sacramento.

Below is the full letter to the editor.  The bold parts were edited out, much to my disappointment.  I guess that’s what happens when big media wants to censor the public.

For your information, online sales ARE taxed already. Every good sold
in California that is subject to sales tax is already taxed whether it
is sold online or in stores. All Californian’s are responsible for
paying the sales tax regardless of how they purchased the goods.

The issue is the State’s ability to force retailers to collect taxes.
For retailers with a physical presence in California, the state
government forces retailers to do the State’s job of collecting the
sales tax.  That uncompensated tax collection burden applies to both
retail store operators and online stores operated by companies that
have a physical presence in California.  Just try buying something
from Walmart.com and they will collect sales tax from you.

It is unconstitutional for the State to force retailers who do not
have a physical presence in the state  to do the State’s job of
collecting taxes. . In Quill Corps. v. North Dakota, the Supreme Court
ruled that a business must have a physical presence in a state for
that state to require it to collect sales taxes.

Our State representatives are trying to create physical presence,
where one does not exist, to force out of state retailers to do the
State’s tax collection work. The way they are doing that is by saying
that if an independent publisher or marketer based in California
promotes the out of state retailer’s products and gets a commission
then the retailer has to collect taxes.  Its like saying that because
Amazon ran a pay for performance ad in the Press Telegram they are now
based in California and can be forced to collect taxes.

If the law passes, out of state retailers will discontinue
relationships with an estimated 25,000 businesses in California to
avoid being forced to collect sales tax.  That will mean we don’t get
the sales taxes and that lots of tax paying Californian’s will lose
their jobs and livelihood.  We will end up with fewer jobs and the
loss of of income tax receipts. It’s a lose, lose proposition.

The only constitutional solution is to have the Federal government
pass a law to make it happen.

There is just no other way to say it. Verizon Fios customer service sucks.  I spent about an hour ranting about it on Twitter last night, but still need  a bit more venting to clear my frustration with them.

The issue started when Heather and I decided to rent a VOD movie instead of going out.  Bad decision on our part, because the resulting service just ruined the night.

It all started when we select the movie we want to watch, “The Adjustment Bureau”, and click on the rent button.  Then we wait and finally an error box pops up.  We try this a few times, unplug the set top box to reset it and try again. Still getting error box so we hit the troubleshoot button which is useless, but it does give a number to call at the end.  So I call the number, and the Verizon call systems asks for my phone number.  Why they don’t have my number is beyond me.  My bank always knows my number when I call.

After I enter my number, I go through a mind numbing phone tree only to get disconnected somewhere.

We decide to try something different and use the VOD system to view a movie from HBO, but again we get an error message.  This one tells us we do not have enough credits to rent this movie and provides another number.  I don’t know what the credits thing is all about, we pay plenty to have Fios and we pay extra to have HBO and access to it’s VOD library.

After we find the same problem on Starz and some other premium channels, I call the number that this error message says to call.  It’s different than the last one so I try it.  There is a short code to enter when I call.  Again, the call system asks for my phone number.This time it tells me my phone number does not exist or something like that. After some other phone tree mumbo jumbo I get asked to enter the short code.  I enter the code and wait.

The phone tree seems to be doing something….then the computer voice says “there is no answer at that number and the call will be disconnected.”  Now I’m pissed.

So I drag up my browser on my phone and go to Verizon.com and try to find a number.  Their contact numbers are well hidden behind lots of pages trying to deflect you from calling.  I find them after some serious problems trying to get through two modal pop up windows on my phone.  Modal pop ups on mobile devices don’t work very well, but that’s a different rant.

So I get the number and call.  Phone tree asks for my number again, then try’s to make me go away by leading me all over the place.  I just want to talk to a person, but the phone tree is the Resistance Monster incarnate.  It really does not want me to talk a live person.  Finally, I beat the phone tree and get to a person.

Sounds like the lady is very far away,  has an Indian accent and a name I don’t quite get.  Maybe I got sent offshore? Don’t know.  Don’t really care as I can understand the lady and she seems nice. The lady asks for my phone number again.  Click, click as she types away.  Now she asks what my problem is and I tell her.

Oh, no.  She’s not part of Fios.  She’s part of some other operation.  She offers to transfer me and asks for a number in case we get disconnected.  I envision more time waiting and then getting disconnected.  So, I demand a warm transfer where she stays with me until I get to the next rep.

There we sat waiting.  Verizon music playing away.  Me and the Indian lady. We wait and wait.  I’m not giving up now, I’ve got one of their reps and I am going to keep her waiting too.  10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 40 minutes. Some more waiting and then there is a different person picking up the phone.

It’s Debbie.  Debbie is from Fios. The Indian lady signs off.  At least she stayed with me, even if she could provide no help.

I think Debbie asks for my phone number again, but I’m not sure what she said.

She asks me what my issue is and I tell her.  I hear her give a friendly chuckle.  This is not going to be good I think.

The VOD system is down.  She tells me that it’s not just me, it’s affecting everybody.  She tells me like she thinks that is going to make me feel better.  Doesn’t work.

I ask why the system is down.  She mumbles something about maintenance.  That I find hard to believe. Who would schedule VOD maintenance on Friday evening in prime time?  No competent person would do that.  But then again it is Verizon Fios.  Maybe they would be so stupid as to bring down the VOD system on a Friday night for maintenance.

I ask if they will give me a credit for their system being down.  She says it needs to be six hours.  Ok, I say.  When will the VOD be back up and available.  She tells me an hour sometime on early Saturday morning.  Well that’s more than six hours I say, how about that credit.

Debbie can’t give me a credit.  I have to talk to the billing department.  I complain about having to wait some more, but tell her ok.  Get me to billing I say.  I want my credit.  I know it would only be few dollars, but now I’m in it to win.

Debbie does the normal, can I have a number to call if we get disconnected thing.  Again, I tell her I want her to stay with me and do a warm transfer.  OK she says.  I wait and then the music again.  Debbie tells me it will be 13 minutes, do I want to wait?  I say yes and I want her to stay with me.  Ok she says.  Then moments later Debbie is gone.  She comes back after 5 minutes or so to check up on me.  Do I want to wait more?  Yes and I tell her I’m mad at her for not staying with me.

Debbie sneaks away again.  Finally, I get to billing.

I don’t know the billing ladies name, but she asks me what I want.  I tell her my VOD is down. Debbie said six hours and I get a credit.

Billing Lady says no.  No credit for the VOD system being down.

I ask why not.  She tells me VOD is a free service and they don’t give credit on free service.

My blood pressure must have gone up 20 points at that statement.

I pay big bucks to Verizon every month for the Fios service.  The service I pay for has a feature called VOD.  If I don’t pay, I don’t get VOD or Fios.  There is no way it’s free.

Billing Lady tells me it’s free because everyone gets it.  I say only if they pay for Fios.

Billing Lady sticks to her position. No credit.

I ask about HBO VOD.  I pay for that.  It’s not available to everyone.

Billing Lady says no credit.

I ask why Debbie told me it was possible and made me wait to talk to Billing Lady.

Billing Lady tells me she doesn’t know.  I think she thinks Debbie was an idiot.

I tell Billing Lady I’m pissed off.  She says that she apologizes for me being upset.  She doesn’t apologize for the VOD system being down. She doesn’t apologize for their terrible service.  She doesn’t apologize that she can’t or won’t help me.  She doesn’t apologize for my time waiting and the awful experience.

She’s sorry that I got upset.  Like I’m not supposed to get pissed off when treated this poorly.

I think I lost it at that point, because the Billing Lady was gone.  Just silence.  I lost.  Verizon Fios awful service won.  It’s no wonder that the last thing the phone company wants is to talk to their customers.  It’s awful for me and probably costs them a fortune.

The sad thing is it never needed to happen.  All Verizon needed to do was tell it’s customers that the VOD system was going down, or was down and tell us when to expect it back up.  They could have done that via the set top box.  They could have put that on the web site. They could have had the phone tree tell me.  They could have tweeted it and it would have been more effective than the experience I went through.

They could have put a link on the error message to get help and then tell me VOD was down.  They could have put phone numbers on the error messages that actually get answered.  I could go on and on about fixes, but I’m sure they just don’t care.

And why does the phone company keep asking for my phone number when I call? They’re the phone company and they know my number.

Come on Verizon, at least fix that.

Unless maybe Verizon thinks people will get frustrated with this stupid procedure and drop off before they actually get to talk to a person.  Sounds cynical, but that’s how big companies think.

I saw this chart in the WSJ today and was stunned by how much the federal budget has grown and the projections for the future.

I know which line I would choose. What about you?

A team of researchers at North Carolina State University have been doing Santa research that provides further proof of my belief that Santa is Real. They have been studying some key issues that everyone has questions about.

Read it, believe it – There is a Santa Claus.

Here are some choice quotes explaining their detailed research.

1. How does Santa know if you’ve been naughty or nice?

It is no overstatement to say that Santa knows when children have been bad or good. He knows much else besides. The information stems from a personal pipeline Santa has to children’s thoughts via a listening antenna that combines technologies currently used in cell phones and EKGs. A sophisticated signal processing system filters the data, giving Santa clues on who wants what, where children live, and even who has been bad or good. Effectively, it gives him advanced neuroimaging capabilities that tell him that Mary in Miami hopes for a surfboard, Michael from Minneapolis wants a snowboard, etc. Later, all this information is processed in an onboard sleigh guidance system, which provides Santa with the most efficient delivery route.

The system serves as a fail-safe backstop to the letters Santa receives via snail mail from around the globe.

2. How does Santa make all the toys?

Dr. Zikry is still trying to work out the specifics regarding Santa’s “magic sack” – a sort of nano-toymaker that uses a reversible thermodynamic processor to create toys for good girls and boys on site. As you can imagine, that cuts down significantly on the overall weight of the sleigh (fuel efficiency!). The magic sack uses carbon-based soot from chimneys, together with other local materials, to make the toys by applying high-precision electromagnetic fields to reverse thermodynamic processes previously thought to be irreversible. Simply put, it’s amazing.

3. How does Santa deliver all those presents?

Based on his advanced knowledge of the theory of relativity, Santa recognized years ago that time can be stretched like a rubber band, space can be squeezed like an orange and light can be bent. By the early 1950s, he had found a way to take advantage of relativity clouds: controllable domains – rips in time – that allow him months to deliver presents while only a few minutes pass on Earth. He has only fine-tuned the process in recent decades. I’m definitely going to have to update my book – Unified Field Theory for the Engineer and the Applied Scientist! The presents are really delivered in the wink of an eye.

David Goldhill, a media exec, has written an excellent article in The Atlantic on what’s really wrong with health care. He does a fantastic job of identifying some of the real underlying problems with our system:

A wasteful insurance system; distorted incentives; a bias toward treatment; moral hazard; hidden costs and a lack of transparency; curbed competition; service to the wrong customer. These are the problems at the foundation of our health-care system, resulting in a slow rot and requiring more and more money just to keep the system from collapsing.

As I stare a at a surprise $2,000 bill for a bone scan, I can completely resonate with most of what Goldhill writes. It’s sad, but we get better service from our auto mechanics than we do from the health care system.

He argues for changes that make the patient the customer:

The most important single step we can take toward truly reforming our system is to move away from comprehensive health insurance as the single model for financing care. And a guiding principle of any reform should be to put the consumer, not the insurer or the government, at the center of the system. I believe if the government took on the goal of better supporting consumers—by bringing greater transparency and competition to the health-care industry, and by directly subsidizing those who can’t afford care—we’d find that consumers could buy much more of their care directly than we might initially think, and that over time we’d see better care and better service, at lower cost, as a result.

If you really want to know what we should be doing about health care reform – read this article.

Umair Haque, from Harvard Business, has an excellent post that shows how we spend more and get less for our health care dollar.

It’s scary how much more we spend than others. He brings in some other data as well that shows the US having lower life expectancy and infant mortality rates. Although, there is some analysis which shows we might not actual be very different in terms of outcomes when you adjust for fatal injuries like accidents and homicides.

And the higher infant mortality rate is likely due to low birth weight driven by higher rates of teen pregnancy.

In any case, we do spend a LOT more than everyone else and don’t seem to get much for the extra cash.

This graphic from the NY Times says it all.