Updates

Hi Everyone:

Today's blog is about following up on a few of my past blogs and let you know what updates I have learned.

On 1/23/10, I blogged about New York State and its out of control spending. Unfortunately, even in a bad economy, states also have to have layoffs and I suggested just that. Governor Cuomo's new budget calls for massive layoffs. Unfortunate but necessary. When times are good, state governments add employees, but in bad times they rarely lay them off. It is long overdue to reduce the size of government.

On 3/14/10, I blogged about Toyota's acceleration problems. I suggested that the vast marjority of sudden acceleration was due to driver error and a few people who just wanted to jump on the sue Toyota bandwagon. Well in the past week or so, an independent commitee including NASA checked almost 900 Toyota's that were supposedly involved in sudden acceleration incidents. Only 3, yes 3 were found to have a problem and the problem wasn't even computer related. The commitee's findings stated that there wasn't anything wrong with the vehicles electronics. The overwhelming cause was human error.

On 9/12/10, I blogged about Carl Paladino's run for governor of New York State. I said that Paladino was a loose cannon who would say inappropriate and incorrect statements, was not
to be trusted and shouldn't be elected. He was even caught on video, threatening a reporters life. Paladino lost the election by a wide margin.

On 10/10/10, I blogged about unions and their strangle hold on businesses and state and federal governments. Even though contracts were negotiated in good faith, times have changed and the endless bottomless wallets of taxpayers dried up like a river in a desert due to the economy falling off a cliff. Right now in numerous states, governors have demanded union employees contribute to their health and pension plans (which they have never done) that are on par with private sector employees. That would save billions and billions and billions of dollars to all states. In New York City, Mayor Bloomberg even wants to do away with the last hired, first laid off clause and instead lay off the weaker, non-performing teachers first.

And last, but certainly not least, on 12/12/10, I blogged about career politicians, getting convicted or pleading guilty to felonies, while in office and still be legally eligible and able to collect their state pension. Well low and behold, New York state government now has a bill on the agenda that would make a politician ineligible to collect their pension if they are found guilty of a felony, while in office. Now if only the bill gets approved.

Til next week.

Peter