Chains maybe, but no whips please!

I didn’t think I was a masochistic type but I must have been when I elected to watch Obama last night.

And now I know I’m not because he tortured me and I didn’t like it. But it did do one thing. I sat here with my notepad and collected ammo. I’ll serve some of that up later perhaps but a couple of things leap out.

Just about the only time Obama really came to life was with the glee with which he announced that he was proposing to reduce the deductibility of charitable donations. Now that’s notable for three reasons.

First, when the Obamas revealed their tax returns in the run-up to the last “selection” it was clear that they don’t really believe in this stuff. In 2004, they gave less than 1% to charity which just happens to be perfectly in line with a recent survey. This survey found that the more conservative gave, on average, almost seven times that of the most liberal and, by the way, there is no correlation between the percentage donated and the income of the donor.

Secondly, and via clear derivation, the liberal answer is that the “Government should provide”. Now that would be fine except the “Government” will always seek to control. And maybe that would be fine too if that control was both effective and efficient. Checked out the Post Office lately?

Which, is as smooth a segue as I can manage in order to talk about FedEx.

That company does the job the Post Office is supposed to do and is, at the same time, both effective and efficient. Now we hear that even one of the most successful companies is going to be initiating incalculable job losses. Why; they’re successful?

For years now some unions, most notably the Teamsters, have been seeking to unionize that company. Both the management and the employees have to date resisted this move. Now though, this resistance is threatened by the implementation of the so-called “Card Check” legislation. For those who are not familiar with this abomination (no I spelled it right), let me paraphrase it as the unions’ attempt to force a non-secret ballot in any company they target. With the “goons’ watching as they tap the pickaxe handles against their other hand.

FedEx can see the handwriting and know if it happens, and their employees are forced to unionize, that there costs will increase. So, FedEx had orders in with Boeing to buy 30 cargo jets to carry their packages worldwide. These orders have now been cancelled or put on hold.

Just how many jobs does that threaten?

Perhaps, they can go and work for the Post Office and stuff more junk mail through my door.

Just what I really need.