Susie Madrak notes that the usual suspects are preparing to raid Social Security and Medicare again.

First of all the reality of the deficit. There are very few people in this country who don’t actually run a deficit. They call it different things to avoid recognizing it for what it is, but it’s a deficit.

If state and local governments issue bonds for a project, they have a deficit. If an individual has a mortgage, car loan, credit card balance, they have a deficit. If you spend more than you earn, you have a deficit.

One of the “gifts” that contributed to the current mess we are in is the belief that people shouldn’t pay off their debts and save money. This is based on the almost constant inflation that was finally reined in by the Fed. Unfortunately the Fed encouraged this behavior by making easy credit available, convincing a lot of people who should have known better, to use it.

Now, after ignoring the problems of the deficit during the Reagan, Bush I, and Bush II years, the deficit hawks are back on the attack during a Democratic administration. If they were really concerned about the deficit, they would be backing tax increases or cuts in defense spending, but those moves would affect them and their friends, so they want to steal the money from the FICA taxes, that are only paid by people who work for a living.

Bill Clinton’s surplus was all FICA taxes, not income taxes. The income taxes were close to paying for the government, but not quite there. The income tax cuts that the Shrubbery enacted were a redistribution of payroll taxes to the wealthy. They stole from the poor and gave to the rich. Now that they are going to have to repay all the money they looted, Pete Peterson and his fellow travelers want to steal from the poor again.

Just a reminder that if you are visiting Central Florida during cold snaps, you will want to wear a sturdy hat and watch the trees for falling iguanas.

From the Weather Underground:

Thursday Night
Breezy. Mostly cloudy. Chance of snow in the evening…then slight chance of snow after midnight. Lows 25 to 30. Chance of snow 30 percent.

It’s going to warm slightly, so it can SNOW!

The high for the entire state today will be 59° at Key West!

The orange juice isn’t supposed to be frozen until after it’s in the can!

These people can’t drive in heavy dew, and they are going to get SNOW!

Update:

Sunday
Sunny. Highs in the mid 40s. Lowest wind chill readings 1 below to 9 above zero in the morning.

Wasn’t the deal hurricanes, but no freezing?

Recently I have been forced to fill the car every six weeks, instead of every two months, and that was annoying. So I decided to use the bike more and extend the range of places I would use it.

My original bike was one abandoned by a former tenant of the apartments my Mother manages. It was saved in case the guy realized he would need it. When he didn’t come back after several months, I decided to use it, because no one else seemed to want it.

The reason he left it was obvious after I looked at it as a possible source of transportation – it needed new tires and tubes, as well as a new chain. This is how free stuff costs you money.

So it was OK, but I wasn’t using it as much as I should have because of the design of the frame. I have short legs, and they don’t reach the ground while sitting on that bike.

Finally, I bought a new bike with the necessary frame, after running out of sources for a used one. It came partially assembled and I have to fix some of that before I can add the final bits and put it on the road. The rules for routing control cables are simple: as short as possible, no kinks, and no restrictions to the movement of the handle bars. This is common sense, not rocket science, but whoever did the partial assembly obviously has never seen a properly assembled bike.

So, in addition to all of the other things that are going on, I have to find the time, and a place to complete this, while not freezing, and without the possibility of somecat converting a vital part into a cat toy.