The Obama Administration's First Impulse Is To Lie

"Good News: Obama has found a successor to Susan Rice and it's another photogenic incompetent liar." Tweet by David Burge

Note: Since this was posted a few months ago, we now have more proof the Obama administration and its surrogates are stone-cold liars.

• I've often said one of the most outrageous lies by politicians was to Native Americans when they asked them to "Trust us" before herding them into reservations.
• Why has it been this administration's first impulse to lie when questioned about certain events and incidents? Don't get me wrong. We know most politicians---on the left, center and right---lie (How can anyone forget Pres. Clinton staring into the camera and telling America, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman.?). Their record of lies is immeasurable. But this administration has taken lying to a level perhaps not seen in a long time.
• We've seen this exhibited time and again with the scandals surrounding Benghazi, the IRS and the NSA. We've certainly witnessed it with ObamaCare. The lies surrounding that legislation have been specific to many of the promises made by the president himself (from telling Americans they will be able to keep their doctor under ObamaCare---even HHS was forced to admit last week Americans might NOT be able to keep their same doctors) to the promises that ObamaCare will hold down the "cost" curve (If you have a moment you can read my June 20, 2013 piece entitled, ObamaCare Sticker Shock. It clearly shows costs---in most cases---will rise and already have risen).

• Yesterday, the president began his long series of long speeches about the economy. The speech was reminiscent of "Groundhog Day." He hit familiar themes like balancing the budget, the deficit and bringing jobs back to America. But there were conspicuous pieces missing like: how will he do it?
• But just as disturbing was his proclamation that America has fought its way back? Is that right? That was said on the same day The Washington Times reported for every job created, two more people were added to the food stamp rolls. Since Obama took office, 16 million more Americans are receiving food stamps. Today's unemployment rate shows that last week's first time unemployment claims rose yet again. Of course, unemployment still remains well over 7% while black unemployment rose to 13.7% in June. And it must be noted the real unemployment rate---including those underemployed---is just over 14% or double the unemployment rate that the administration likes to tout as improving. Black youth unemployment in many parts of the country exceeds 40%---higher numbers than we see in most of the Euro countries who are dealing with their own high rates of unemployment.
• Are there some signs the economy is improving? There are but the gains, to date, have been modest.  For example, according to the Feds, manufacturing expanded in many parts of the nation. In addition, there's been some growth in consumer spending and growth in retail sales. And we're seeing a rebound in housing sales. All of these are good but high unemployment will continue to be a drag on the economy.
• As a sidebar, several weeks ago, I wrote a piece declaring the NY City Mayoral race will go down as one big dick joke. With the new revelations about Weiner this week, it appears I was right.

 Postscript: Since this was posted, Gruber proved my point. In addition, the lies regarding foreign policy are countless.

Higher Education Tuition: Preying On Parents + Students With Costs They Can No Longer Afford

Department of Education Study Finds Teaching These Little Shits No Longer Worth It...The Onion

• This week USA TODAY ran a piece reporting that parents are contributing less of their income and savings towards college costs from 37% two years ago to 27% now. Much of this can be attributed directly to the poor economy and recession. Many parents just can't afford college for their children.

• Yet even with the challenges facing parents and students, college tuition costs continue to rise at extraordinary and disturbing rates. Last year, Bloomberg News reported the cost of a college degree increased by 1,120% since 1978. That's right. That's not a typo---1,120%. In fact, medical costs are a bargain compared to getting an education. During the same period, medical costs increased by 600% according to the same report.
• According to the Unites States Census, the cost of a four-year private college or university is now almost $41,000 a year.
• The unintended consequences of this type of highway robbery has students and parents burdened with over $1 trillion in student debt. In fact, a recent report by the NY Federal Reserve found that even Americans over 60--Boomers--now owe over $4B and carry an average of almost $20,000 in college debt. USA TODAY reported that For-Profit educated 10% of college students but account for nearly half of student-loan defaults.
• The result of this trend in rising tuition is the rising use of grants and scholarships. Five years ago, half of families reporting leaning on grants and scholarships. Today, more than two-thirds do (Sallie Mae). However, even with this financial assistance, the cost of college is increasingly becoming more unaffordable for the middle class.
• While there have been decreases in funding to public universities, the Federal Reserve reported that grants are also to blame for higher education costs. In other words, as students receive federal grants to attend college, the institutions raise their tuition to reflect this aid.
• Just as disturbing, these colleges and universities are pumping out graduates who cannot find employment. A Rutgers University Study found that 1 in 2 college graduates have full time jobs. This has resulted in college graduates putting off the purchase of homes, vehicles and even marriage. The current state of the economy accounts for some of this, but there's another reason: colleges and universities know there are not enough jobs out there for all the students graduating. Yet, they still keep burdening students with degrees that give the graduates little chance of finding suitable employment. For example, the unemployment rate for graduates with a degree in Psychology is about 19% (Bad Economy Jobs). As recently as 2012, only 24% of graduates with liberal arts degrees found employment in their field. In addition to being unable to find work, many degrees don't pay well. Some of the worst-paying college degrees include music, philosophy, fine arts, anthropology and drama/theatre (AOL-Jobs). Last year approximately 20 million students were enrolled in our colleges and universities. The number of college degrees conferred was about 3.5 million in 2011 (US Census).

• If these trends continue, I foresee a time when this current model of higher education will become obsolete. Unless things change and quickly, parents will begin questioning why they should be mortgaging their own futures to pay for obscene tuition. We're already witnessing an explosion in on-line degrees or blended on-line college programs.  Over 4 million students are using this path to a degree. This trend will continue to grow. As it does, parents and students will realize they don't have to attend the brick and mortar dinosaurs. And major companies and corporations will also learn self-taught students will be just as competent. It's just a matter of time.

In The Aftermath of Detroit's Implosion One Has To Ask: Are Progressives Masochists As Well As Dangerous?

"Detroit Sold For Scrap." The Onion

• Several days ago, I wrote a piece on Detroit {"Another Corpse In The Wake Of Progressive Policies"}. By now, most of us know all the statistics regarding the city's death from crime five times the national average to almost 80,000 vacant structures. More recent reports include 80% of the children in Detroit grow up without fathers, 50% of black males drop out of high school and a staggering 60% of black males have done some time (NY Post, Rich Lowry).
• And as Lowry notes: "The city was the pioneering edge of urban liberalism and discovered that all of the social spending in the world doesn't deliver order, family stability, education, economic dynamism or effective governance." In other words, progressives believe government is the solution to all our problems. We've learned it's not. If it was,  cities like Detroit would now be flourishing instead of collapsing. In fact, Detroit was flourishing decades ago when industry and the free market led their prosperity.
• Detroit should serve as a warning to many other cities governed by progressives---many of which are also failing including, but not limited to,  Stockton, CA, Flint, MI, Youngstown, OH, Cleveland, OH, Camden, NJ, Chester, PA, (that had seven shootings this past weekend. Chester has a population of about 35,000, mostly poor and mostly black)  and Chicago, Ill.
• Yet, time and time again, voters in these cities keep voting in progressive politicians. One is left to ask: Are progressives masochists? When a city like Chicago literally has blood flowing in the streets, when will Chicagoans wake up? Why do many of those good people living in such deplorable and dangerous conditions ever decide it's time for real change not the phony change that's always promised (as we've seen coming out of Washington)?
• Why do so many people turn to the same politicians- who caused most of the problems in the first place--again and again? It's a phenomena I struggle with and have difficulty wrapping my head around. It's undeniable that kind of behavior makes absolutely no sense. 

"Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" ---A Mockery Then; A Mockery Now Post Zimmerman Trial

"Guess who is as white as Zimmerman? Yep, Barack Obama." Tweet by John Nolte
"George Zimmerman is as Hispanic as Barack Obama is Black." Tweet by same author

• But they cried again, saying Crucify Him! Crucify Him! And he (Pilate) said to them the third time: Why, what evil has this man done? I find no cause of death in him.

• I'm not in any way, shape or form attempting to equate Zimmerman with Jesus. But the behavior of many in the protesters this past week and the multitude of comments on social media (including death threats to Zimmerman and his family) do remind me of the crowds over 2000 years ago demanding Jesus be executed. Today we're witnessing similar flagrant disregard for law and justice.
• But what makes all of this even more disturbing, it was very clear from the onset, race played absolutely no role in this trial. In fact, even the FBI's own investigation of Zimmerman found zero evidence of racism on his part.

• The pattern with the race baiters is very clear. It starts with an incident  such as this one or  the hoaxes perpetuated by the likes of Al Sharpton and company. These incidents usually have something to do with race---or at least perceived to have something to do with race. Then along with their enablers in the media, these thugs begin their muckraking, vilification and slander campaigns. Those targeted are at the mercy of the bullies and thugs. It's a tough position to find oneself in. After all, when the media goes after you---while coordinating with a plethora of "activists"---very few people can survive that type of kangaroo style of justice. History is replete with the victims of this type of injustice (Just ask Steven Pagones, the former Assistant DA of Duchess County in NY. He was one of the people falsely accused of rape by Tawana Brawley who was empowered by Al Sharpton among others. He had to take Sharpton and several others to court to get his good name back. Fortunately, he won that defamation suit. You can read more about Sharpton's thug background in my previous post, Al Sharpton: Race Baiting For Dollars).