Neff Zone Column -- November 10, 2007

Print Edition: November 10, 2007

CRATE DIVING

In preparation for this column I accumulate a lot of material, which I put in a large crate beneath my desk. Every once in a while it’s interesting to see what has accumulated in the crate that never made it into one of my columns. So, kidlings, let’s go crate diving this week and see what treasures we find.

-According to the Cato Institute, a libertarian research group, President Bush is one of the biggest spending presidents in U.S. history. "He’s a big government guy," says Cato’s Stephen Slivinski. "He has presided over massive increases in almost every category…a dramatic change of pace from most previous presidents."

A comparison of the annual growth of discretionary spending by presidents since 1964 (adjusted for inflation) shows President Bush at 5.3% and Lyndon Johnson at 4.6%, an apt comparison since both had wars to fight. Jimmy Carter’s 2.4% and Ronald Reagan’s 1.9% makes them look like cheapskates by comparison.

-Don’t worry, though, because the money President Bush is spending won’t come out of your pockets. The current administration has borrowed more money from foreign governments and banks than the previous 42 presidents combined. That tab will have to be paid back, of course, making it a tax (in reality) even if it’s not labeled as such right now. Your children and grandchildren will get stuck with the bill and will send all their cash to the Chinese bankers who will dictating worldwide policies in the future.

Complicating matters, however, is the fact that the U.S. dollar has declined in value versus all 16 of the most actively traded currencies, according to the Credit Suisse Group in Zurich, Switzerland. That will add to the payback because our dollars are worth less and less.

-Part of that expense, of course is for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which new estimates say will cost at least $2.4 trillion. Regarding that, I agree with an editorial in the Des Moines (Iowa) Register: "Congress should impose a temporary war tax…it has been financed by emergency appropriations which have not been accompanied by offsetting spending cuts or tax increases. It has not been paid for with Iraq oil revenue or contributions from allies as originally envisioned. America is at war. At the very least we should be sharing in the sacrifice by paying for it."

-In solving this problem, President Bush should not expect any help from the do-nothing Democrat Congress, which has a lower public approval rating than his administration. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said this week: "I don’t approve of Congress because we haven’t done anything." Showing great leadership, the Pelosi-led House voted to decrease its work week from five days to four. This is actually an efficiency measure because Congress will now not accomplish anything in four days where in the past it took five days to not accomplish anything. That’s being 20% more efficient; no word yet on whether Congressional pay will drop a corresponding 20%.

- Oversees, one of our allies, Dubai of the United American Emirates, has been cited by a State Department watch list for "failing to take meaningful steps to end trafficking of women for prostitution and other workers trapped in conditions of slavery." There are a reported 10,000 victims of human trafficking in Dubai, according to the report.

Hey, weren’t these the guys to which the U.S. was going to turn over management of several key ports along the East Coast until adverse public reaction brought that idiotic idea to a screeching halt? Had Dubai gotten control of the ports it would have given the word "import" a whole new meaning.

-Dubai, of course, is a key player on the world oil market. To rid ourselves of a dependency on places like this we’ve been rushing to build more ethanol plants. Problems keep popping up on that front, though. As farmers plant more corn for ethanol the world price for a bag of flour has skyrocketed. There’s also a worldwide shortage of hops, a key ingredient in beer making. More disconcerting is a report from the National Research Council that observes that growing corn takes vast quantities of water. Using more corn to make ethanol could drain aquifers from Texas to South Dakota. Drought is already affecting many parts of the country. How long before they all start demanding Great Lakes water? If this happens the good news is that you’ll be able to cheaply drive your ethanol-fueled vehicle directly across the Lake Michigan desert from Manistee to Green Bay. The bad news is sandwiches and drinks at a Packers game will require a home equity loan.

-Finally, how about some good news? Faygo, the Detroit-based soft drink maker, turned 100 recently. Faygo is famous for calling its soft drinks "pop" instead of soda, which is a distinct piece of Midwest vernacular. My favorite has always been Faygo Redpop, which is not cherry, strawberry, or raspberry – it’s just red pop. It’s true what the commercials say: "There’s nothing like a good slug of Redpop."

Jim Neff is a local columnist. Comment to neffzone@gmail.com. Read Neff Zone columns online at www.neffzone.com/cadillacnews.