Don't Bail out Banks so Developers Can Do it Again!

Bailing out banks suffering from devalued mortgage backed securities without also addressing the glutted housing surplus that created the financial crisis simply feeds the problem. It is easy to point the finger at Washington and the failing banks who made risky subprime mortgage loans, but local elected bodies and planning commissions in this county and elsewhere must acknowledge their complicity in approving the massive residential volume construction and commercial developments that have proven to be unsustainable. I would hate to see Murfreesboro go the way of Memphis, where developers completely control public policy and have devastated the community with "boom and bust" development after development, irresponsible behavior that has created untenable sprawl and suburban decay.

How the U.S. Helped Putin

Now I would say that Esquire magazine is definitely not a source conservative bloggers rush to for insightful political commentary, but I found some of the articles in the October issue refreshing for a magazine that panders to the Dolce & Gabbana crowd of out of touch liberals. In a stunning article, C.J. Chivers chronicles the rise of Vladimir Putin and Russia's growing dominance, all thanks to the U.S. military. How, you ask? Well, before we went on the offensive and took the fight to the Islamic homeland, jihadists were flocking to Chechnya and, as 9/11 would prove, the United States. Smugglers in former Soviet republics made a pretty penny trafficking in illegal immigrant Muslim freedom fighters. The U.S. decision to invade Iraq created a new front and reduced the numbers of Muslims travelling to Chechnya, allowing the Russian military to take control of the region and claim victory. Instead of thanking the U.S., however, uninformed Russians came to the conclusion that Putin was behind the sudden turn of events. Now Putin is poised to begin a reassembly of the Soviet Union, beginning with Georgia. Now folks, we need a Ronald Reagan, and while McCain may not be an exact fit for Reagan's shoes, he's definitely more qualified to protect America than Barack Hussein Obama.

Palin's Power Has Democrats Pouting

Barack Obama continued to attack Sarah Palin on the campaign trail. You'd think that Palin was running for President, and McCain was the Vice-Presidential candidate. If Obama keeps this up, he may just give the Republican electors a great idea, because an elector can actually do that. In 1988 a Democratic elector voted for Lloyd Bentsen for President and Michael Dukakis for Vice-President. Seriously though, the focus on Palin is proof that she has attracted attention from the undecided and has invigorated the party's conservative base who up to this time were "calling in sick" when asked to work on this campaign. Obama attempted to go after Palin on "earmarks", but can a Democratic candidate who proposes massive tax increases and entitlement expansions really take her to task on that issue and expect voters to take him seriously? One thing that was stated at the GOP convention rang true, and it was nice to hear--we sent the GOP to change Washington, but Washington changed the GOP. Palin's presence on the ticket is a strong move in correcting the damage, and the Obama camp knows it, which is precisely why they are acting as if she has to be defeated, not McCain. With Palin taking the side of the oldest President elected to a first term, she would be the most populist and politically active VP since Teddy Roosevelt, and we all know how that turned out. Is this barracuda the bull moose the GOP has been looking for?

In local news I would encourage everyone to patronize the Premiere 6 theatre in Murfreesboro. The popcorn is great, there is less traffic than on that awful Cason Lane, and the theatre has less traffic. Going to Premiere 6 is also the environmentally friendly, anti-sprawl thing to do, since Premiere has been here for years, and Carmike represents new construction in a congested, sprawling area that could have negative effects for Murfreesboro in years to come.