FREE MONEY FREE FRAUD Greg Easterbrook

Gregg Easterbrook a writer for the world wide sports leader ESPN, might be insane when comparing Eli to Peyton Manning. He does have a complete understanding about how much our government cares about YOU! In his recent artilcle where he makes the argument that Eli is better than Peyton, Mr. Easterbrook makes valid points about all the elected politicions esentially commiting fraud by not doing their job and the elected polititions who lack a true backbone(Bailout).

Of Course They Vote for More Subsidies, They Themselves Are Subsidized

In the spring, as a dozen Democratic and Republican officeholders were crisscrossing the country campaigning for presidential nominations yet still receiving taxpayer money for jobs they were making no pretense of performing, TMQ declared there should be a federal resign-to-run law. Several states now have resign-to-run laws: They prevent officeholders from taking tax-funded salaries while not doing their jobs. Why is it assumed that saying the words, "I am running for president" makes it OK for a senator to pull in $200,000 or so per year in pay and benefits, yet perform no duties? If you told your employer you would not perform your duties for a year because you were running for president, yet still expected full pay, your employer would say two words that are not "Merry Christmas." Now we're down to four White House-seeking freeloaders, and both parties look bad. All three senators are billing the federal taxpayer to self-promote around the clock; the governor is billing her state's taxpayers to self-promote around the clock. Either presidential candidates should be required to resign to run, or at least anyone who declares for the presidency or vice presidency should have his or her public salaries and benefits suspended.[ESPN Oct, 7, 2008]

What, No Subsidies for Rum-Soaked Wool?

"SENATE ADDS SWEETNERS TO BAILOUT BILL was a standard headline last week. Oh, so
it's not enough to give away $700 billion of taxpayers' money, we've got to add sweeteners! Special-interest groups across the spectrum tacked wish-list items onto the bailout bill, which also passed the House and became law with George W. Bush's signature. Some $100 billion in business and upper-middle-class tax breaks were added, along with tax favors or direct subsidies for solar power, wool marketing, subway maintenance, Puerto Rican rum sales, "motorsports racing track" facilities, and investing in the District of Columbia (already among the most heavily subsidized place on Earth; Alaska, which consistently ranks first or second in federal spending per capita, may be the most subsidized -- scan down to "Alaska" in this study), tax breaks for farmers, eligibility of foreign banks for U.S. bailouts, tax favors for people who won money from the Exxon Valdez lawsuit, subsidies for "certain wooden arrows used by children" -- the list goes on. Scan the bill for the word "wool," for example. It's the noise of the lambs! What started as a $700 billion bailout could easily cost taxpayers $850 billion, and every penny of it borrowed from our children.

Three points need to be made about the bailout legislation. First, conservatives in the House torpedoed the initial bill, calling it too expensive at $700 billion, then voted for the second version, bloated to $850 billion. Now there's a profile in courage! Second, the bill was originally three pages -- and grew to 451 pages as enacted, as giveaway after giveaway was tacked on. The United States Constitution and all amendments is about 20 pages; it takes 451 pages to legislate a bank recovery payment? Super-long legislation is both inherently too complex and litigation-prone -- last year's Warner-Lieberman greenhouse gas regulation bill, which almost passed the Senate, was 491 pages -- and invites giveaways. In a brief, straightforward bill, a tacked-on special-interest favor stands out and looks embarrassing to the sponsor. In a gigantic laundry-list bill with hundreds of pages of special favors, none stand out. Everybody else's constituent is getting a handout, where's mine? Proposal: Congressional legislation should be limited to the word length of the United States Constitution. If Congress can't say something in fewer words than the Framers required to found the country, then Congress shouldn't say anything.

Third, why do members of the national legislature give away your money as fast as it can be borrowed? Because they want campaign donations. Polls show Americans don't like the idea of public funding for House and Senate elections, because it seems like a giveaway. But the public already funds congressional elections, just in an incredibly overpriced, inefficient way. Members of the House and Senate give away billions of dollars in subsidies and tax breaks to special-interest groups, in order to get back thousands of dollars in campaign donations. The $150 billion or so in sweetheart handouts in the bailout legislation will probably result in several million additional dollars given to House and Senate members as campaign donations. It would be far, far cheaper for taxpayers just to fund congressional campaigns! Suppose the public funded each House race at $1 million (435 races every second year) split between the parties, and each Senate race at $5 million split (roughly 34 races every second year), then banned campaign contributions. (Skip whether the Supreme Court would allow the latter, this is a thought experiment.) The cost would be about $600 million every second year, when there are national elections. That's peanuts compared to the amounts House and Senate incumbents give away to PAC-backed lobbies in order to inspire campaign donations. Federal financing of House and Senate races would save the public tens, if not hundreds, of billions of dollars. "
[ESPN, Greg Easterbrook, Oct, 7]

TAX CUTS=Performance Enhancers

When the allegations came out that BARRY BONDS(the best hitter ever)used Performance enhancing drugs, one would have thought that he crashed the economy and pushed gasoline prices up. Besides the fact that Baseball is a game, and not some mythical activity that trumps is to be a beacon of light in the world.
First, who never cheated in sports? Dont lie, that includes taking a time out while acting injured, distracting the ref to get away with fouls, over the back foul not called in basketball, an illegal block in football, fighting in the dog piles in football, Flopping in Basketball & Soccer, spitballs, corked bats, betting scandals, but performance enhancing drugs is a determent to the game. fact many sports accepts cheaters in there most cherished halls, THE HOF. I didn't realize that the Hall of fame fame was sacred, I though it was to enshrine and remember the best who played the game. The players that can not be forgotten while telling the narrative history of a sport.

- The lovable Chicago Cubs allegedly laid the precedents for the Black Soxs Scandal of 1919 (Boston Herald Link)

- Hall of Fame Picther Gaylord Perry admitted to scuffing the ball, and using spitballs to modify the projectory of his pitch, which is illegal under MLB rules.

Gaylord Perry -- the only pitcher in history to have won the Cy Young Award in both leagues -- fooled hitters and umpires for 22 years. An admitted proponent of the spitball, he entitled his autobiography Me and the Spitter. He contended that he rarely threw it, however, maintaining the idea that he might use a spitball was enough to put the hitter at a disadvantage. He heightened suspicion by his odd, herky-jerky delivery.(HSW.com)

- Whitey Ford (P)THE New York Yankees

They used to call the righty "Black & Decker" for his creative use of mound tools. As legend goes, Sutton put a note in his glove that he was sure would be inspected by an umpire: "You're getting warm, but it's not here." Ford later admitted he used his wedding ring to cut baseballs and something he called "gunk," a mixture of rosin, baby oil and turpentine.
And the old farmer? Gosh, he wasn't the least embarrassed by any taint. He was darn proud.
"If I were Kenny, I'd go shake their hands with mine full of pine tar so that they'd stick to 'em," Perry said. "That's what I used to do. The day before I pitched, I'd do it with Vaseline. (Opposing players) would say, 'What are you doing?' And I'd say, 'Gettin' ready for tomorrow night.' " (USA Today)

- Hall of Fame Player Joe Morgan admitted playing with corked bats. (ESPN)
- Hall of Fame player TY COBB was just an all around bad human being

It’s impossible to list all Ty’s acts of violence. But here are a few. 1907: Slapped a black groundskeeper; when the man’s wife protested, he grabbed her by the neck. 1908: Assaulted a black laborer; shoved a black chambermaid down the stairs. 1909: Slapped a black elevator operator for being “insolent.” When a night watchman (also black) broke it up, Cobb slashed him several times with a knife. Fined $100. 1912: Pistol-whipped a would-be mugger to death; pummeled a crippled fan. 1914: Threatened a butcher with a gun and pistol-whipped his black assistant. Babe Ruth said it best: “Ty Cobb is a prick.”(Maxim)

-Babe Ruth - THE SULTAN OF SWAT, The BIG BAMBINO - The best player to ever play both Pichter and An everyday player and hit 714HR's in a time where that number was unheard of....

.was a known womanizer. Knowing to father at least 1 child outside of his marriage.

Dorothy Ruth Pirone, whose father was Babe Ruth but who did not learn the identity of her natural mother until she was 59 years old, died yesterday at her home in Durham, Conn. She was 68 years old.Dorothy Ruth Pirone, whose father was Babe Ruth but who did not learn the identity of her natural mother until she was 59 years old, died yesterday at her home in Durham, Conn. She was 68 years old. For most of her life, Mrs. Pirone was led to believe that her mother was the baseball star's first wife, Helen. Over the years, Mr. Ruth and his first wife gave conflicting birth dates and details. It was not until 1980 that Mrs. Pirone learned her real mother was Juanita Jennings, a woman she had grown up knowing and loving as a close family friend.
Last year, Mrs. Pirone wrote a book about her father, ''My Dad, the Babe,'' which was co-authored by Chris Martens and published on the 40th anniversary of her father's death, Aug. 16, 1988.(NY Times Obituaries)

I understand that the term "Performance enhancer" has become the definition of banned substances in competitive sporting events. As defined by dictionary.com to enhance is to

1. To make greater, as in value, beauty, or effectiveness; augment.

That seems simple enough, to make greater effectiveness; to augment performance.
What is the different in quarterbacks, pitchers, everyday players injecting cortisone shots in there muscles so that they can perform. If they were unable to play EFFECTIVELY without the shot, and the shot makes them play effective, then is that not by definition to enhance? yeah yeah, I know what the common excuse is, "The cortisone brings them to 100 percent, steroids and the clear makes them play above their ability." What does that mean, when people say they are playing above their ability? If they are performing at a level that is quantifiable better than their previous ability, then by default their ability level perception needs to be modified when analyzing a player. But maybe that is to disconnected from common logic since most people will never be professional athlete. It is safe to assume that a majority of the population will have children, are will be guardians of children(adoption, foster system).
If someone had a child who made C's throughout elementry but in the transition year in between elementry and middle school the child's guardian was encouraged by the administration to enhance their childs performance in the class room to avoid the child falling behind his classmates. The summer time the guardian/parent takes the child to all types of tutors(Practice equivalent in sports) put the child on ritilan, adderal(Performance enhancers) to help them focus and calm down. The new semester at school the child brings home all B's a great improvement, and the following year bring home straight A's. Would their be any parent of other failing students saying, that child is using performance enhancers and performing above his ability and make sense? I sure hope not, because that would be insane and call out over 1/3 of today's students in the education system.
Why are there separate expectations for athletes, what do people really expect. Everyone hats steroids, but no one said anything when the statistics started to soar. Superior performance is what everyone wants, in life and in sports but don't want to think about the societal implications of making examples of athletes. What would an office place be without performance enhancers like Coffee(Caffeine), pharmaceuticals prescriptions(Depression drugs, ADD drugs, ADHD drugs,), Many drugs that are illegal without a prescription, much like steroids. Sports are merely a reflection of society, you have your crazies, your cheaters, your naturally extraordinary people, innovators. But a reflection, when home-runs where being hit every day taking baseball out of sports purgatory(Post-Strike) American sports fans could care less how it was done but the results were nice, much like the economy. When Americans found out the how then the results became a problem, now look at the economy. Just think TAX CUTS=Performance Enhancers, they cant last for ever and the effects of taking them last along time.