Ian,
You of all people should know that all this has a profound impact on golf. It is my understanding that your employer has had to dial down its renovation plans considerably because of the financial mess we are in. If things continue in the current trajectory, even rich clubs will pinch the budgets and your employees will be among the first to feel the pain.
You say you are not a political person then go on to make all sorts of wild accusations against those who don't agree with your president. A clear indication of your partisanship is the umbrage you've taken at even the most justified criticisms of the new administration. For expample, the complaint regarding the inauguration had nothing to do with the amount of money spent but with the difference in reaction and the hypocrisy of the libs and the press (I know, they're but one subset) who screamed bloody murder when Bush spent a much smaller amount, apples to apples.
Amazing that you would call a profitable bank to "tone down" an important aspect of its marketing efforts. It is true that operations people don't often understand marketing and sales until these important functions fail to generate the revenues that allow these folks to keep their jobs. Do you think that when Crow and Chicago signed their contracts, probably long before the current crisis, that they might have a termination clause requiring compensation? But how about all the little people setting the event up, waiting tables, pouring drinks, handling the sound and lights, etc. Screw them because of symbolism? And who is being compassionate here?
Jim Kennedy,
Yours is an intellectually dishonest argument and I think you know it. Your attempt to denigrate me by associating what I said with Rush Limbaugh is desperate as it is devious. Why don't you show me where I am wrong. How many Americans do you think actually believe that we should be bailing out people who bought homes they couldn't afford? That is part of the problem that Obama is having. He misjudged his mandate and Americans do not want this spread the wealth around, particularly when it is their wealth that's being spread around. And by the way, I am not embarrased at all to say that much of what Limbaugh "spews" is directionally accurate. Given the choice of spending a day with Rush or Obama, it would take me one second to decide. It is no accident that people you admire are trying to shut him up.
David Scmidt,
You are right. Just as I don't give a rat's behind what the color of someone's skin is, I could care less if he calls himself a Democrat or a Republican. It is a matter of aligning revenues and expenses. Anyone who is more preoccupied with "fairness" and equal outcomes than opportunity and expanding the pie is immediately suspect in my book. It has been my experience that all Democrats are tax and spend reditributionists. Actually, I can think of one exception, the congressman from GA, and he got bounced out of the party. And while there are many RINOs out there, there are a number of fiscal conservatives in the Republican party. So, I guess you are not as right as I thought.
Kalen,
I do like George Bush personally. My expectations of him as president were rather modest and he underperformed. Perhaps history will treat him well, but I agree that the country probably would have been better off if another Republican had won. Yet, even after the fact, I do think he was a far superior choice than Gore and Kerry.
Patrick Mucci,
It is very debilitating to work the hours that many small business owners typically do, risk their money, and put their families through all the sacrifices to then be constantly villified and targeted as if there was something terribly wrong with them. It is no accident that states and municipalities which are business friendly are in better shape financially. Your friend Bloomberg understands this and stood up to the tax and spend politicians. Arnold in CA doesn't though he says he does. Both states have been losing businesses for years and if it would not be for immigration, both would be losing population as well. The upside for the high-cost, tax and spend states is that Obama is going to try to equalize the situation by "spreading the wealth". His current plan to eradicate the oil industry will devastate TX if he is successful, and both CA and NY will get a disproportionate share of the largesse. We all want high paying clean jobs. There aren't too many yuppies who want a manufacturing plant or a wind turbine in their backyard. NIMBYs all around. The horror!