There’s a dead cat on the line. I was first acquainted with this old adage in the early 90’s while living in Augusta, Georgia. Apparently it is an old expression referring to the likelihood that something, somewhere is wrong. Very wrong. I thought about this expression after Chrysler  (soon followed by General Motors) announced they would be closing down many of their dealerships. Since these are “franchise” operations that do not represent significant, if any,  expenses for the company, but instead represent streams of revenue, it seemed mighty strange that they would have a desire to close any of them. To the contrary, they should be encouraging as many of these businesses as possible to stay open since they represent the public face of the company during this economic downturn that has created such a malaise for the auto industry. Instead of putting the best face they can to the public, they have curiously chosen to do exactly the opposite and essentially lower their public profile. There certainly seems to be a dead cat on the line…and there is.

There are just too many things that don’t make sense. It isn’t just the unjustifiable business decision to cut operations that don’t affect the costs of the company’s business. It is also the process of selecting the dealerships to be closed. It is particularly suspicious that many of the dealerships selected for elimination are among the most successful operations within the Chrysler network. Many of them have been Chrysler and Dodge dealers for decades. What possible justification could they have for closing down successful dealerships that represent the very lifeblood of their company’s existence? Not only are they choosing to reduce the flow of cash into their company, they are doing so in the midst of a recession that has been particularly disastrous to the auto industry. Is somebody missing a cat?

Some of the dealerships that got the axe are telling stories that raise considerable doubt that there were ever any economic reasons for this process and that there was, instead, a political motivation. One dealership slated for closing in Alvin, Texas, increased its new car sales 50% in the first four months of 2009! How can you rationalize closing a dealer who is increasing sales while in the throes of the worst recession since the 1970’s? As it turns out, this story is not unique. Successful and highly profitable dealerships have all too often been the ones selected for elimination. Smell a dead cat?

As you dig into this you find that there is evidence to suggest that dealers selected for elimination tended to be ones who are affiliated with, or donated money to, the Republican party and its candidates. Coincidence? When the the list of 789 closing franchises is compared to the list of  political donors making contributions in the November 2008 election, less than 10 percent gave to Democrats while 90 percent gave substantial sums to Republican candidates. The franchise owners selected for dealership elimination contributed over $450,000 to Republican presidential candidates and the GOP, while $7,970 was donated to Hillary Clinton’s campaign and $2,200 was given to John Edwards’ campaign. By comparison, Barack Obama received a mere $450 in donations! Dead cat found.

Some of the dealers on the hit list jump right out at you:

“Vern Buchanan is a Republican Congressman from the Tampa Bay area. Robert Archer is the son of former Republican Congressman Bill Archer. John Culberson, a libertarian-leaning Conservative, is now the Congressman for that West Houston District. He was heavily supported in his election efforts by the Archers Family. Additionally, James Crowley, owner of a Chrysler Dealership in Escondido, California is on the list to be closed. Crowley is a big backer of libertarian-leaning Republican Cong. John Campbell of Orange County.”

The list is heavy with influential Republicans and libertarians. Another name on the list is Ray Huffines, who owns a large dealership in the Metro-Dallas/Ft. Worth area. The Huffines family have been major contributors to Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) over the years…- American Thinker

Republican candidates – and Other GOP contributors include Michael Maroone, a dealer in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. He gave $20,000 to the Florida Republican Party, $12,700 to the Republican National Committee and $2,300 to presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Likewise, Menomonee Falls, Wis., dealer Russ Darrow and his family gave $19,000 to the Republican National Committee, $6,029 to the Wisconsin Republican Party, $2,300 to John McCain and $1,000 to Rudy Giuliani. Bedford, Texas, dealer Eric Grubbs gifted $11,500 to Mike Huckabee, $4,600 to Rudy Giuliani, $6,500 to Texas Republican Congressional Committee, $1,085 to the RNC and $500 to National Republican Congressional Committee. Midlothian, Va., dealer Max Pearson donated $18,000 to National Republican Senatorial Committee, $6,900 to the RNC, $6,900 to John McCain, $3,600 to Virginia Republican Party and $1,000 to National Republican Congressional Committee.

The list continues with more than 60 political donors who are scheduled to lose their franchises – many of whom gave thousands of dollars to only seven dealers who contributed a total of less than $12,000 to the Democratic Party and its candidates. -World Net Daily

Another blogger, Doug Ross, also reviewed patterns on the closure list and noticed the trend.

“I took all dealer owners whose names appeared more than once on the list,” he wrote. “And, of those who contributed to political campaigns, every single one had donated almost exclusively to GOP candidates.”

Jim Anderer, another of the disposed dealers, told Fox News’ Neil Cavuto that he doesn’t understand why Chrysler is shutting down his Long Island dealership because, he claims, it is quite profitable with sales volume ranking in the top 2 percent of the company.

“They won’t tell us. They seem to be running for cover right now because they won’t give us a solid explanation. They come up with all these reasons, but none of them seem to make sense. This is insanity. The government is stealing my business. And they’re telling me there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Anderer also said Chrysler told him they want to combine their stores and that dealers cost the manufacturer money to stay in business.

“In the dealers that they cut, there seems to be no cohesive way that they did it. There was no process that you could put your finger on and say, ‘Hey, we cut 25 percent of the lowest performing dealers.’ They didn’t do that. Nobody will give us a real clear explanation of the formula that they came up with.”

George C. Joseph, a Dodge dealer for over 35 years who employs over 50 people in his Melbourne, Florida franchise claims his operation is financially profitable, yet he too was selected for closing. Likewise he is not happy about it:

“On Thursday, May 14, 2009 I was notified that my Dodge franchise, that we purchased, will be taken away from my family on June 9, 2009 without compensation and given to another dealer at no cost to them. My new vehicle inventory consists of 125 vehicles with a financed balance of 3 million dollars. This inventory becomes impossible to sell with no factory incentives beyond June 9, 2009.”

He later went on to say that without his franchise, his facility can no longer perform any service warranty work. This even includes vehicles sold by his establishment while still a licensed franchise operator! This he says has the effect of rendering his $300,000 parts inventory worthless. Also, Chrysler is not required to buy back tools, parts or…vehicles from from the dealers it has terminated under these negotiated bankruptcy rules. The Obama administration, without any constitutional authority, has intervened and negotiated these terms in typical Chicago gangland fashion. The dealers have been made an offer they can’t refuse.

“This is a private business, not a government entity. This is beyond imagination! My business is being stolen from me through no fault of our own. We did nothing wrong.” - George C. Joseph

Chrysler was forced into bankruptcy by the Obama administration who took it upon themselves, with no legal authority, to manage the distribution of assets. He forced a deal that bypassed the bondholders, who actually invested money in the company, and gave a preferential deal to the United Auto Workers that made them the majority owners of the company. This, in and of itself, was nothing less than a political payoff to a union that generously supported him in the election. The decision making process that is closing down these dealerships appears to be a blatant political hit against the president’s enemies. No democrat ever need raise the spectre of Richard Nixon and his enemies list ever again!

“It became clear to us that Chrysler does not see the wisdom of terminating 25 percent of its dealers. It really wasn’t Chrysler’s decision. They are under enormous pressure from the President’s automotive task force.” - Leonard Bellavia, of Bellavia Gentile & Associates,
who represents some of the terminated dealers

According to one of the discarded dealers Chrysler is already shopping for dealers to open franchises left by the eliminated dealers. Now why would you do that? This is just a political massacre designed to clear the landscape of political “undesirables” and replace them with dealers that meet with this administration’s approval. We have seen this particular brand of socialism before in 1930’s Germany. All of these actions are being done out in the open and all of them are totally illegal. Where is the media? Now we are starting to hear stories about how THEY are scared to offend this administration for fear of reprisals against them. Divine Justice, perhaps, but it does not bode well for our future.

“So we are acting as reluctant shareholders, because that is the only way to help GM succeed. What we are not doing, what I have no interest in doing, is running GM.” -President Barack Obama

Hot on the heels of the great Chrysler swindle, our president has yet again authored a bankruptcy to his own political advantage. Unlike the Chrysler deal, he has chosen to give the United States government 60% ownership of the restructured GM. And why not? GM is a considerably more valuable asset than Chrysler so why not keep that one for himself. Like the Chrysler deal, the secured bondholders were illegally placed behind the government and the UAW in the division of assets and ownership. Of course GM has been ordered to close hundreds of dealerships as well. Does anyone believe the GM closings are any less politically motivated than the Chrysler ones? He claims he does not want to run GM even as he is doing exactly that. He’s getting away with it too! What are we going to do about it?

This is a totally illegal nationalization of a private industry. However it sits well next to his ever growing collection of banks and insurance companies and is soon to be joined by the health care system and, perhaps, California. Is it any wonder such luminaries of leftist evangelical socialism are turning green with envy? Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez said on Tuesday that he and Cuban ally Fidel Castro may soon find themselves to be more conservative than President Obama!

“Hey, Obama has just nationalized nothing more and nothing less than General Motors. Comrade Obama! Fidel, careful or we are going to end up to his right.” – Hugo Chavez

There’s a dead cat on the line alright…

I swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine.” -Ayn Rand

The lawlessness that accompanied the campaign that brought Barack Obama to the White House is now escalating as the country’s parasites, emboldened and empowered with taxpayer money, continue their campaign to steal the fruits of other’s labor. The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) has put an emphasis on the “now” part of their name by adding violence, vandalism and outright robbery to their ever-growing list of attributes. Meanwhile our esteemed President has decided that the American taxpayer, fresh from being extorted out of 787 billion dollars by his diabolical economic stimulus package, must also pay another 75 billion in protection money to rescue the “victims” of housing foreclosures, lest the ACORN mobs be unleashed nationwide. Welcome to the new “remade” thug America…

A community organization breaks into a foreclosed home in what they are calling an act of civil disobedience. The group wants to train homeowners facing eviction on peaceful ways they can remain in their homes. Derek Valcourt reports their actions are not without controversy.

Near Patterson Park, the padlock on the door and the sign in the window tells part of Donna Hanks foreclosure story. “The mortgage went up $300 in one month,” said Hanks, former homeowner. She says the bank refused to modify her loan and foreclosed, kicking her out of the house in September. The community group ACORN calls Hanks a victim of predatory lending.- WJZ News, Baltimore

Here we see all the traditional elements of the plight of the modern American parasite. A predator, an innocent victim, and of course, a collective of well meaning citizen activists claiming to pursue peaceful methods to help this poor “victim” remain in her home. As always when dealing with mobs of parasites, what lays underneath the veneer of altruism is a disgusting entitlement philosophy that insists that one person’s failure must be attributed to someone else’s success. That success, by their definition, must be “predatory.” In this particular case it is the bank that refused to modify her loan. The fact that she willingly signed the contract and lived in the house until she could no longer fulfill her part of the agreement is of no importance to the perpetrators of perpetual victim-hood. Never mind the fact that in every mortgage the bank ALWAYS owns the house until it is paid off. Poor Donna Hanks is a victim of “predatory lenders.” We must shed tears for her and help her. And that is exactly what ACORN did…

“This is our house now,” said Louis Beverly, ACORN.

And on Thursday afternoon, they literally broke the foreclosure padlock right off the front door and then broke into the house, letting Hanks back in for the first time in months. “We are actually trespassing, and so this is a way of civil disobedience to try to stay in the house,” said Beverly. “Legally it’s wrong, but homesteading is the only means that she has left to stay in her house. And we feel as though this is the right thing to do at this particular time to save this family.” Inside, there’s spray paint on the walls and evidence that someone has possibly been remodeling.

The group says it was staging similar demonstrations in six other cities nationwide while urging a moratorium on foreclosures.  They want that until President Obama’s stimulus plan begins on March 4. The plan is designed to help threatened homeowners. “As you all can see, Donna is reclaiming her home, and she’s putting a lock on her door at this time,” said Beverly.

But that padlock won’t stay there for long.- WJZ News Baltimore

At least they acknowledge that they are trespassing, however they keep making foolish references to “her home.” If it was “her home” she would not have been making payments on it in the first place! She was allowed to “occupy” the house so long as she made the payments that were her proof of intent to purchase the house. Once the payments stopped she no longer had cause to occupy the house. As usual, however, there is more to the story than anyone wants to tell. So tell it we must.

In their zeal to get out ahead of the President’s mortgage rescue plan, they have misrepresented this entire affair. Hanks bought the house in the summer of 2001 for $87,000. At some point in the next five years, she re-financed the original home loan for $270,000….Where did all that money go?

In 2006 Hanks house went into foreclosure and she filed for bankruptcy. All this occurred a full TWO YEARS before the current financial malaise that was spawned by the mortgage crisis. The house itself was sold in June of 2008 to a man named William Lane. So what does this prove? Well, it shows that the incompetence that ACORN displayed as they were repeatedly caught trying to fraudulently register voters before the election is still alive and well within that organization. You would think that they would have investigated these details themselves before they went out and made this woman their poster victim for predatory lending. But that would be reasonable and intelligent. Unfortunately such attributes are undesired by the likes of ACORN. This woman was no victim, she was a schemer and it caught up with her. William Lane rightfully says he will sue ACORN, and its intolerant thief, Louis Beverly, will face a burglary charge. Look for the mainstream media and the Looney Left to turn him into some sort of a modern day Robin Hood.

All of this is merely a theatrical way to draw a spotlight to the false notion that there is large number of “innocent” victims in need of rescuing, with President Obama coming to their aid with his 75 billion dollar mortgage rescue plan. Of course it isn’t really the president coming to the aid of these “victims” but instead it’s the U.S. taxpayer. Obama just wants to take all the credit. As with the mythical Robin Hood, our president has found it easy to provide assistance to these poor “victims” with money extorted from someone else. Keeping in mind that Obama was affiliated with ACORN in the past, one has to wonder if this attempt at “reclaiming” a home was just a demonstration aimed at scaring the public. Perhaps if we are sufficiently frightened of these “victims” we will more willingly tolerate paying them the protection money in the form of the aforementioned mortgage rescue plan. It certainly fits the thuggish pattern of behavior previously established by the organization.

The ever dependable mainstream media were, of course, all over the story initially. They loved the “victims strike back” aspect of the story and how this would certainly add propellant to the passage of Obama’s mortgage recovery plan. Unsurprisingly they lost interest when the details failed to match the story they wanted to tell. Now that the true victim is revealed to be the legal owner of the house it no longer fits their world-view so they must look elsewhere to find the “appropriate” victims to assist in Obama’s socialist remake of America.

And what exactly does this latest installment of the remake of America bring forth? Part of the $75B in The Plan will be used to subsidize the reduction of a mortgage payment to as low as 31% of their monthly income. The banks will initially need to make concessions to get the payment down to 38%, then the government will match the bank dollar for dollar to get the payment down to 31% of a borrowers monthly income. You read that right, that is taxpayer money that will be used to subsidize these defaulting borrowers. Of course the banks, like the rest of us, aren’t going to be given much of an option here as Judges will be allowed to modify the lending agreements without the bank’s consent. Just what we need, to render contract law subject to modification by a Judge with a predetermined outcome mandated by law. In these “politically correct” times this is what passes for justice…or should I say “social justice.” We have entered the age of the exalted parasite.

The fact that there is no money available for this 75 billion dollar swindle doesn’t bother the President. As the prophet of the “affirmative action” generation, his presidency stands as the ultimate parasite entitlement program. One of the benefits of being Parasite in Chief is that you are in charge of the printing presses that print the money. Inflation, perhaps even hyper-inflation, is going to happen. Too bad in Obamaworld they give you credit for attending economics classes rather than passing them or he might be concerned about it. But then again, he did well in his advanced Marxism classes and he understands that if he destroys the economy he will be able to “remake” it more to his communist liking…this will soon become intolerable to the American people. And perhaps it already has started.

A national movement against the bailout syndrome that is infecting the nation began in cities across the U.S. from New York City and Philadelphia, to the White House in Washington DC and beyond. American taxpayers are launching a movement against the bankrupting of our country. In over 40 cities across America, tea parties were held on Friday, February 27th. This movement is just the beginning of a much bigger revolution by productive hard working Americans to take a stand against the parasitic spending spree in Washington. This event got its tea party name in reference to the infamous Boston Tea Party that all too many American college graduates never heard of thanks to their expensive public educations. Its just more proof of the need to put the parasites in their place. And put them there we shall!

Obama revealed in his new budget his plans to set the nation upon itself in class warfare. He detailed his plans to raise taxes on those people who make over $250,000 annually. Unfortunately what President Obama is unable or unwilling to grasp is the fact that these are the nations EMPLOYERS. His plan is as foolish as it is childish. Obama and his band of merry parasites merely wish to punish the successful producers of America and reward losers with the booty that they extort through taxation. Lyndon Johnson had his “War On Poverty” but Barack H. Obama has a “War On Prosperity.” How much more childish can you get? I am afraid to find out.

The top 2% of earners are not going to become the slaves of the parasites. We know this because they are telling us this. I found this interesting statement from Russell Roberts, one of the top 2% that President Obama and his loyal parasites resent so much. It’s quite enlightening:

I’m in the target group to do the paying. I won’t do it.

I own my business and, unlike an employee, I have the option to work as much or as little as I like. At some tax rate, the marginal dollar won’t be worth earning. I’ll fire some employees, scale down the business or retire altogether and stick my money in tax advantaged muni bonds and do all the traveling and relaxing I can’t do now. The tax advantage of muni bonds will NEVER go away because municipalities will scream bloody murder. If I’m not ready to retire and the tax rate gets too high, I may just immigrate to another country because it’s very easy for me to get almost instant citizenship in any other country. I respond to incentives and I’m not incentivized by enslavement and neither is anyone I know. The specialness of this country is the lack of totalitarian regime and individual liberty. Once that’s gone, this country is no longer all that special. You can call me evil or “not doing my part” because I’m not willing to work myself into the grave for your family instead of mine, but the reality is that unless you plan to start a Gulag, you can’t make me.

Uh…

Note to Russell…

They are working on just such a Gulag apparatus to lock us up. Its called HR-645 - “The National Emergency Centers Establishment Act.” Its provides that the Secretary of Homeland Security shall establish not fewer than 6 national emergency centers on military installations. These installations are for, among other things, the purposes of a “national emergency.” With the Obama administration intentionally sinking the economy with more parasitic debt, the possibility of civil unrest is becoming a greater threat to the establishment. One need only look at Iceland, Greece and the Kremlin’s recent crackdown on such demonstrations in Russia for what will be happening in the United States next. The tea party protests are just the beginning.

It appears these “national emergency centers” will be used in a national emergency, but only if the national emergency requires large groups of people to be arrested and detained. If that isn’t the case, then why have these national emergency facilities been built on military installations? We all know that our Parasite in Chief doesn’t tolerate rejection very well. Something to consider. Mr Russell continues:

The question is, why should I be expected to work and risk more than you to provide you with the lifestyle to which you have become accustomed? Yes, it’s sustainable to raise taxes on the most productive. However, it’s not sustainable at a high standard of living. It’s sustainable only at ever decreasing standards of living. France and Germany are good examples.

There’s a difference between the natural altruism that occurs between family members and confiscation by the state. I feel great when I donate to charity. I feel really crappy when I write the check to the IRS. Maybe I should figure out how to receive one instead. Seems a lot less time consuming.

Mr. Russell is what the Obama acolytes call a hater. He doesn’t want to do his fair share. In their world it is fair that they should benefit from the work of others. That’s parasite logic. If you create a set of qualifications for government assistance, you will necessarily create a professional class of parasites whose sole expertise is fulfilling those qualifications. Likewise they will be perpetually beholden to the politicians who created that arrangement. An arrangement based on dependence. The democrats get the votes and the parasites get a freeloaders lifestyle. In their own pathetic way, everyone views themselves as winners. Everyone except decent hardworking free and independent citizens. They become the slaves of the parasites as the fruits of their labor are stolen to support this scheme…and there-in lies the inevitable failure that awaits the parasites.

As Mr. Russell said, “We won’t do it.” We won’t work and we won’t pay the taxes. Without the “forced labor” and the extorted revenue the system fails. As always, the parasite kills the host. When the American government collapses, then we can rebuild her as she was in the beginning. Where all men were “CREATED” equal. That is the only time in their lives they were meant to be so. Candidate Obama spoke often of fairness and the need to be fair. Yet his concept of fairness only looks at the results, and not the inputs that led to those results. In his concept of fairness all games must end in a tie. This is, in fact, completely unfair! Therefore who should want to play at all in a game they can’t win?

Let the restoration of America begin. It can be as peaceful, or as violent, as is necessary to vanquish the parasites. They are what they have chosen to be. They cannot and must not have a voice in the restoration of our constitutional government. Voter reform is in order. No one should vote for any office he is not qualified to hold. Getting all the under 35 crowd out of Presidential politics will solve a lot of problems. Children elect children. In the era of the perpetual adolescent this is a fatal problem. Seeing Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer acting giddy as they squander money they extorted from taxpayers is as sickening as their childish rhetoric. Why are we being dictated to by them and their charlatan president? Is there a better example of childish behavior then these three?

The time to restore America is now. Lets not be squeamish about it either. Our enemies are fond of saying: “by any means necessary.” The choice was theirs. Let those words be their epitaph.