After a long absence, a quick quip. Ever wondered why some low income earners vote Republican? which is against their own economic interests? I have always wondered how Republicans have been able to pull that off for decades.
Why would someone in the 15% percent income tax bracket vote for a party that insists on tax cuts for the top brackets, that is opposed to financial reforms or any real or imagined expansion of social services? Most shocking of course is low wage earners' opposition to health care reform which is a life-changer for the very people that are most likely to be denied care or get ripped off by insurance companies?
A few weeks back a friend answered this baffling question and I was floored by its simplicity. The answer has everything to do with the 'American Dream'. Answer;low income earners have visions of themselves on the upper end of the bracket in the future. Audacity of hope?
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
KENYA: Did you know?
Did you know that......
Both Nairobi and Mombasa are among the fastest growing cities in the world?
Kenya is tied for 6th in the world for highest brain drain?
Kenyans in the diaspora remit more money home per year than donor aid combined?
Kenya is ranked 27th among countries most dependent on Agriculture?
Kenya is ranked 8th for fastest increase in value of stocks traded between 2001 and 2006?
Kenya is ranked 16th in world for education spending as a % of GDP?
Kenya's horticultural exports are higher than Tea?
Source: The Economist - Pocket World in Figures
Both Nairobi and Mombasa are among the fastest growing cities in the world?
Kenya is tied for 6th in the world for highest brain drain?
Kenyans in the diaspora remit more money home per year than donor aid combined?
Kenya is ranked 27th among countries most dependent on Agriculture?
Kenya is ranked 8th for fastest increase in value of stocks traded between 2001 and 2006?
Kenya is ranked 16th in world for education spending as a % of GDP?
Kenya's horticultural exports are higher than Tea?
Source: The Economist - Pocket World in Figures
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Nice Job Kenya Police........But!
I recently read a story on Nation that went like this. Banker drives home from work, is ambushed by three gangsters outside his house, wife hears the commotion and calls the police.
Shockingly the police jump into action and track down the car to a nearby shopping center. The police proceed to spray the suspected car with bullets and the gangsters are so overwhelmed by the gunfire that they actually crash the car and flee. Two of the gangsters' luck runs out and they die on the scene. One runs into some nearby bushes through which the police do not hesitate to fire. All the while the victim is (luckily) in the boot of the car in question.
If you don't already see where I'm going with this one of us not firing on all cylinders. My thing with the cops is, a man's wife just told you her husband was carjacked. You spray the car with bullets without regard for his or other bystanders safety? Really, is it more important to catch the criminals and recover the car than to actually rescue the victim?
They had a picture of the wrecked car on the paper and I have to say it was pretty banged up. And the victim broke an arm and leg. I guess if you have the misfortune of getting carjacked, hope for the trunk and pray the cops come out firing low caliber bullets.
Shockingly the police jump into action and track down the car to a nearby shopping center. The police proceed to spray the suspected car with bullets and the gangsters are so overwhelmed by the gunfire that they actually crash the car and flee. Two of the gangsters' luck runs out and they die on the scene. One runs into some nearby bushes through which the police do not hesitate to fire. All the while the victim is (luckily) in the boot of the car in question.
If you don't already see where I'm going with this one of us not firing on all cylinders. My thing with the cops is, a man's wife just told you her husband was carjacked. You spray the car with bullets without regard for his or other bystanders safety? Really, is it more important to catch the criminals and recover the car than to actually rescue the victim?
They had a picture of the wrecked car on the paper and I have to say it was pretty banged up. And the victim broke an arm and leg. I guess if you have the misfortune of getting carjacked, hope for the trunk and pray the cops come out firing low caliber bullets.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Zuma Grows His Family Budget
In case you haven't heard, Jacob Zuma the president of South Africa has three wives and about 20 children. Yes, according to Bloomberg.com he "has fathered about 20 children". He is now also currently engaged.
The news however is that the president's family budget has doubled due to Zuma's rather large family which is apparently still completely dependent on him. So South Africans will now spend $2.1 million a year for their president's family(clan). I assume when the fiance' becomes official the official budget will point upwards once again.
It is not good news when news sources have to estimate how many children the president has fathered. While this shouldn't be a discussion of whether polygamy is right or wrong, it seems since Mandela the quality of South Africa's presidents is dropping faster than an elevator.
The news however is that the president's family budget has doubled due to Zuma's rather large family which is apparently still completely dependent on him. So South Africans will now spend $2.1 million a year for their president's family(clan). I assume when the fiance' becomes official the official budget will point upwards once again.
It is not good news when news sources have to estimate how many children the president has fathered. While this shouldn't be a discussion of whether polygamy is right or wrong, it seems since Mandela the quality of South Africa's presidents is dropping faster than an elevator.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Corruption Drives Trabalism Drives Corruption
Once again the Kenyan government is embroiled in a major corruption scandal. This time is different. There are two scandals running concurrently instead of the usual one-at-a-time. The players are seemingly 'bigger' this time around too.
The first is the Free Primary School Education Fund case of the missing 'funds'. It is as simple as it gets here. No complexity,intrigues, or major kickbacks. Simply put, 'money gone'.
The Maize scandal is relatively more 'complex'. There are reported kickbacks and the more traditional inflation of prices that seem to follow all government purchases. However, this is not what I intend to dwell on. History has taught me that it would be an effort in futility. People will be suspended, made to resign and inquiries will be set up. In the end all that will come of this will be prosecutions of low level civil servants. Those wheels are already turning. The big fish will continue flourish. They will run for re-election come 2012 and THEY WILL WIN!
So who is to blame for this way of doing business? Kenyans of course. The electorate is fully invested in so called 'tribal' interests. The electorate believes they will be marginalized if their 'man' doesn't win. Sadly this mentality takes on life and death dimensions in areas affected by 'tribal clashes'.
What tribalism has done is that it has robbed us all the chance to elect alternative leaders. It whittles down the field of electable candidate to the same old faces that are currently tainted by these same scandals. No matter how deeply Ruto, Uhuru or Raila are implicated in any scandals their core voting blocs will still guarantee there re-election as MPs and still vote for them in the presidential race. Therefore, there is no political price to pay for stealing from the public. Translation? The risks are smalls and the payoffs huge. Maybe this are the same funds that will be used to finance the next elections. (Its time to find out where the money comes from too, it might actually be one the reasons politicians are 'compelled' to 'misplace' all kinds of monies)
In short, tribalism drives corruption which drives tribalism even farther. (The title is not a typo). The same old faces will run in the next elections with the same old vows to fight corruption. Civic education may be partly to blame here as the electorate is misinformed about the true role of government and how policy rather than individual personalities impact their lives. Even in this doom and gloom however there is good news. At least Kenya is a country in which these things can come to light. There are still countries where that alone is not a possibility.
The first is the Free Primary School Education Fund case of the missing 'funds'. It is as simple as it gets here. No complexity,intrigues, or major kickbacks. Simply put, 'money gone'.
The Maize scandal is relatively more 'complex'. There are reported kickbacks and the more traditional inflation of prices that seem to follow all government purchases. However, this is not what I intend to dwell on. History has taught me that it would be an effort in futility. People will be suspended, made to resign and inquiries will be set up. In the end all that will come of this will be prosecutions of low level civil servants. Those wheels are already turning. The big fish will continue flourish. They will run for re-election come 2012 and THEY WILL WIN!
So who is to blame for this way of doing business? Kenyans of course. The electorate is fully invested in so called 'tribal' interests. The electorate believes they will be marginalized if their 'man' doesn't win. Sadly this mentality takes on life and death dimensions in areas affected by 'tribal clashes'.
What tribalism has done is that it has robbed us all the chance to elect alternative leaders. It whittles down the field of electable candidate to the same old faces that are currently tainted by these same scandals. No matter how deeply Ruto, Uhuru or Raila are implicated in any scandals their core voting blocs will still guarantee there re-election as MPs and still vote for them in the presidential race. Therefore, there is no political price to pay for stealing from the public. Translation? The risks are smalls and the payoffs huge. Maybe this are the same funds that will be used to finance the next elections. (Its time to find out where the money comes from too, it might actually be one the reasons politicians are 'compelled' to 'misplace' all kinds of monies)
In short, tribalism drives corruption which drives tribalism even farther. (The title is not a typo). The same old faces will run in the next elections with the same old vows to fight corruption. Civic education may be partly to blame here as the electorate is misinformed about the true role of government and how policy rather than individual personalities impact their lives. Even in this doom and gloom however there is good news. At least Kenya is a country in which these things can come to light. There are still countries where that alone is not a possibility.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
HAITI: Some Uncomfortable questions for the developing world.
As Haitians and the rest of the world mourn the great loss of life and suffering, some uncomfortable questions need to be asked. The intention here is not to criticize or grand- stand in the aftermath of such a tragedy. Rather, it is an attempt to spark discussion and hopefully aid in the disaster preparedness of other nations of the ‘developing’ world.
First is what happened to the Haitian government in the week following the earthquake? The president of Haiti was nowhere to be seen. The Haitian police and military also were absent while chaos ruled the streets. Instead, discussions were centered on US and United Nations peacekeeping troops as the ones to restore order. No mention of local police or activation of the military or National Guard equivalent. Somehow all the media corps treated this as an acceptable state of affairs. It is only days later that Haitian police started making headlines for using live ammunition on looters.
Why would foreign troops take over the airport and capital city of another sovereign nation in the absence of a coup d’etat? That is unacceptable. The people of Haiti deserve better. God forbid the nation had been under attack. What would have been the government’s reaction?
The other more important question is will this serve as a wake-up call for other developing nations to put plans and resources in place for natural disasters? It would be heart-breaking to see this scene repeated again a decade from now in another part of the world. Of course the truth about all this is that the people in these countries must demand responsible governance. No amount of foreign aid (more than 50-80% of which is embezzled) will lead to self reliance on the part of these nations. History has shown this be true. For all the billions of dollars in foreign aid that flowed to developing nations since the early seventies, the vast majority of the recipients are still as poor or worse than when the aid started flowing.
First is what happened to the Haitian government in the week following the earthquake? The president of Haiti was nowhere to be seen. The Haitian police and military also were absent while chaos ruled the streets. Instead, discussions were centered on US and United Nations peacekeeping troops as the ones to restore order. No mention of local police or activation of the military or National Guard equivalent. Somehow all the media corps treated this as an acceptable state of affairs. It is only days later that Haitian police started making headlines for using live ammunition on looters.
Why would foreign troops take over the airport and capital city of another sovereign nation in the absence of a coup d’etat? That is unacceptable. The people of Haiti deserve better. God forbid the nation had been under attack. What would have been the government’s reaction?
The other more important question is will this serve as a wake-up call for other developing nations to put plans and resources in place for natural disasters? It would be heart-breaking to see this scene repeated again a decade from now in another part of the world. Of course the truth about all this is that the people in these countries must demand responsible governance. No amount of foreign aid (more than 50-80% of which is embezzled) will lead to self reliance on the part of these nations. History has shown this be true. For all the billions of dollars in foreign aid that flowed to developing nations since the early seventies, the vast majority of the recipients are still as poor or worse than when the aid started flowing.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Little Things Your Bank Does to Rip You Off
I just found out that something I always suspected my bank practices is actually true. I always thought it was interesting that whenever my checking account balance was low, there seemed to be an uptick in activity. So I found out that I am not crazy. Banks do actually have software programs designed to process debit card payments in a way that depletes your balance the quickest. Here is how it works.
When you purchase something via your debit card, the bank has no obligation post the payments to your bank account in the order in which the purchases are made. They therefore process the largest amounts quicker than smaller ones. Additionally, if your account happens to be overdrawn, the bank now has the opportunity to process those little trinkets you bought at the dollar store for as much as $35 a pop. hence the famed '40 dollar latte'.
By the way there is no reason for a bank with their long 'conservative' tradition to insist on honoring a payment on your depleted account other than to rip you off. While the consumer is ultimately in charge of tracking their balances, this goes beyond good faith. Of course that overdraft fee is really a loan but they would never call it that because the 'Truth in lending act' requires banks to disclose the APR on all loans. If they did that they would have to tell you that they just charged you over 350% APR on those little charges.
This is all legal of course because the bank do actually own Washington. You are likely to hear politicians say the banks 'own Washington'. The banks have very 'powerful' lobbies. But no one will name names. An easy way to control this so called 'power'? Just ban the lobbyists from making campaign contributions. Now what senator could control something like that?
When you purchase something via your debit card, the bank has no obligation post the payments to your bank account in the order in which the purchases are made. They therefore process the largest amounts quicker than smaller ones. Additionally, if your account happens to be overdrawn, the bank now has the opportunity to process those little trinkets you bought at the dollar store for as much as $35 a pop. hence the famed '40 dollar latte'.
By the way there is no reason for a bank with their long 'conservative' tradition to insist on honoring a payment on your depleted account other than to rip you off. While the consumer is ultimately in charge of tracking their balances, this goes beyond good faith. Of course that overdraft fee is really a loan but they would never call it that because the 'Truth in lending act' requires banks to disclose the APR on all loans. If they did that they would have to tell you that they just charged you over 350% APR on those little charges.
This is all legal of course because the bank do actually own Washington. You are likely to hear politicians say the banks 'own Washington'. The banks have very 'powerful' lobbies. But no one will name names. An easy way to control this so called 'power'? Just ban the lobbyists from making campaign contributions. Now what senator could control something like that?
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Laptop Crash
My now-vintage Toshiba laptop crashed last week. I have discovered its now almost impossible to live without internet. No wonder the US govt now considers it a necessity just like utilities. No longer a luxury.
The said laptop is now resuscitated for which I am grateful. I expect to be furiously blogging in the coming days and expect no less from my two readers. I take care of my readers!
My heart goes out to Haiti. As we mourn and pray we should also ask some tough questions. Will the rest of the third world countries learn anything from this? Will they do anything to prepare? Unofficially, a quake of similar magnitude hit San Francisco. Death toll? Less than 70.
The said laptop is now resuscitated for which I am grateful. I expect to be furiously blogging in the coming days and expect no less from my two readers. I take care of my readers!
My heart goes out to Haiti. As we mourn and pray we should also ask some tough questions. Will the rest of the third world countries learn anything from this? Will they do anything to prepare? Unofficially, a quake of similar magnitude hit San Francisco. Death toll? Less than 70.
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