The era of big government is really over now

(My new American Thinker post)

We all remember President Clinton addressing Congress after the 1994 election.  He said that “the era of big government is over“.

President Clinton’s remarks were 20 years premature.  The era of big government has hit the wall under President Obama and it is really over now.

Can you seriously imagine any future Democrat running for president calling for a big government solution to anything?  I don’t think so, and that’s because President Obama has given the US public a first class seat to watch the excesses of that big government.

We are watching liberalism wrecking itself.

I both agree and disagree with Peggy Noonan’s column on Friday:

“The scandal also prompts this thought: Barack Obama is killing the reputation of government. He is killing the thing he loves through insufficient oversight. He doesn’t do the plodding, unshowy, unromantic work of making government work. In the old political formulation, he’s a show horse, not a workhorse.

The president’s inattention to management��”his laxity, his failure to understand that government isn’t magic, that it must be forced into working, clubbed each day into achieving adequacy, and watched like a hawk��”is undercutting what he stands for, the progressive project that says the federal government is the primary answer to the nation’s ills.

He is allowing the federal government to become what any large institution will become unless you stop it: a slobocracy.

The president and his staff don’t seem to know that by the time things start bubbling up from the agencies and reach the Oval Office the scandal has already happened, even if it’s not in the press yet, and the answer isn’t to prepare proactive spin but to clean up the mess, end the scandal, fire people��”a lot of people��”establish accountability, change bad practices, and make the agency work again.”

I agree that President Obama is a terrible manager, a reflection of the fact that he came into the most difficult job in the planet without any kind of executive experience.  Furthermore, he did not surround himself with a staff that tells him what he does not want to hear.   As we know from Management 101, a strong executive keeps people around him to disagree sharply with him.

I disagree with Miss Noonan that this is all about leadership and management.  As we learned in the Katrina case, big government is incapable of doing big things.  Unfortunately, it is bloated and staffed with people who get a check every two weeks no matter how well or badly they do their jobs.  In other words, no one gets fired for incompetence and that’s a prescription for a lousy organization.

Yes, the era of big government is over.

I don’t expect President Obama to say it but he has put big government in a casket and the burial is coming very soon.

P. S. You can hear CANTO TALK here & follow me on Twitter @ scantojr

Current Politics Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with Silvio Canto Jr on BlogTalkRadio

---

Tags: The era of big government  To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the My View by Silvio Canto, Jr. Thanks!

The resignations and a chat about education

President Obama had no choice.  He had to fire the Secretary of Veterans' Affairs.    

Someone had to be held accountable and the Secretary was an easy target.  

Of course, the real problem at the VA is bureaucratic malaise, a disease that is making the federal government unmanageable.

We also discussed public education with Glenn Fairman.  Here is the link to his archives.

Click here for my chat with Glenn Fairman:

FRIDAY: A chat with Glen Fairman, contributor to American Thinker....Listen in now at http://t.co/sUj9892Mk1. #BlogTalkRadio
— Silvio Canto, Jr. (@SCantojr) May 31, 2014

---

Tags: Resignations and a few other topics   To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the My View by Silvio Canto, Jr. Thanks!

Texas Democrats' trick won't do them any good

(My new American Thinker post)

We hear rumors that many Democrats "switched" in the runoff and voted GOP, or more specifically Dan Patrick.  In other words, they think that Patrick will be an easy target because of his statements about immigration.

In the interest of full disclosure, I voted for Lt Governor Dewhurst in the runoff.  I just felt that he'd be a stronger candidate.   My concerns with Mr. Patrick had nothing to do with immigration.  I just felt that Mr Dewhurt's experience would be valuable in a future Abbott administration.

Now that the primary fights are over, I will vote for Mr Patrick because he is better than the Democrat alternative.

The Democrats' problem in 2014 is that they can't play the "card" anymore.  I agree with Lynn Woolley:

"We are told that Latinos will not vote for Republicans because of people like Patrick who have opposed illegal immigration. But thinking Latinos understand that the U.S., like other countries, must control its borders and have the will to enforce its laws."

The Democrats are running in a state leading the nation in job creation and relocations, such as Toyota.  The strong Texas economy has been good for everybody, including Hispanics.

The Democrats have another problem and his name is Obama.   The president is very unpopular down here, from Obama Care to an EPA out of control to an image of weakness around the world.

My advice to Mr. Patrick is to keep his cool and don't take the bait over immigration.  Focus on border security, economics and President Obama and don't let the Democrats draw you into emotional debates.

After all, we all remember that Mr. Clayton Williams had a huge lead in 1990 and then stumbled over and over and Ann Richards won a very close election. 

I don't think that will happen in 2014.  At the same time, I hope that Mr. Patrick's advisers keep reminding him of Clayton Williams.

P. S. You can hear CANTO TALK here & follow me on Twitter @ scantojr

Current Politics Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with Silvio Canto Jr on BlogTalkRadio

---

Tags: Dan Patrick and Texas Democrats  To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the My View by Silvio Canto, Jr. Thanks!

It's Down to 'FIFA Go Home' in Brazil

(My new American Thinker post)

There is a lot of pre-World Cup stuff going on in Brazil, and it has nothing to do with the final team roster, defensive strategies, or "fútbol," as they say down there.

As we saw in yesterday's news reports (via Fausta's Blog), there was a large demonstration with "FIFA go home" signs":

"For many Brazilians, the Cup has become a symbol of the unfulfilled promise of an economic boom for this South American nation. But the boom has fizzled.  And now the World Cup’s $11.5 billion price tag – the most expensive ever – and a list of unfinished construction projects have become reminders of the shortcomings that many believe keep Brazil poor: overwhelming bureaucracy, corruption and shortsighted policy-making that prioritizes grand projects over needs like education and health care."

And it gets worse. 

They are still trying to finish facilities for the Cup in Curitiba, Cuiabá, and Porto Alegre.  Did I tell you that the games begin in three weeks?

All of this has translated into support for the Cup plunging, as reported in the WSJ:

Critics contend Brazil erred in constructing so many arenas in a country the size of the continental U.S. The country has spent a record $3.6 billion to build or remodel 12 stadiums, most of which were behind schedule and over budget.
Meanwhile, public support for the Cup has plunged in Brazil, sparking protests by citizens who say the money would have been better spent on improving the nation's schools, hospitals and other public services.

A few years ago, when Brazil was awarded the Cup, I thought that it was a match made in heaven.  Imagine the Super Bowl at Lambeau Field or the World Series at Yankee Stadium.

Today, the country is furious, and the politicians are avoiding questions. 

Yes, the games will go on, but so will protests and demonstrations.  There is going to be a lot of screaming outside the stadium, and it won't be about the games.

P.S. You can hear my chat with Fausta Wertz of Fausta's Blog about Brazil & follow me on Twitter @ scantojr.

---

Tags: Brazil World Cup 2014  To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the My View by Silvio Canto, Jr. Thanks!

Another silly speech by a silly president

President Obama spoke at West Point and got an "icy" reception, according to a CNN report:

"Obama’s “philosophical” speech to the 2014 graduates of West Point about a new direction for America’s foreign policy was “not a great” speech for that audience, said CNN anchor Jim Clancy on Wednesday. He said that the president did not sound like a “commander-in-chief speaking to his troops” and got an “icy reception” as a result.Clancy did not criticize the substance of President Obama’s speech outlining a shift in tactics, specifically as it relates to America’s approach to fighting terrorist groups. However, he did think that the defining of a new foreign policy doctrine was not something the attendees wanted to hear."

The criticism came from all directions.

The New York Times, also known as the Obama campaign headquarters, was not happy:

"The address did not match the hype, was largely uninspiring, lacked strategic sweep and is unlikely to quiet his detractors, on the right or the left."

The Washington Post was brutal:

"This binding of U.S. power places Mr. Obama at odds with every U.S. president since World War II. In effect, he ruled out interventions to stop genocide or reverse aggression absent a direct threat to the U.S. homeland or a multilateral initiative. Those terms would exclude missions by previous administrations in places such as Somalia and Haiti and Mr. Obama’s own proposal to strike Syria last year — but not the war in Iraq, which was a multilateral campaign."

The Wall Street Journal pointed out all of the stuff left out of the speech:

"No mention of the Reset. “The reset button has worked,” Mr. Obama avowed in a 2009 meeting with Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s figurehead president. That was the same year Mr. Obama announced in Moscow that, “The days when empires could treat sovereign states as pieces on a chessboard are over.”

No mention of the Pivot or “rebalance” to Asia. This was billed by Hillary Clinton in 2011 as “among the most important diplomatic efforts of our time” and meant as proof that America’s withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan wasn’t simply a retreat from the world. But as assistant secretary of defense Katrina McFarland admitted in March, following the latest round of Pentagon cuts, “Right now, the pivot is being looked at again, because candidly it can’t happen.”No mention of Mr. Obama’s Red Line in Syria against the use of chemical weapons. No mention, either, of the ostensible success of using diplomacy to disarm Bashar Assad. The President was fond of boasting of this achievement until recently, when it emerged that Assad continues to use chlorine bombs to kill his enemies. Somehow that also didn’t make it into the speech.No mention of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, which occupied the bulk of John Kerry‘s first year as Secretary of State and which has now collapsed as Mahmoud Abbas patches up his differences with the terrorists of Hamas."

The speech had all of the classic Obama-nonsense, from "false choices" to speaking of successes that even his supporters don't believe anymore.

What a sad contrast.   On one side, hundreds of young people who will be the next military leaders of the US Army.  Sadly, on the other side, a president who doesn't have a clue about what he is doing.

Very sad contrast!

---

Tags: Another silly speech by a silly president  To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the My View by Silvio Canto, Jr. Thanks!

Ralph Hall defeated in primary

(My new American Thinker post)

Back in 1998, Congressman Hall was one of 5 Democrats who voted to impeach President Clinton.  A few years later, he switched parties and joined the GOP. 

On Tuesday, Mr Hall was defeated in the GOP primary runoff.   The final result was 52-48% in John Ratcliffe's favor, or about 2,500 votes:

"By phone, Ratcliffe said he’ll spend the next six months making sure he’s educated about the needs of his new constituents.  
“I like Congressman Hall and believe that a majority of people in the district like him as well, but felt like it was time for new leadership,” he said from his home in Heath, where he served 8 years as mayor, his only previous elected office.
“We needed new ideas and new solutions. I tried to present myself as a credible alternative for those that were looking for one.”

Mr Ratcliffe will be the next member of the US Congress.  He will win unless something very unusual happens between now and November.

In the end, this is a case of a better organized Mr Ratcliffe and an aging Mr Hall.  I think that it was time for a change and change happened. We do thank Mr Hall for his service in World War II and his conservative voting record over the years. 

It was time for Mr Hall to retire and that's what's his defeat was all about.

P. S. You can hear CANTO TALK here & follow me on Twitter @ scantojr.

---

Tags: Ralph Hall  To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the My View by Silvio Canto, Jr. Thanks!

Thank you for all of the birthday greetings

THANKS TO ALL OF MY FRIENDS FOR THE BIRTHDAY WISHES.....THANKS FOR THE NICE MESSAGES....

---

Tags: Birthday wishes  To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the My View by Silvio Canto, Jr. Thanks!

Julian Castro would add little to a Hillary Clinton ticket

(My new American Thinker post)

The "inevitable President Hillary story" has a new twist.  

It will be a Clinton-Castro in 2016 thus making Texas a battleground state. Of course, this will be made possible by selecting Julian Castro as VP now that he has joined the Obama Cabinet.

Let me make 4 points before you book your tickets or room to the Clinton-Castro inauguration parties:

1) Hillary Clinton is nowhere as strong as some people think. Her tenure as Secretary of State, from the now infamous "reset" to Benghazi, is not something that she wants to be talking about in 2016.  That "3am" phone call won't work so well this time around!

2) We will likely be entering a recession by 2016. Our current tepid recovery is a recovery but it won't be by the summer of 2016.

3) Hillary Clinton does not need Hispanic or black votes. She needs "white men," as we read recently in The New York Times.

In other words, Senator Manchin of West Virginia or Senator Mark Warner of Virginia make more sense on the ticket.

4) Julian Castro could not win a statewide election in Texas, as Ruben Navarrette pointed out. He is the mayor of San Antonio but little known outside of that city.  In other words, adding Julian Castro will not put Texas in play for a Clinton ticket.

We wish Julian Castro a lot of success in Washington DC. I will concede that he has a future in national politics.

Maybe he can explain to President Obama, and the left, that he attracted businesses to San Antonio by selling to executives that Texas is a right to work state.   

P. S. You can hear CANTO TALK here & follow me on Twitter @ scantojr.

---

Tags: Julian Castro  To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the My View by Silvio Canto, Jr. Thanks!

Assimilation to a new culture

MONDAY: The need to assimilate into a new culture with Prof Carlos Roncal....Listen in now at http://t.co/B5HGKDqamZ. #BlogTalkRadio
— Silvio Canto, Jr. (@SCantojr) May 27, 2014

---

Tags: Assimilation to a new culture  To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the My View by Silvio Canto, Jr. Thanks!

The war on women (Communist Cuba version)

(My new American Thinker post)

The ladies in white, or “Las Damas en Blanco”, are women who march every Sunday after mass or other services.  They’ve drawn international attention because they are peaceful and simply want freedom in Cuba, or the release of their husbands, sons or brothers from political prisons.

Over the years, they’ve been harassed by communist thugs and pushed around.  But they keep on marching every Sunday.

We just got news that some of the ladies have been arrested, according to Capitol Hill Cubans (via Babalu):

“Over 45 Ladies in White were arrested as they tried to meet at their headquarters on Neptuno Street in Havana.

“Dozens of others were intercepted and turned away as they made their way to the meeting.

“The group holds monthly meetings, known as “literary teas,” which are heavily repressed by the Castro regime.”

Frankly, the regime is scared to death of these ladies.  It’s hard to blame a bunch of peaceful ladies as CIA agents.  The ladies are also seen by tourists who Tweet or send their pictures out of the country.

To my knowledge, no one in the US feminist movement has publicly supported these brave ladies.

We don’t know why feminists don’t support “Las Damas en Blanco”.

We do know that these ladies are one courageous group of women.

P. S. You can hear CANTO TALK here & follow me on Twitter @ scantojr.

---

Tags: The war on women (Communist Cuba version)  To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the My View by Silvio Canto, Jr. Thanks!

Walesa saw US leadership and does not see it now

(My new Babalu post)

Former President Walesa of Poland spoke for millions around the world.

This is what he said:

"Speaking to The Associated Press Friday, Walesa said the ‘‘world is disorganized and the superpower is not taking the lead.’’ The former Solidarity leader said that when he meets Obama in Warsaw, he wants to tell him that the U.S. should inspire and encourage the world into positive action.

‘‘I will say: Either you want to be a superpower and guide us, or you should give the superpower to Poland and we will know what to do with it. Amen,’’ he said.

Of course, Mr Walesa remembers presidential leadership, such as what he saw under President Reagan in the 1980s.

He remembers a US president who called the USSR an "evil empire" and told them "to tear down that wall".

Walesa knows a thing or two about leadership and courage.

He was the man who stood up to the communist leadership in Poland.

It was the kind of "community organizing" that got you thrown into political prisons or "blacklisted" by the communist regime.

I hope that Mr Walesa speaks bluntly with President Obama. We need it!

P. S. You can hear CANTO TALK here & follow me on Twitter @ scantojr.

---

Tags: Lech Walesa  To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the My View by Silvio Canto, Jr. Thanks!

No Donovan on Team USA

For many of us, Landon Donovan is US soccer.  He's been the most visible US player, whether he was playing here or overseas.

We learned from news reports that Donovan won't be in the US team headed for Brazil:

"On Friday, Klinsmann explained his decision to leave out Donovan, 32, by essentially saying that he believed other players were a better fit. 

He danced around providing details, but he acknowledged that dropping Donovan was a difficult choice."

Frankly, I don't know enough about soccer to judge Coach Klinsmann's decision.  At the same time, you need speed to compete  and younger legs may be the answer.

Thanks to Landon for the memoires.  We wish him well.

---

Tags: No Donovan on Team USA  To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the My View by Silvio Canto, Jr. Thanks!

Tough days for the Rangers!

The Texas Rangers were dealt another blow today.    Prince Fielder is out for the season or the last of a rash of injuries this season:

"This is what the Texas Rangers’ season has become: Yu Darvish makes another extraordinary start and even gets run support to boot, and it becomes second-tier news.    This season is all about an injury situation that, to quote general manager Jon Daniels, is reaching “critical mass.”

And so, after a 9-2 win Thursday over Detroit, what is becoming the all too regular protocol followed. Manager Ron Washington discussed his team’s grit. Darvish, speaking in Japanese, discussed not very much of anything. And general manager Jon Daniels gave a triage report.

On Thursday, it was:

* Prince Fielder: Gone for the year.

* Jurickson Profar: Maybe gone, too.

* Daniel Robertson: Not looking so hot either."

It's going to be tough to recover from the loss of Fielder.  At the same time, some young guys are going get a chance, such as Choice in the outfield and Moreland will go back to first base.  

Nevertheless, it will be tough and this may be one of those seasons that we'd rather forget!

We spoke about this, and other sports stories, on Thursday's show:

Discover Sports Internet Radio with Silvio Canto Jr on BlogTalkRadio

---

Tags: Texas Rangers 2014  To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the My View by Silvio Canto, Jr. Thanks!

Amigo, 'que pasa' in the United States?

(My new American Thinker post)

We are all caught up in the VA scandal and that's understandable.  It is the latest of the scandals that President Obama apparently learned about by watching the nightly news.

Add the tepid recovery, the lack of spine in dealing with our adversaries and everything else that seems to be going wrong at the same time.

It's enough to make many of us worry about the future of the land we love. It is also a concern for people who live outside the US.  We never hear from them but they are talking too.

Over the last couple of years, I've heard from friends in Latin America about the state of dysfunction in the US government.  

They call me by phone or send me an email.  

A friend from Central America said:   "And they call us a banana republic"? 

A professor in Colombia is frustrated:  "Is President Obama paying attention" 

An old college friend in Brazil said:  "Is President Obama going to resign?"

My point for sharing these comments is to show that the world cares and is concerned about the state of the Obama administration.  

At this point, President Obama's ideology or philosophy is secondary. The primary concern is that we may be watching a man in over his head.  It's one thing for the president of a small country to be in over his head.  It's quite another thing for the leader of the free world to look so rattled.

P. S. We discussed this with Fausta Wertz of Fausta's Blog & follow me on Twitter @ scantojr.

New Politics Internet Radio with Silvio Canto Jr on BlogTalkRadio

---

Tags: President Obama   To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the My View by Silvio Canto, Jr. Thanks!

A bad economy for the groups that Democrats need to turn out

(My new American Thinker post)

Over the last two days, I've read a couple of stories about the US economy and minorities.

The first one is Dedroy Murdock of National Review:

"Obama’s election, no doubt, generated considerable ethnic pride.
Seeing a black man (or, precisely, a half-black man) inaugurated was a truly exceptional milestone for all Americans — black and otherwise.   
But Obama reached the Oval Office nearly five years and four months ago.
Since then, his performance should have dimmed his halo among blacks, especially considering how much they have suffered on his watch."

The second is from The NY Times:

"Though broad measures of the economy are showing signs of improvement, a closer look at important indicators among individual groups reveals that voting blocs critical to Democrats in recent elections are not yet feeling the benefits.
Consider women, whose unemployment rate stood at 8.1 percent, up almost two percentage points from when Mr. Obama took office, as they weighed whether to vote in the midterms of 2010. Today, it is 5.7 percent, a seemingly shining number for Democrats desperate to widen the gender gap.
But while the number of women out of work appears to be much improved, the number of women employed compared with the total female population is 55.2 percent, actually worse than it was in October 2010.
Progress, in fact, is a mirage, the product of what economists call the disappearing work force: people giving up and dropping out."

Sadly, the Obama years have been good for the rich but not so good for the rest of the population.   To be fair, it's not all Obama's fault, but he has not contributed to the kind of economy that encourages people to invest and hire.

P. S. You can hear CANTO TALK here & follow me on Twitter @ scantojr.

Discover Politics Internet Radio with Silvio Canto Jr on BlogTalkRadio

---

Tags: US economy  To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the My View by Silvio Canto, Jr. Thanks!

The State of our Young People in Year 6 of "hope and change"

(My new American Thinker post)

We saw a couple of stories over the weekend about young people.

First, a USA Today story discussing the grim job prospects for young people.

Second, a story (via Bill Katz) about young people tuning out of politics:

Students across the country are protesting commencement speakers of all political varieties. Rutgers students balked at Condoleezza Rice and her ties to the Iraq War. Smith College kids and professors threatened to jeer IMF director Christine Lagarde’s monetary policies. And Robert Birgeneau faced protests at Haverford College over an incident involving campus police and batons. All the high-profile speakers are taking a pass.
The dispassionate protest represents a certain irony: The under-30 set is deeply dissatisfied with politics and institutions of government — an attitude emerging ahead of an election year when Senate Democrats could use some first-term Barack Obama-style enthusiasm from the young.
But a recent national poll of 18- to 29-year-olds conducted by Harvard’s Institute of Politics found that few intend to vote in the midterms.
Less than one in four said they “definitely” planned to vote in November.
Young Republicans showed more enthusiasm than young Democrats for participating in the midterms.
Another Harvard poll showed that post-election partisanship on a number of issues is deepening.
Young adults are losing their faith in government."

To be fair, President Obama is not responsible for an educational system that graduates students who offer little to real world employers. 

In other words, too many degrees are worthless, as my friend Aaron Clareywrote about a couple of years ago.

On the other hand, President Obama is responsible for inspiring a bunch of young people in 2008 with utter nonsense and phrases like "we are the change that we've been waiting for." Too many expected a President Obama to walk on water. Sadly, they've learned that he can't swim.

Politically, this is a challenge for the Democrats in 2014 because they need a turnout. At the same time, it is an opportunity for the GOP to gain some support with sound economic proposals that focus on growth.

P. S. You can hear my chat with Bill Katz of Urgent Agenda about this & follow me on Twitter @ scantojr.

Popular Politics Internet Radio with Silvio Canto Jr on BlogTalkRadio

---

Tags: President Obama and young people  To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the My View by Silvio Canto, Jr. Thanks!

A lack of leadership is killing the Obama presidency

We spoke with Bill Katz about President Obama's lack of leadership.  

We have a long list of problems, from the VA scandal to Obama Care, and President Obama looks weak, passive and just too casual.

Click here for the show:

SUNDAY: The week in review with Bill Katz of Urgent Agenda.....Listen in now at http://t.co/vDsL1VLu6N. #BlogTalkRadio
— Silvio Canto, Jr. (@SCantojr) May 19, 2014

---

Tags: Obama and a lack of leadership  To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the My View by Silvio Canto, Jr. Thanks!

'Dude that was 5 millions dollars ago'!

(My new American Thinker post)

You can not make this up.  Of course, will anyone in the media have the guts to ask the question?

We learned today that The Clinton Foundation gets "donations" from a certain man:

"As Hollywood hotshots protest the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel over its ownership by Brunei's sultan -- and his recent full-fledged embrace of Islamic law -- it turns out the Brunei government has financial connections to another American institution: The Clinton Foundation.   
The nonprofit foundation lists Brunei alongside Kuwait, Oman and Qatar as donors that gave between $1 million and $5 million through last year. The foundation confirmed the donation from Brunei was made in 2002, in connection with the construction of the Clinton Presidential Library in Arkansas.   
"The Clinton Foundation's impact would not be possible without the generous support of our donors," the foundation's website reads. "Their contributions have made a difference in the lives of tens of millions across the world.""

Again, will anyone in the media ask the question?  Or will feminists call on the Clintons to return the sum?  

There is another question: Do we want a former president married to a presidential candidate traveling all over the world collecting money for a foundation?  When does a conflict of interest become a conflict of interest? 

Or will they say: "Dude that was 5 millions dollars ago"!  

P. S. You can hear CANTO TALK here & follow me on Twitter @ scantojr.

---

Tags: Clinton Foundation To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the My View by Silvio Canto, Jr. Thanks!

Some good numbers from the Texas economy again

(My new American Thinker post)

The latest jobs report from Texas is rather good:

"Texas’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 5.2 percent from 5.5 percent in March, according to the Texas Workforce Commission. That was far less than last month’s U.S. jobless rate of 6.3 percent.   
For the last 12 months, Texas added 348,000 jobs, with gains in all 11 major industry groups gaining.
The energy industry has seen the fastest growth in that time, with employment up 7.5 percent."

The information is even better when you look at regions:  

"For April, the Dallas area’s unemployment rate was 4.8 percent and the Fort Worth area’s rate was 4.6 percent.
The Midland area had the state’s lowest jobless rate of 2.3 percent.
The McAllen-Edinburg-Mission area had the highest rate of 8.6 percent."

The city by city numbers are fascinating: Growth in Dallas, a boom in Midland and things are slow in South Texas.

I don't pretend that Texas has all of the answers but we must be doing something right.  Isn't a shame that Governor Perry was not able to make that case in 2012?  It would have been interesting.

P. S. You can hear CANTO TALK here & follow me on Twitter @ scantojr.

---

Tags: Texas economy  To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the My View by Silvio Canto, Jr. Thanks!

Protests? It must be World Cup 2014 in Brazil

(My new American Thinker post)

Normally,  Brazil shuts down when the national soccer team is playing a World Cup game, especially if the locals are playing at home!  However, a lot of people in Brazil will be keeping an eye on the protests this summer.

We saw more across the country, as reported by The Washington Post:

"Protests and strikes gripped several World Cup host cities Thursday as unrest spread less than a month before the soccer tournament begins. 
About 1,000 people gathered for a World Cup demonstration in central Rio, playing musical instruments and holding up afternoon rush-hour traffic as hundreds of riot police stood by. By early evening, the number of protesters had more than doubled as striking teachers and university administration workers joined in. 
“We are against the cup for the spending and for forgetting health and education,” said striking teacher Eduardo Douglas. 
A 48-hour bus strike in the city — the second in a week — ended Wednesday night, but a strike by security guards entered its 21st day. 
“The World Cup here in Brazil is the worst thing in the world for workers,” said Umberto Rocha, a director of a union for Rio security guards, speaking at a meeting. “They are investing in stadiums and forgetting the people.”"

Investing in stadia? Yes, but some won't be ready!  The government is already giving up on unfinished projects, according to news reports.

The games will happen and Brazil is the favorite to win, especially at home.

However, The World Cup proves that it takes more to run an event than a love of soccer, or "futbol."  It also takes efficiency and a less bureaucratic government.

Finally, Brazil is lucky that they are holding the World Cup first and the Olympics in 2016.  The Olympics will be a much more complicated task, with a lot more countries, athletes and visitors.

P. S. You can hear CANTO TALK here & follow me on Twitter @ scantojr.

New Politics Internet Radio with Silvio Canto Jr on BlogTalkRadio

---

Tags: Brazil 2014  To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the My View by Silvio Canto, Jr. Thanks!

We remember Lorenzo H Zambrano (1944-2014)

We learned today that Lorenzo H Zambrano died in Madrid.  He was 70 and I’m not familiar with the details of his death.

Mr Zambrano was one of the most successful businessmen in Latin America, as his obituary indicates:

“Lorenzo Hormisdas Zambrano Treviño was born on March 27, 1944, in Monterrey, where his grandfather founded what would become Cemex in 1906. He studied engineering at the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, and earned a master’s degree in business administration at Stanford University before joining Cemex in 1968.

In 1985, he became the company’s chief executive and in 1995, he added the role of chairman. He held both posts at his death.”

He was a dynamic businessman and ahead of his time:

“Beginning in 1992, Mr. Zambrano bought up far-flung producers to create the third-largest cement company in the world. He remade each new acquisition, introducing high technology and logistical efficiencies that made Cemex the subject of business school case studies at Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

From his own computer Mr. Zambrano could monitor any Cemex operation in more than 50 countries, said Rossana Fuentes-Berain, a Mexican journalist who wrote a 2007 book about Mr. Zambrano, “Grey Gold.”

What distinguished him was “the technology, the management and the hunger to prove that you can be as good as anybody in the market,” Ms. Fuentes-Berain said.”

A great story to say the least!

---

Tags: Lorenzo H Zambrano  To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the My View by Silvio Canto, Jr. Thanks!

The GOP and 2014

We caught up with Barry Casselman, The Prairie Editor.   

Barry discussed the 2014 elections and some of the vulnerable Democrats.  

We start with 3 pick ups in West Virginia, Montana and South Dakota.   

Add North Carolina, Arkansas, Louisiana, plus Alaska and now it's 7, or 1 more than they need to win a majority.  

There are also weak Democrats in places like Oregon, Virginia, Michigan, Iowa and Colorado.   It could be an interesting year.

Check here for our chat with Barry:

Check Out Politics Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with Silvio Canto Jr on BlogTalkRadio

---

Tags: 2014 Midterm elections  To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the My View by Silvio Canto, Jr. Thanks!