The Wayne Focus

A Mitt Romney Soliloquy I’ve been in Ann’s shadow ever since our first date in high school. Over our years together, she’s waged some pretty impressive battles with myself and others. Among her many accomplishments, none is more important or rewarding—to us and to our country—than her accomplishment as a successful mother of 153 and grandmother of 16,352. Thank you, Ann. The other night, from opposite coasts of the country, and you can appreciate from the point of population density why we keep so far apart, but are not legally separated or divorced, Ann and I watched President Obama’s State of the Union address. Ann figured out pretty fast what was going on. She sent me an email saying that it sounded like he was reading my CPAC speech from last year. I asked her what CPAC stood for because I could not remember. She teased me about it and said I knew. I said I didn’t.  She said I knew and I said I didn’t. She said I knew and I said, really, I can’t recall and she told me to ...

               Even before the people affected by Hurricane Irene had found their feet again insurance companies were calculating the damage.   They said in unison their exposure was below seven billion dollars.   They had ‘dodged a bullet’.   No mention of lives lost and devastated.                Today a representative of the insurance industry assured investors their exposure is three billion dollars - exactly.   Insurance stocks rose on Wall Street as a result.                Children cannot pray to God in school.   You, an adult, are not allowed to pray to God at public meetings or events.                Insurance companies have a close relationship with God that is supported b...

I am glad that Mayor Bloomberg has ordered mandatory evacuations in New York. I am glad because the last few times I have been in New York I have seen serious problems with the way in which the infrastructure (roads, bridges, tunnels, et cetera) have been handled since he has been in office. I saw a crew of workmen pouring dash-patch (DASH PATCH - A fast-setting, water only, easy-to-trowel interior floor and wall repair product.) into a 10 foot hole with one layer of plywood fastened into the surrounding structure with bolts through 2x4's on a bridge leading onto the Cross Bronx Expressway about 200 feet above the East River. I don't think the depth of corruption that is seething in New York Government will be revealed until Bloomberg leaves office. It seems to me that it is worse than Boss Tweed - where a group of people worked together for one man's twisted goal, under Boss Bloomberg a group of people are working separately for their own goals. I am waiting for him ...

Warren Buttett's action in this case, buying up stock of Bank of America, is similar to what happened as the Great Depression started off after the Great Crash.  Rich men like Rockefeller and others stepped in and bought up huge swaths of stock and bad debt to 'buoy' the market.  The purchases were loudly declared as evidence that the rich in the country still had confidence in the market.  The resulting surge was small and was not sustained, just as this little boost will not have far reaching effects.  As for the profit that this move might make for Buffett please note that he purchased tens of millions of 'preferred' stock with the idea that the six percent interest will be paid each year.  'Preferred' stock receives dividends only at the discretion of the board and good companies don't pay on preferred issues during tough times and you don't make up for lost time in the future.  I am concerned as an investor, American and businessman about his pu...

Orrin Pilkey, geology Professor at Duke University is talking out the side of his mouth.  This storm is not what the islands need - his theories are just that, theories.  No one knows how the barrier islands anywhere came to exist.  In any case saying this big blow is a good thing is something to be expected from a 'scientist' from Duke.  They have large marine research stations along the coast of North Carolina and the best work they seem to have done is recording the slow destruction of the fishing industry (they are given government grants to support and expand the fisheries).  As for houses on a beach - they should not be on the beach - that's just silly - but try to tell someone that is renting one for $3,000 a week that and you get nowhere fast.  Orrin Pilkey also neglects to mention the tree farms in eastern Carolina - tens of miles of trees at a time planted in straight rows - no self-respecting farmer concerned about erosion would ever do such a th...