It is Time for Responsible Republicans to Be Heard

.


While Obama and Pelosi have captured center stage in the media with the health care reform and they have already declared a host of other social issues will be pursued next, I wonder what the Republican alternative to the Obama agenda might be?

The Democrat White House and Congress are clear in their intentions to overthrow, I mean overhaul the federal agenda and continue building their single payer, single employer and single owner social empire, meaning a very fat federal government.

Now we know that the Republicans by nature are opposed to Uncle Sugar and having the government hire and own everything. We also know that up until the beginning of the 21st century the Republicans were also the protectors of our economy and opposed to increasing the national debt. During the first decade of this century they seemed to have gone brain dead regarding the debt but there was hope they would come to their senses eventually.



Now that they are the minority party, meaning they blew it the last decade, one would think they might be offering an alternative to the Obama social juggernaut and demand the attention of our government be focused on what is being ignored in Washington. I mean there are a few issues still being ignored by everyone like the economy, jobs, unemployment and credit markets. How quickly we forget Main Street.

Then there are the massive number of fixes that are needed within the federal government covering everything from Financial reform to Housing Mortgage reform, Campaign reform to Energy independence, stronger ethics and conflict of interest laws to limits on lobbying and special interests. Fact is we are still waiting for Obama to start prosecuting all those crooks who manipulated federal laws and nearly destroyed the world economy. Those crooks remain in their offices on Wall Street.

So my question is this? If the public seems to dislike Obama's agenda though they like him okay, and if nothing has happened in Congress for over a year except the nasty old health care reform, where are the GOP ideas, initiatives and reforms to lead us out of the quagmire in Washington? Why are they not screaming about the trillion dollar debt the Obama agenda has created and why are they not offering alternatives?



Most days it seems as if the Republicans just trash Obama and the Democrats but offer nothing in terms of new ideas. If either party was really interested in Main Street they would be pushing for investigations and prosecutions of all the people who caused the economic meltdown, paid the outrageous bonuses, and profited from all the market manipulations.

The Democrats complain about the crooks on Wall Street but can't even pass a financial reform bill with enough teeth to prevent corruption, let alone prosecute the corrupters. Don't suppose it has anything to do with the fact these same crooks are filling the campaign coffers of the Democrats?

Yet the Democrats blame the Republicans for being the protector of Wall Street and stalling the financial reform laws. If I were a Republican I would be offering a comprehensive financial reform bill that does stop the corruption and prosecutes the corrupters because neither has any place in a free market economy. Then I would go after the Democrats for protecting the fat cats. Of course that assumes the GOP is not trying to protect the old ways of Wall Street.



I have trouble finding any Republican position on financial reform or anything else for that matter. It seems their agenda is stopping Democrats, not fixing America. If they want to get all worked up over the health care that's okay, but fix the bill, don't destroy the progress that has been made.

No benefit will come to the GOP if they simply oppose everything Obama and Pelosi want and then there is no alternative being offered. If I were a Republican every time I spoke I would preface it with a stand against increasing the national debt further and then offer alternatives to bigger government.

I think the GOP might have a false sense of security about the mood of the public. If they read the polls and think everyone hates the Democrats they better read again. If they think they are the natural alliance for the Tea Party movement they are also mistaken.



The independent movement in America belongs to no one and no party. As the Democrats continue to pursue more and more liberal goals and the Republicans continue to blabber more and more conservative opposition to everything both parties are at risk of being booted into oblivion by a public that is fed up with all politicians.

The social agenda of the president is certain to get the liberal and moderate Democrats in trouble in the fall elections and will increase the Republican resolve to win back seats. But without an agenda, without a plan and without concrete proposals the Republicans will just be blowing the same hot air as the Democrats and may find themselves on the endangered species list along with the Democrats.

We do not need politicians whose purpose in life is to tear down and destroy. We do not need politicians who believe there is a single political philosophy everyone must embrace. This is a big country. There is room for a lot of diverse ideas. Political leadership requires acknowledging the diversity of Americans and the diverse needs that result.



A good conservative can still have a social conscious and a free spending liberal can still show restraint for the good of the people. But they don't. The GOP leadership needs to stand for something. Spouting you are the party of fundamental conservative principles is nice, but will it assure food and housing for the poor? Being fiscally conservative and opposed to big government carries a responsibility to make certain those who benefit from such a system do not abuse it like Wall Street.

I figure anyone who offers real meaningful campaign reform and abolishes legal loopholes preventing prosecution of crooks on Wall Street and in Washington, and anyone who first considers the impact on the national debt before spending more billions we don't have, can't be all bad. Now I find myself still waiting for someone to come through with the ideas we need to fix America.

.

Obama - New Social Architect or Special Interest Stooge?

.



Now that President Obama has his coveted health care reform in hand, albeit there is a ways to go before it can become a reality, and we have seen what he did with the banks, insurance companies, auto companies and mortgage companies, it is time to ask if he is truly a social architect intent on forming a new American social structure based on government ownership and/or control, or if he is simply a stooge for the powerful special interests who helped finance his campaigns.



With his detached attitude and unwillingness to get immersed in the mechanics of fighting for his own legislative agenda, it seems he may be the consummate compromiser yet his actions are leading us in a very specific direction. Since he first took office there has been an obvious pattern of first taking care of his special interest contributors which leaves his true intent in question.



Look at the record. Several of the first Executive Orders he issued as president greatly strengthened the unions and even gave them a degree of control and influence over construction projects and other activities that were contained in his economic stimulus program. No Democrat or Republican president before ever made such blatant concessions to the unions.



The auto bailout he engineered guaranteed the unions major control of General Motors and protected them from losing billions of dollars in unsecured losses from GM stock they owned while the bond holders from General Motors were left out in the cold.



He even delayed the provision in the health care reform bill to tax the most luxurious health insurance policies until 2018, long after he would be president. Under the contracts negotiated by the unions with auto makers these luxury policies were a major contributor to the very bankruptcy of the auto industry.



The most frequent visitor to the White House is Andy Stern, President of the SEIU, the service workers union who Stern claims spent more than $60 million to get Obama elected. So who is to benefit most from expanded health care, the service workers union of Stern who is trying to unionize the health care industry.



Then when Congress did not approve his Deficit Reduction Task Force he created it by Executive Order and then promptly appointed the same Andy Stern to the group. I find it rather odd that a union organizer qualifies as an expert in economics and knows how to reduce our federal debt when he has been benefitting from the very Obama initiatives that have resulted in an avalanche of new debt.



Of course Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the housing mortgage companies, were taken over by the Obama government although the media does not seem interested in talking about it. In this case Obama took care of Wall Street poster boy Goldman Sachs, another major Obama contributor and supporter, whose actions in selling the sub-prime mortgages helped destroy the housing market.

Did you know $217 billion have already been given by Obama to these two housing agencies to bail them out of their last mess?. Did you know Rahm Emanuel was on the Board of one of them and when he was with the Clinton administration they passed the federal commodity loopholes that allowed the deceptive investment practices that caused oil price spikes and brought down the world economy?



In fact his ties to Goldman Sachs are best illustrated by the fact he approved the AIG insurance bailout to protect a too big to fail company and $64 billion in government money went to Goldman and other banks who recouped 100% of their toxic holdings in the bankrupt company while the stock and bond holders got a fraction of their value.



Finally, though Obama promised he was considering taking on the powerful Trial Lawyers Association and was going to incorporate tort reform to reduce the multi-billion dollar cost of medical malpractice, it was left out of his final bill. It's not surprising since they were at the top of the list of special interest contributors to his campaign.



Social architect or special interest stooge, the jury is out but the actions seem to have taken a sharp left turn. Big government and multi-trillion dollar debt are the products of his efforts, a very left leaning legacy to date. Yet he may be the godfather of his own special interests and at the top of the list come Goldman Sachs (Wall Street), the Trial Lawyers and the unions, particularly SEIU. All stand to benefit greatly from his health care reform.



His unfinished agenda includes more social redirection as he says Immigration reform is next followed by Cap and Trade and other initiatives. Ironically, he and the Democrats controlling congress still are not even talking about the economy, unemployment, jobs and credit issues affecting Main Street, the very issues Main Street wants addressed.

.

Obama Health Care Done - Democrats Celebrate - Is it Premature?

.



Well the national and cable media are falling all over themselves in glee this morning after President Obama got the weekend votes on health care in Pelosi's House, but have they once again idolized their hero prematurely like they did in the election?

Before we write a new chapter in the history of health care in America we better wait and see what the Senate does to the reconciliation bill passed by Pelosi's House. Without the approval by the Senate the original bills passed by Pelosi could go down in flames and there are a lot of lingering questions about the process, the elements of the bill, the long term impact and whether it will raise taxes and premiums.



This much we do know. What passed will raise taxes by $437 billion. There are 15 different tax raises hidden in the bills approved by the House. Even top Democratic analysts say health insurance premiums will rise 10-13% as a result of the bills.

By 2013 there will be a 3.8% increase in taxes for every family in America earning more than $200,000 and a lot of middle class families will be earning over $200,000 in four more years.



By 2017 all the states will have to increase their taxes to pay for Medicaid subsidies required under the Obama-Pelosi bills. Just one state, the state of Ohio, will have to raise $200 million to pay for the new Obama taxes which means nationwide states will increase taxes by several billion dollars yet Obama does not consider this a tax increase since it is the state that has to pay.

Even Leslie Stahl, a veteran CBS reporter on 60 Minutes, said she listened to all the debate and still doesn't know if the bills will increase taxes. If the national news media has no clue, and there are 15 new tax increases in the bills not counting the taxes on states, then how will the public ever learn the true extent of health care reform.

There are also the deals made to secure votes and it may take years to unscramble what was promised. We know there are several hospitals in certain states that received $20 million windfalls in order to get votes. How many more secret deals were made?



We also know the Pelosi bills eliminated cost controls on drugs for senior citizens. Do you realize what I said? Pharmaceutical companies will not be restricted from raising prices from drugs. Obama promised to stop the spiraling drug costs, then let Emanuel negotiate away the controls to get final passage. This will also cost billions more since the average senior in America has 6-8 drug prescriptions.

The bills do not put any cost controls on the health industry and they do not put any controls on the medical malpractice abuses, both of these actions are necessary to save billions of wasted dollars but they are missing from the bills.

Also unknown is if the federal government can force citizens to buy health care and fine them if they don't which it is trying to do. More than 37 states have already said they will sue the government to stop the action. It could be another big setback.



No one has really studied who the 32 million people are who will be added to the health insurance roles. We know 253 million people were covered in 2007. We also know low income are covered through Medicaid and 15 million illegal immigrants will not be covered.

What we don't know is how many of the uninsured do not want health care. They could be rich and not need it. Many college age kids don't have it because they are healthy and it costs too much. They will now be forced to have it because the family health policy was extended to cover all dependents up to age 26. This will most certainly raise family premiums whether they want it or not. We also don't know how many have adopted alternative health techniques and programs, most of which are denied insurance coverage even though the treatments have been proven effective. They will be forced to have it.



Perhaps more ominously, what about the doctors, dentists and opticians who refuse to participate in health insurance programs. Many have demonstrated that they can deliver health care up to two thirds cheaper than through health insurance if you pay cash. Will they be forced to participate? Some have already indicated they will retire before work under a health insurance program. How many doctors will we lose because of this?

No, the battle may have just begun to approve the reconciliation in the Senate and to resolve the many points I have just described. Don't let the media fool you, finishing the approval process and implementing the whole monster program is a long ways from finished.



Just as the White House, Obama and Pelosi are declaring a historic victory and marveling at how the president brought health care reform back from the dead, the Republicans could also bring defeat back from the dead by refusing the House reconciliation bill.

If the public realizes they have been hoodwinked by Obama and Pelosi when insurance premiums continue to increase, drug prices continue to rise and the 15 new taxes are implemented they could raise up in revolt against the new social system in America.

Will the Obama liberal base allow the president's last second Executive Order denying the use of federal money for abortions, a move intended to buy the votes needed to get approval for the act, survive challenges in court and the Congress? The reversal by Obama at the last second infuriated the liberal base and they may not take this lightly.

In the meantime, will the White House and Congress ever get to the number one issue in America, jobs, the economy, credit, credit card fees and banking fees? So far no one is talking about these bread and butter issues and the patience of the public is growing thin.

Much remains to be seen.

.

Demon Pass and Reconciliation - Total Health Care Chaos in Congress - Who is the Fool?

.



Okay, yesterday Nancy Pelosi finally posted the Obama health care demon pass rule or whatever the heck it is since it is not a bill that was approved by congress. It is a rather odd demon pass rule in the House that no two people in Washington explain in the same way, and it is also a reconciliation procedure in the Senate yet somehow it morphs into a bill.

The report from the Congressional Budget Office is in and they claim if we spend about a trillion dollars the first ten years we will reduce the deficit by around $134 billion. Then after ten more years we will save another $1.2 trillion. Strange math I think.



If you look at the fine print in the CBO instructions it may very well say the savings are not savings at all but a reduction in future increases, a technique congress has used often to confuse the public. Well a reduction in future increases is no savings and I don't care what school of economics you attended.

Now the financing of the first trillion dollars comes from increased taxes, a $500 billion reduction in Medicaid, taxes on a whole bunch of health expenses like wheel chairs, and who knows what else. I don't remember Obama promising to do any of those things during the campaign and debate over the bill.



Some of the bill does not even start until 2014 so don't expect overnight results. And those promised reductions in health care premiums, don't count on them either. As for punishing the insurance industry, don't you find it odd that with all their billions of dollars there is no evidence of lobbying against the bill or running commercials opposing the bill by those insurers? Wouldn't you think they would be fighting it tooth and nail if they were going to be disemboweled by it as Obama claims?

Fact is as the final action neared those devils on Wall Street, the ones who finance those bad insurance companies while taking million dollar bonuses, have not been driving down the stock market prices but have actually had eight straight days of driving up the market. Yet another sign the big, bad, rich guys are for the bill, not opposed. There is even an internal method to poll Wall Street which shows according to MSNBC the bet on Wall Street is 80% believe it will be approved.



So Wall Street, Obama and Pelosi agree it is best for America. Now we find out if the Democrats in the House first, and Senate second, agree. We know the Republicans oppose it and it seems as if the public is split or a majority oppose it.

Sunday just after 2 pm the House, under Pelosi, will take up the demon pass rule in order to avoid voting on the Senate bill which somehow they think will protect Democrats from being defeated in the elections this fall. Of course demon pass has never been used for this purpose. Then there will be a vote on the changes that Obama and the House want to the Senate bill which has not been approved by the House yet.



Nor will it ever be thanks to the Pelosi and Steny Hoyer rules that will be applied. So 216 votes are needed and it could be a cliffhanger. If they get them the bill thing then goes to the Senate because the House has now changed the Senate bill without voting on it and the Senate must agree to the changes to their bill that wasn't voted on. Still following me?

Now here is one thing the media, president and Pelosi are not talking about. You see, under the reconciliation procedure being used by good old Harry Reid and Obama in the Senate, every single proposal in the House bill must be directly related to the federal deficit or budget process. A Senate parliamentarian must rule on each section. There is no guarantee every section will meet the budget rule and if the Senate refuses to agree with any part of the bill, whoops, it goes back to the House for another round.



No matter what the White House and Democratic leaders say, there have never been votes on such broad bills like the health care reform bill using either the House demon pass rule or the Senate reconciliation procedure. That means it could also be subject to a Constitutional challenge. Add another year to the process for the courts to act.

The House will act on Sunday, but if the bill slips through don't start celebrating yet. It could take a week or more for the Senate to act. If they disagree on any part of it add a few more months. If they agree then we still have the court challenges. And even if we don't have court challenges remember much of the bill does not start until 2014.



Now if you understood everything I just said you should be running for president or moving to South America. If you could explain it, and remember, each thing I said is contested by either the Democrats or Republicans, then you are a better communicator than our president, congress and media.

So in summary, take every step the rest of the way with a grain of salt. No one really knows if it will add to our deficit or reduce it. Based on past government projections and promises, don't count on it reducing the national debt, reducing your health insurance premiums or get you better, if any, health care.



If the timing works out, the Senate could be voting about the same night NCAA March Madness ends with the National Championship game on April 5. Let's hope it doesn't end on April 1, April Fool's Day, because of the chaos node we are in we will have no idea who got fooled. Is it the president, congress, the Democrats, the Republicans, the public, the media or Wall Street who will be the biggest fool?

.

MSNBC Just Can't Stop Unethical Efforts to Slam Fox

.



It seems that the lower they slip in the Nielsen ratings the more radical MSNBC has to become to try and distort the record of Fox News. Every time MSNBC starts to do something right their seemingly overwhelming jealousy of the Fox News network led by Roger Ailes who consistently over-powers MSNBC in the ratings causes the liberal leftists to do something stupid.



Yesterday Fox landed a prized one-on-one interview with President Obama. Since Fox is regularly on the White House hit list it was a little surprising unless you know politics in which case you would know Obama was smart in risking the interview to reach millions of conservative and independent Americans he normally cannot reach.



The interview with Bret Baier was not without it's lively exchanges and of course the President and Baier both had a job to do. In the end Obama wins points just for entering the lion's den with Fox. He might even win over some support for his health care bill.



But leave it to MSNBC to take a news event and edit the tapes to make it look like Bret was badgering the President with constant interruptions. Obama does not need false news reports by MSNBC to protect him. His own ratings far exceed the MSNBC leftist ratings and by now he knows what to expect with Fox and does quite well.



The edited tape was used on all the MSNBC shows today and of course the wailing liberals are screaming that Fox embarrassed the President. Nonsense. The Pres did quite alright. It was the network that embarrassed itself. Morning Joe, the MSNBC program claiming to give balanced reporting though it can never quite give up their hope to destroy conservatives and Republicans, started using it with Joe mentioning that the tape had been manipulated. But by the second and third hours of news when the tape was shown not a word was mentioned about manipulating it.



In recent months Morning Joe had started to be interesting and informative to even us non-comrades as they seemed to back off on the unfair tactics and actually do a little reporting even if the guest list is dominated by liberals. When they fall back into smear reporting and crass tactics they ruin everything they have done to improve their image. Fox News and Sarah Palin are not the enemy of MSNBC, they only dominate their competitor burying them with almost five times the number of viewers.



Dirty tricks like editing tapes to make it look bad are yellow journalism tricks of the past, I thought. I have launched a campaign to save Savannah Guthrie from NBC and MSNBC for the very reason that MSNBC reporters cannot simply report but must toe the party line, even if it means using dirty tricks. It is actions like today on MSNBC that will forever keep them buried by Fox in the ratings because though the producers may think it is cute, the people know it is stupid.



.

Blind Sided - Bullock, Biden and Barack

.



How about a trip around the world to check in on the morality of mankind? Then again, maybe we shouldn't do it because there may be less morality than I'd like to find. But this is THE WEEK, so I'm going to hope the forces of the universe will help get us through the problems.



1. Sandra Bullock - One of the hardest working actresses in the country, Bullock went through a most difficult career pattern fighting to gain artistic recognition from the film industry. For years she survived her personal difficulties by doing independent films because she was not considered for major roles.

Five years ago she married Jesse James, a custom motorcycle maker in California and this year, thanks to her taking another chance on an independent film, The Blind Side, she finally got the industry acceptance she so long desired. Her little film stunned the entertainment people by making a substantial amount of money, and still is making it, and the outsider Sandra Bullock became the number one box office draw in 2009. She was rewarded with the Academy Award for Best Actress.



Now we discover that her husband, Jesse, was also busy for when Bullock was away shooting the Blind Side film he was involved in a torrid affair with a tattoo model named Michelle "Bombshell" McGee who nicknamed good old Jesse the "Vanilla Gorilla" for his physical attributes according to the tattoo queen. She said Jesse told her he was separated from Bullock.

Now Sandra had already gone out on a limb marrying the guy as his first wife was a porno film queen named Janine Lindamulder, he apparently had a thing about queens. His actions may have cost him the best queen he ever had and for Bullock to have a clean sweep and a new start as the top female box office star in Hollywood, she should dump the chump.



2. VP Joe Biden - His recent trip to Israel to jumpstart the Middle East peace process started out as a disaster when the Israeli's blind sided Joe by announcing they were going to build 1,600 houses in a contested area of East Jerusalem, igniting riots from the Palestinians. His mission was destroyed before he even got to give his opening remarks. Now that is Israeli Blind Siding as only the Israelis can do when they insult and embarrass the vice president of their only ally and protector in the world.

Blame it on the far right wing radicals in Israel, yes they do have them as well, but the results have led to the worst relations between the USA and Israel in decades according to Israel's Ambassador to the United States. Of course we know such claims are not true because the USA will never abandon Israel but the right wing in Israel better think twice before they set out to embarrass the Vice President of the United States.

We are not their enemy, and like him or not, Joe is our Vice President. Just because we have disagreements does not mean we are not loyal to our leaders. It is the nature of Americans to be tough on each other but God help the outsider who tries to embarrass our leaders whether they be Democrats, Republicans, Independents or those not registered to vote.



3. President Obama - As the monumental health care bill, whatever it is and whatever it costs since no one in Washington has seen it or knows the cost, comes up for a historic vote this weekend, just in time to be buried in the middle of the March Madness tournament, let us hope that the President has not made so many backroom deals to get it approved at all costs that he doesn't get blind sided in the aftermath.

Unlike most journalists I think America is safe with or without the health care bill. If it passes and has too many flaws they will get corrected before the Communists overrun the country. If it fails even the stubborn Republicans know we do need health care reform and we need it now, not later. A failure by the Republicans to pass something in the aftermath would be just as reckless as the Democrats passing a flawed bill. But have a little faith in the Founding Fathers. They knew how stupid politicians can be and they have built into our Constitution provisions to protect the Republic no matter how misguided the elected representatives.

If nothing else, we now know quite clearly how desperately we need reform of not just health care but the entire political process. Fix the health problems, fix the Wall Street problems and fix the campaign laws that have given crooks control of our Congress. Do it or lose. That should be the mantra of the people of America and in a couple of elections we will eradicate the bad guys and restore American to its rightful place in the world.

No one else in the world has the ability to fix things in a peaceful manner like the United States and no other people in the world have the ability to know what is best for their country than our people so I have faith in the people over the politicians and the Republic over the radicals from both the right and left.

.

Weekend Economic Stimulus Guide - The Vintage Source Weekend

.



Forget about Washington and the feeble attempts by the White House and Congress to do anything to help us. They have their hands full with health care. For over a year health care seems to have filled their hands in fact. In the meantime the real people in the real world face the same economic uncertainty, struggle to save money while Congress struggles to blow money, and stuff like that in our lives.



Well the Coltons Point Times has our own economic stimulus program in which deserving merchants with quality service and exceptional products who are a little on the eccentric side are recommended by us because you will find very good bargains on very good old stuff. You will be served by very entertaining women who realized if you give people what they really want and need, and are fair, you can do quite well in spite of the politicians and bankers.



The women of the Vintage Source Antiques and Social Club who decided to only open one weekend a month will be open this weekend and with the weather the finest we have had this year you would miss a real experience if you don't go to the Vintage Source.



Bring lots of money and plan on taking your time to enjoy the experience and while you are at it check out the incredible non-vintage Hot Dog and everything else stand. Buy a couple of designer dogs there and kick back and imagine how no matter what the fools do in Washington there will always be folks like those at the Source to help us forget our problems and save our money.

Here is Michelle's latest invitation to the Vintage Source.



The Vintage Source
It's a Vintage Source Weekend!

Sat & Sun, March 20th & 21st, 8am-4pm!

Hi Folks,

Do you remember the old cartoon character, Pepe Le Pew? He was a swarthy skunk always laying the love lines on extra thick and failing miserably due to his odious nature. Recently, Pepe came-a-calling to The Vintage Source. And just like all the other ladies in his life, I wanted no part of him. After a week of traps set with tasty treats we had to pull out the big guns and and litter the place with moth balls! I think he got the hint though, because he finally moved on and took his stench with him. Really, we lead a very glamourous life over here at The Vintage Source.

Onto the good stuff...an "atta girl" goes out to our very own Sheryl Tart, whose slipcovers were part of a magazine spread in Romantic Country (the summer edition)! Park Hall resident, Patty Andreoli's home was a feature article in the magazine and showcased Sheryl's slipcovers and if you look closely, you'll recognize some Vintage Source furnishings as well.

Lastly, there are lots of pictures up showing off just a portion of the New Arrivals in the shop! Beautiful, functional, affordable furniture...it's all waiting for you.

I will leave you with a quote from my friend Pepe, "When you are a skunk, you learn how to hold your breath for a long time."

See you this weekend, March 20th & 21st, 8am-4pm.


Michelle

Michelle Radez
The Vintage Source
www.thevintagesource.net
thevintagesource@verizon.net
240-925-1060

The Vintage Source | 22080 Newtowne Neck Rd | Compton | MD | 20627

Toyota Recall Investigation Expands to Radiation

.




Over a month ago I wrote the following article in the CPT outlining in detail how solar radiation and other frequencies bombarding the Earth could be responsible for the Toyota recall problems. I said it was an issue that should be investigated. I sent the article to Toyota but obviously others have jumped into the search and now it appears the National Highway Traffic Safety Agency is opening a formal investigation of this issue.

Coltons Point Times
Thursday, February 11, 2010
What is Really Causing the Auto Recalls? Maybe it wasn't Toyota's Fault?

You heard it first on the CPT and this is what is now being said by others in the media.



US News and World Report
Cosmic Rays may be Causing Unintended Acceleration in Toyotas
Posted: Mar. 17, 2010 10:03 a.m.

Like a story line straight out of a George Lucas film, reports are surfacing that cosmic rays may be responsible for the dangerous cases of unintended acceleration that have spurred the recall of millions of Toyota vehicles.

“Before you dismiss the cosmic ray theory, consider that the issue has been known since the 1950s, and airplane and spacecraft manufacturers design in safeguards that triple-check all data as a defense from such interference from space,” writes Autoblog. “Later, in the 1970s, researchers found that small amounts of this radiation does indeed make it down to the surface and can cause problems with small electronics like cell phones and computers.”

The possibility was brought to light by a “concerned scientist” who sent an email to the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA). The message, which is published in full on Jalopnik, reads: “For reasons I am unable to disclose, I am anonymously submitting several publically available scientific papers that discuss the possibility of cosmic rays disrupting electronics at sea level, essentially flipping a bit from one to zero, or vice versa. This phenomenon is a ‘soft’ error that is not detectable except through redundant electronic and communication systems. The scientific community refers to such occurrences as ‘Single Event Upsets,’ or SEUs.” The scientist goes on to state, “The reason SEUs are now relevant to the automotive industry is because electronics have gotten smaller and the required voltage levels have dropped significantly, therefore making electronics more susceptible to cosmic radiation…”

Toyota, however, denies that SEUs are to blame for reported cases of unintended acceleration. According to the Detroit Free Press: “Toyota staunchly defends its electronics, saying they were designed for ‘absolute reliability.’ Responding to the Free Press, Toyota said its systems ‘are not the same as typical consumer electronics. The durability, size, susceptibility and specifications of the automotive electronics make them robust against this type of interference.’”

Still, the NHTSA is taking the tip seriously -- adding the anonymous email to its investigation case file.

Check out the latest Toyota recall news and information, including how the company's recent troubles affect our rankings. If you're in the market for a new car, check out the U.S. News rankings of this year's best cars as well as this month's best car deals.



Detroit Free Pess
March 16, 2010

Are cosmic rays really causing Toyota's woes?
Regulators take closer look at design of electronics

BY JUSTIN HYDE
FREE PRESS WASHINGTON STAFF

WASHINGTON -- It may sound far-fetched, but federal regulators are studying whether sudden acceleration in Toyotas is linked to cosmic rays.

Radiation from space long has affected airplanes and spacecraft, and is known for triggering errors in computer systems, but has received scant attention in the auto industry.

The questions show how deep regulators and automakers may have to dig to solve the mysteries of sudden acceleration. Toyota says it is fixing mechanical problems -- floor mats and sticky pedals -- that explain sudden acceleration in 13 models and 5.6 million vehicles.

But at least half of more than 1,500 recent complaints to regulators involve other models, raising questions whether Toyota has fixed its problem.

An anonymous tipster whose complaint prompted regulators to look at the issue said the design of Toyota's microprocessors, memory chips and software could make them more vulnerable than those of other automakers.

"I think it could be a real issue with Toyota," Sung Chung, who runs a California testing firm, said.

Toyota, which has led the auto industry in using electronic controls, told the Free Press its engine controls are "robust against this type of interference."

Cosmic rays offered as acceleration cause

Electronics makers have known for decades about "single event upsets," computer errors from radiation created when cosmic rays strike the atmosphere.

With more than 3,000 complaints to U.S. regulators of random sudden acceleration problems in Toyota models, several researchers say single event upsets deserve a close look.

The phenomenon can trigger software crashes that come and go without a trace. Unlike interference from radio waves, there's no way to physically block particles; such errors typically have to be prevented by a combination of software and hardware design.

And an anonymous tipster told NHTSA last month that "the automotive industry has yet to truly anticipate SEUs."

Such radiation "occurs virtually anywhere," said William Price, who spent 20 years at the Jet Propulsion Lab testing for radiation effects on electronics. "It doesn't happen in a certain locale like you would expect in an electromagnetic problem from a radio tower or something else."

Toyota staunchly defends its electronics, saying they were designed for "absolute reliability." Responding to the Free Press, Toyota said its systems "are not the same as typical consumer electronics. The durability, size, susceptibility and specifications of the automotive electronics make them robust against this type of interference."

Testing for the problem would involve putting vehicles in front of a particle accelerator and showering them with radiation, a step that experts said would help resolve the question.

"Nobody wants to come out and say we have issues and we need to test," said Sung Chung, president of the testing firm Eigenix.

The phenomenon was first noted in the 1950s affecting electronics at high altitudes; unlike electromagnetic waves, there are no ways to physically shield circuits from such particles. Airplane and spacecraft makers have long designed their electronics with such radiation in mind, through safeguards such as systems that triple-check data.

Only in the late 1970s did researchers discover that a minuscule portion of such radiation falls to earth. It's not enough to harm humans, but as circuits in computers and cell phones on the ground have shrunk to the width of several dozen atoms, the risk of errors has grown. "Five years ago, it was a problem in very few applications," said Olivier Lauzeral, general manager of IRoC Technologies, which tests chips and software for SEU resistance. "In the past couple of years, we've seen a rise in demand and interest."

In an anonymous e-mail last month to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a tipster said such an error "may be one reasonable explanation for incidents of sudden acceleration," adding that the automotive industry had yet to adapt the techniques used by aircraft firms to prevent problems from SEUs.

NHTSA added the tipster's information to its electronic investigative file on Toyota recalls. The agency declined several requests from the Free Press for comment.

Electronic throttle controls like the ones under scrutiny in Toyotas are widespread in the industry. They're more reliable than mechanical links, they save weight and space, and make other technology, like stability control, possible.