Georgia legislators must have heard my left-lane driver rant

(From the Athens Banner-Herald)

Lawmaker's bill would fine left-lane slowpokes

By Morris News Service - Athens Banner-Herald

Published Wednesday, February 03, 2010

Buzz up!

ATLANTA - Drivers who hog the passing lane and refuse to yield to faster vehicles could get fined $75 under legislation introduced Tuesday.

State law already requires slowpokes to move over from the passing lane as soon as they notice a faster car behind them, but it carries no specific penalty - and the sponsor of House Bill 1047 says a $75 fine might give officers more of an incentive to issue tickets.

"I don't think I'm alone in thinking this: There are so many times when you're on the interstate ... and people will get over in the left-hand lane, which by law is for passing, and just sit there using it as their own personal driving lane," said state Rep. Mark Butler, R-Carrollton.

Neither the state Department of Driver Services or the state Department of Public Safety could say Tuesday how many tickets police have been issued to left-lane dawdlers.

Bob Dallas, director of the Governor's Office of Highway Safety, likes the bill because it gives motorists a clear signal about which lane they should use.

I find it shocking... but it turns out not everyone agrees with the legislation. Check out the comments to the linked article.

(Thanks for sending, Kate!)

Sad State of Affairs

It was announced today that the Government is going to give Citigroup an additional $20 billion investment—that's on top of the $25 billion that the failing financier received in October (part of the $700 billion bailout package Congress approved).

How much longer can this go on for?

And as I am just about to click "publish post," I see a "breaking news" story rolling across the CNN.com ticker: "President Bush says there may be more bailouts like the one for Citigroup..."

Get Out and Vote

If you haven't done it already, get out and vote. Waiting in line for a few short hours (or less in areas with early voting) is worth the right to vote.

It's going to be historic one way or another... 

Dave Ramsey's "Presidential" Commentary

One of my favorite talk radio hosts and personal finance experts wrote a great-yet-simple perspective on the upcoming election and how the new President will affect our every day lives. I'm going to try and stay apolotical in my blog; but I think the following is rather neutral and worth reading. 

This is from Dave's October eNewsletter, responding to a listener question.

Dave, which bozo should I vote for in this election? Who’s going to fix the economy? Who’s going to give me the most money?

Well, I’m here to remind you that you’re going to fix the economy because your personal economy is up to you. It's not Washington's job to fix what's going on with you. If you are waiting on Washington to change something, you've got a long wait!

You’re going to give yourself money as a result of your hard work and persistence. Waiting for money to be taken from others and given to you is a spirit of envy, and it's wrong.

I’m not here to tell you who to vote for. But I am here to tell you that the government doesn’t have the capacity to fix your problems. Washington is full of bozos, and I am doing my part to send a lot of them home!

This economic mess is a reality, but we can each only control one thing—our reactions. Does this stuff define you? Only if you let it. The weird thing about the economy is that YOU are the economy! I learned this the hard way. I got my real estate license when I was 18 years old. By the time I was 21, interest rates had risen to 17% fixed-rate … and I still sold houses. How? Because I worked hard.

As bad as USA Today meant a recent article to be about what we think of the suffering economy and upcoming election, I think it’s rather encouraging that no one thinks that President Bush or Barack Obama or John McCain can fix the economy!

This may be the beginning of the biggest level of prosperity this nation has ever known if we don’t look to a candidate to fix our lives. How about we say, "I’m going to vote for the candidate who’s going to fix the nation. I’m going to fix my life, so leave me alone and let me do my own thing."

Don't react based on fear or panic. Don’t look to Washington to fix your problems. Why would you do that? At what point did Bill Clinton fix any of your problems? At what point did he cause you to prosper? At what point did George Bush end your career or cause you to prosper? When did Ronald Reagan fix your problems? Guess what? I liked Reagan the most, and while he was in office, I hit rock bottom and filed bankruptcy—but it wasn’t Reagan’s fault. It was mine.

So when you go to the polls in a few days to cast your vote, don’t get caught up in following a political party or candidate without knowing the issues they support. Do your research so you can make educated decisions.

My Own Personal Theory

A few months ago, as I rode in the car with Dan and friends, I blurted out something I'd thought before. And of course it was in the taboo conversation category - politics.

I will save my own political/personal/social convictions for another day; but I still would like to share with you the thought I said aloud that day.

"I just think that Republicans are probably more patriotic. "

Then I suppose I retreated a little and changed my theory slightly.

"Well, I bet that if you counted, Republicans are more likely to have American flags outside their homes and magnets on their cars."

Too bad I don't have my own personal Freakonomics researchers on staff at my house because I really think I'm right. I think I may also have to save my reasoning for another day, as I haven't yet crafted it into a sensible/sensical form (even in my head). 

What is it about the stereotypical (and possibly the Southern kind since that's who I am most familiar with) that makes me feel this way? I will work on some more concrete thoughts.