Gratitude

Thank you, John Roberts, chief justice of the Supreme Court of the United States of America.  Yesterday’s deciding opinion on the Obama healthcare plan was an absolute stroke of genius, regardless of your intent. No longer is the presidential election of 2012 about the competency of the respective candidates, it is now about defining America. Who are we as a country? What will our founding principles be going forward?

Are we to be a big government institution with politicians picking winners and losers? If that is your preferred governmental model, clearly vote for Obama and the Democratic ticket. If you don’t like the idea of politicians getting into your junk, vote and then insist on a country that treasures the American uniqueness, the personal freedom of each individual.

Does that mean a vote for a moderate Republican candidate and a Republican party that is as self-involved as are the Democrats? Yes, that is the only hope for the peoples politics. Should Romney and the Republicans win, the peoples politic remains a long way off but if we the people stay engaged, the peoples America will happen. If Obama wins reelection and another four years, the big government model will be cemented into the nations fabric for as long as we remain a country.

My hope is that I am overstating the consequence of this election. The election is, however, a clear choice between two Americas. The American way to make such a momentous choice is to take a vote of all the people, a pivotal vote in 2012, what do we the people want?

G.Goslaw
Landers, Ca.

The Simple Fix

Here we go again!  The knowledgeable conservative voter has no real choice in another Presidential election.  Please forgive me as I mention the last thirty two years of the historical record.  In the presidential race of 1988 and 1992, George H. W. Bush was the Republican establishment choice, in 1996 Senator Robert Dole was the chosen one, in 2000 and 2004 George W. Bush was elected by the narrowest of margins and in 2008 the inept Senator John Mc Cain lead the Republican party to a resounding defeat, giving us President Barack Obama.  In the upcoming presidential election of 2012, Mitt Romney has won the job of confronting Barack Obama in his reelection bid.  The last quasi conservative presidential candidate or President was Ronald Reagan, who won election in 1980 and 1984.

The unifying character of all these Republicans, except Reagan, is that each one is an establishment moderate Republican politician, meaning that they are timid political adolescents who will inevitably  decide “to go with the flow”.  George W. Bush raised taxes despite a no new tax pledge.  He thought he could appease the liberal Democratic call for higher taxes to support bigger government.  The Democrats responded to his courage by refusing to cut spending as promised.  Senator Dole was a good man and a war hero but he had no real message, persona or governing experience to ignite the electorate.  As a result, William Jefferson Clinton was elected our forty second President.  President Clinton began by governing as a typical big government Democrat but his sexual scandal in the White House forced him to embrace some conservative policies in order to survive politically.  Surprisingly, for the first and only time since President Reagan, smaller government programs with the resulting lower cost and lower taxes produced good economic times for working, tax paying Americans.

George W. Bush was elected or crowned by the Supreme Court as President 43.  To King George’s credit, he never claimed to be conservative thinking, just another moderate establishment Republican, advancing bigger government programs in education, the supposed war on terror and feeding the insatiable dollar appetite of our war economy.  In addition, the insane expansion of housing programs for those folk who cannot afford to buy a house was pushed by Democratic liberal mentalities in Congress.  The Republicans offered little resistance as they were busy warmongering.  They stood by passively or even assisted when Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac were allowed to insanely expand.  Home ownership had become the unreal expectation of every American.

These good times were short lived, as we all know, the resulting economic pain from the bursting economic bubble threatened and profoundly impacted every American.  Well, it was painful for almost every American.  Our bumbling politicians bailed out the Wall Street banks who were largely responsible for the housing collapse.  Our bumbling politicians poured billions of taxpayer money into major industries, particularly union companies.  Our bumbling politicians enacted a “one trillion dollar” stimulus bill that was supposedly to ensure a speedy economic recovery.  Instead, most of the money was used to expand the governmental public sector and ensure for them a pain free recession.  The federal workforce was increased, little wonder that real estate prices in Washington D.C. went up when the rest of the country was losing equity.  Then our bumbling politicians sent a majority of the money to the states to fund the public sector, teachers, police, firefighters and emergency workers.  And of course, our bumbling politicians in every context were shielded from economic pain.

The private sector has been abandoned by our bumbling politicians to shoulder most of the economic pain.  The job creators of our economy were left to fend for themselves straddling ever increasing governmental regulation.  Is there any doubt as to why the unemployment numbers have remained so high?  Is there any doubt why so many Americans have given up hope for a job?  Is there any doubt why so many have elected to go on Social Security early?  Is there any doubt why the welfare and food stamp rolls have ballooned, in some cases doubling?  Is there any doubt why our college graduates have dismal prospects for employment in their field of study?  Is there any doubt why our high school kids can’t find a part time job?  Is there any doubt why our young adults are choosing to live with their parents into their thirties?  President O’Bama talks about economic fairness when his recovery policies are the exact antithesis of fairness.  Such rhetoric is so unjustified as to be simply a lie.  In cowardly fashion, those working in the government, the public sector and the unions support the lie.

Again, I apologize for this historical recitation but doesn’t the history make we voting taxpaying Americans wonder why we have been so stupid?  We support politicians who fail us and then they take no responsibility by dodging to blame the politicians of the other political party.  They are con artists and we keep playing their gamers.  Possibly it is time for the voting public to stop tolerating the political games and insist upon authentic conservative leadership.  We have yet to try that simple fix.  That kind of president will lead us toward smaller government, true tax reform, a balanced budget and a working America.  Why would we want to  accept anything less?

G.Goslaw
Landers, Ca.

Goslaw Homestead

June 7, 2012

Dear family and friends,

This note is a “thank you” to all those who enabled this vagabond to purchase the property at 1990 Gibraltar Road in Landers, California. Our house has quickly become home for Hammer and I. After living out of a veritable suitcase for the last ten years and now settling in a place that is mine, this new homeowner is filled with wonder and gratitude. The property fits all the hopes I had believed in and anguished over for the last four months. Out there somewhere was: (1) a rural property with acreage, (2) a property with as few neighbors as possible, (3) a well kept property that is finance ready. (4) a small house of about 1000 square feet priced at no more than $75,000 with payments less than $500.00 a month, to include P & I, property tax and insurance. This proved to be a daunting task.

The search began in Apple Valley, then Lucerne Valley, then Hesperia, Phelan, Wrightwood, Palmdale, Tehachapi, Barstow and Newberry Springs. Nothing came close to all that I was asking and a few cash buyer‘s cut me out of the pattern with lesser homes. Real Estate agent Tom Marti of Keller Williams in Victorville was very helpful and a consummate professional. Thank you Tom, your real estate education, advice and patience with my narrow search was much appreciated but no amount of effort could magically produce “the house”. Out of desperation the search was broadened to Big Bear, Arizona and then to the Yucca Valley area via the zillow website. I recruited agent Herbert Brewer of Coldwell Banker in Yucca Valley for a look at an interesting property that I thought had potential. Upon inspection we agreed that the house was in much worse shape than advertised and that it would not finance.

Returning to Mom’s house (thank you Mom), discouraged after another seemingly wasted trip, I went back on the zillow website to find the property at 1990 Gibralter, Landers. One dirt road sign and the county records spell it Gibralter, while all the rest of the dirt road signs spell it Gibraltar. Go figure but Herbert says Landers will be Landers, I will be spelling it with the “ar” ending. Mr. Don Madderra was just putting the finishing touches on an excellent rehab of this 1100 sq. ft., 2 bedroom, 1 ½ bath home, most of the house had been reconstructed from the ground up. The house is very impressive but the trees and the huge garage made the property a “gotta have”. The house sit’s on 2 acres and all the neighbors rooftops are only visible in the far distance while 3 to 5 vehicles pass by the front of the house per day, heaven. Herbert suggested we offer the asking price, $75,000, with the seller paying 6% of the buyer‘s closing costs. We returned to Yucca Valley and wrote up the offer and within the next few days it was accepted. Thank you Herbert and especially Mr. Madderra.

The next hurdle was to nail down financing. I was approved by a local lender in Victorville but three other national lenders baulked at the decided lack of cash on hand to make the deal work. I guess sixty seven years of paying my bills counts for very little. Herbert introduced me to a local lender in Yucca Valley, Mojave Mortgage Group, ably represented by Walter Reed. I was assured that my good credit would counterbalance my lack of financial liquidity and such was the case. Walter suggested a USGA no down loan that is specific to rural areas like Landers and with the seller paying 6% toward closing, I should get back the cost of an appraisal and the earnest money deposit.  All this was great for my situation, we came to agreeable terms and the deal was off to the escrow company. Thank you Mojave Mortgage Group, Walter, Shannon and Shirley.

Being a pessimist at heart, my expectation was that this proposed purchase would somehow also become a decided disappointment. I was one anxious dude. It didn’t help that the bank was JP Morgan Chase and there was one delay after another with the bank’s approval of the escrow paperwork. Collette Baker at Fidelity Mortgage was finally able to call me to come in and sign at the “X”, multitudinous times, the bank had given her the green light. My blood pressure probably took a hit over those two or three days but in the word‘s of somebody, “all’s well that end’s well”. Thank you Collette and the other ladies at Fidelity and thank you Chase Bank.

I still cannot believe my good fortune, just to buy any property would have been an accomplishment but to walk into seeming perfection is beyond any of my expectations. I am overjoyed. Perfect is a big word that is never realized in this world but 1990 Gilbraltar is so very close to perfection that I will not complain about the few miniscule negatives. The family furniture that has been in storage for 15 to 20 years seems to belong to every wall. The oriental rug, soiled long ago in our house on Wrangler Lane, Victorville, is now a welcome rug on the front porch. There is a concrete slab foundation in place, just the right size, for a future garage for my Peterbilt. There is much to be done a bit at a time but what’s the hurry? Karen would have loved this house, would that we could have shared it.

If I were to believe that God get’s personally involved in our lives, stumbling into 1990 Gibraltar could be a convincing personal proof.  It is as if the Goslaw homestead was designed from above. Thank you Lord and help mine unbelief.

G.Goslaw
P.O.Box 3216
Landers, Ca 92285
760-364-3425