Hope and Change

Hope is defined as “to cherish a desire with anticipation, to desire with expectation of obtainment, expect with confidence”. Hope is certainly a magnificent emotion to relish, but requires nothing other than belief.

Change is defined as “to make different, transform, to give a different position, course, or direction, to replace. Change necessitates achievement, attainment or accomplishment.

Hope is merely the aspiration to achieve or acquire, while change is the direct result of an actual occurrence that produced a modification.  Alone, hope never becomes more than just hope. Change can be anything, everything whatsoever.

While some folks seem to have an abundance of hope that our government will do what is necessary to make life better for all, the direction they are taking has failed to produce the modifications that were promised. As hopes begins to diminish, we must consider what steps are necessary to bring back hope.

I think the answer is abundantly clear. We need change. Real change.

Think about what could be accomplished if we could breakdown all of the power structures that currently exist in our nation’s capital. What if, we had a new President, Speaker of House, Senate Majority Leader, Vice President, all new committee chairmen in both the house and senate? What if all the sudden, the hundreds of lobbyists lost their relationships with all of the government officials who wield the majority of the power in Washington.  Now that would be real change that would bring more hope to the people than we could imagine.

Some might think this is ridiculous, but the American people process the power to effectuate this very movement.  Yes, if we had the courage to cross party lines, stop believing in those who promise hope and change and deliver on none of it, and vote for real people with integrity regardless of party affiliation, things will change. If we voted for the folks who demonstrate the ability to control the size and influence of government in our lives no matter what party they belong to. Then and only then, will we see the type of change that will support the hopes of future generations.

Hope requires little, while change require effort. A lot of effort, hard work and the sacrifices that go with it.  We can hope all we want and nothing will change. We have to do it ourselves. We The People!  The question is: do we have the courage?

Fear or Reality

It is pretty clear that the media and politicians want to create a since of fear in the minds of the American people. They never focus on any of the positives and are quick to exaggerate  the negatives.  While we hear all the piercing adverse effects of 9 percent unemployment, we hear nothing about the fact that 91 percent are gainfully employed.

I am not certain how bad the real economy is either. I know that the perception is that is it really bad. Heck, there are thousands of protester all over the country who would attest to that. But, every time I go past the mall, the parking lot is full. Go by Wal-Mart, again full. Restaurants, have a 30-45 minute wait to be seated. While I know there are segments of the population who are suffering due to unemployment, bad choices and other reasons, on the whole, things seem a lot better than anyone wants to talk about or admit.

The protesters are mostly young people who for the most part never really ever had to suffer. Some are indoctrinated by liberal elitist professors in to believing that there is something intrinsically wrong with the United States and the capitalist economic system that we employ.  Well, I have news for you, I know of no other country where people from all over the world want to come to and take part in the pursuit of happiness, the American Dream.

No form of government or economic system is perfect or provides benefits or services to its people on an equal basis. However, the United States is so far ahead of whoever is in second place that we don’t even know who it is and not sure we care.

The bottom line is simple, it you want success, then you have to be willing to work for it.  The biggest difference between those who succeed and those who do not is that some people are willing to do things that others are not.  Those who spend more time working, getting better educated, save for the future and spend less time wasted on personal satisfaction, seem to do better. This is not just a pattern, it is fact.

We do need to do something about healthcare, government spending and the legal system to start to create more opportunities for young people. As bad as these things are, the United States and the American people still stand as the very best the world has ever known. Don't lose site of that 

THE USA ECONOMY – SIMPLE EXPLANATION

Even I can understand this simple explanation. I borrowed these statistics from an email sent to me. I made some effort to verify the numbers on the IRS website and they are pretty close.

Why S&P downgraded the U.S.- this puts it in perspective...

• U.S. Tax revenue: $2,170,000,000,000

• Fed budget: $3,820,000,000,000

• New debt: $ 1,650,000,000,000

• National debt: $14,271,000,000,000

• Recent budget cut: $ 38,500,000,000

Let's remove 8 zeros and pretend it's a household budget:

• Annual family income: $21,700

• Money the family spent: $38,200

• New debt on the credit card: $16,500

• Outstanding balance on the credit card: $142,710

• Total budget cuts: $385

As you can see from this illustration, it won’t work with your home budget and it won’t with the government either.  Even if we raised taxes by 50% on every current taxpayer, not just the rich, everyone, we would still be adding to the debt because not even a 50% increase would raise enough revenue to match what your government spends.  We simply have to reduce spending. We have no choice.

The inability of the government not to realize the predicament they have put us  in suggests to me that “we the people” need new leadership at every level.  Class warfare is a smokescreen to delude the American people into believing that the government officials should not be held to account.  It is the rich or the Jews or the tea party or somebody else’s fault.  Not the government.  Well folks, it is the government, get used to it and do something about it.  VOTE to replace them.

Supreme Court’s Decision on Healthcare, Anyone’s Guess

While the Supreme Court has decided to hear a case to determine the constitutionality of the massive healthcare bill, it is anyone’s guess as to how they will come down on the issues. After all, this court allowed the Government to takeover General Motors and others in a manner that seemed unconstitutional to most, leaving bond holders and other secured creditors out in the cold .

Either way the Court decides, this will be one of the most significant decisions ever to come from the court. It’s economic impact will surpass anything we could ever imagine. Hopefully, the court will apply the strictest interpretation of the constitution and not attempt to legislate from the bench by creating precedent that could spill over into many other areas of our daily lives.

If the government can require us to purchase healthcare, then how can we ever stop them from requiring anything they chose in the future.  This is not just about healthcare, but is about our freedom to choose.  Our individual rights are being trampled.

It is what they will come up with next that provides for the greatest concern. If we allow congress and the judiciary to continually erode the personal liberties guaranteed by the constitution, soon will look more and more like the socialist countries our fathers and grandfathers fought to resist.

There is no doubt that we need to do something about our current healthcare system and the costs associated therewith.  What is abundantly clear to me is that we do not want the government running it. Can you name another government program that runs efficiently and effectively. I cannot.

Pursue American Dream

When I heard that the “Occupy” movement was about making the American Dream more accessible to those involved in the movement, I was a little shocked.  The American Dream is directly related to the phrase in the constitution that talks about the right to “pursue happiness”.  We each have the constitutional right to pursue happiness and that includes the American Dream, if that is what makes you happy.

Nowhere does it say that the government will provide you with happiness, only that you are free to pursue it. Therefore, the American Dream is yours if you are willing to do as all the others who appear to have achieved it, have done, in their own pursuit.  If you expect the government, through any program, to provide you with anything you have not earned, you will never achieve your desired level of accomplishment.

The most common denominator among the most successful is by far “hard work” and a lot of it. There is no substitute and no government program to short-cut it. Choices have to be made and some are not the most favorable. Example: Do I put in extra hours at work or school or do I go out with friends and play video games every night?  Do I save some of my money and invest it in my future or do I spend my paycheck on having a good time this weekend?

The real question is: What are you doing to improve your chances of being successful. Are you waiting on some government program to take the place of working hard toward your goals. Perhaps you plan to win the lottery and everything will be fine. I am afraid you are more likely going to be disappointed  if that is your plan.

Those who have achieved much in this life have not done so because of the government, but in spite of it.  While the government’s role in domestic and international security and providing for law and order are certainly contributing factors to the success of our nation, it is individuals who through hard work and ingenuity have made this country what it is.

We are not all gifted with the same tools, family support, mental capacity or a host of other individual traits that can help you alone the way.  Life is not fair and you should not expect it. Blame fate or your family tree, but it does not matter.  It makes no difference because you have to take what you have and make it work.  No one else is.

So here is your choice, you can continue to sit by and wait for something good to happen.  You can you even choose to protest the fact that nobody seems to be helping you, or you can start today to work toward the goals you have set for yourself.  How you spend your time everyday determines your future. I suggest you not waste any of it.

Lost Our Imagination?

Are you kidding me? How the  president could stand before a national  audience and espouse ridiculous assaults on the people of this nation is beyond comprehension. We have not lost our imagination or desire to succeed.  It’s that the government and the judiciary system in this country that makes it so difficult that the process is slowed and the cost so high that companies are looking elsewhere to create the next generation of leading edge products.

As we have all heard about the so called global economy. To remain competitive in a global economy, we must be competitive with those with whom  we compete. We know the labor cost is higher here and not many of us would support lowering wages.  So what do we do?

Well, we might look at the other elements of our system that put pressure on global competitiveness. Number one has to be the judicial system.  Nowhere else in the  world are there as many lawyers, lawsuits and regulations that are designed and controlled by lawyers to the detriment of all of us. Until we change our legal system to make it more like other countries with similar risks, cost and balance, we will never  be competitive. Never.

Regulation has to be number two. When the president talked about building the golden gate bridge, hoover damn or other immense tasks untaken by the American people in the last century, he did not consider the mountains of regulatory hurdles that would have to be overcome today.  It would take longer  to acquire the necessary permits to build something as monumental as the Bay Bridge or Hoover Dam than it took to complete the projects then during the depression with depression era technology. 

No, we have not lost our imagination, what we have lost is our ability to compete with countries where the rules of engagement make if far less costly and with less risk than that which exists in the United States today.

If you want to create jobs, then you must understand that government can only create government jobs.  Businesses do not create jobs for any  reason other than the fact that they need people to help them produce and/or  deliver a product or service. Offering tax incentives to small business for the creation of jobs alone will not have a significant impact because regardless of the incentive, unless the company needs addition personnel, they are not going to hire. If they do need additional employees, it’s because they have a market for their product or service at a competitive price, and in that case, they will hire with or without incentives.

The best way to create jobs is for government to help create an environment where American companies can compete on a global level.  To do that, it must roll back the heavy handed regulation that are stagnating growth and create a legal system that is fair for everyone and not just the trial lawyers.  It really is that simple.

Constitutional Obstacles

While I am no constitutional scholar, I have read the constitution and find it to be a simple and what seems to me to be clear and unambiguous guidance for how government is to  represent the will of the people. It appears that the current Whitehouse administration has completely overlooked their oath of office which requires them to defend, support and adhere to the words contained therein. Politician seemed to have forgotten what the first three word mean, We The People.

From executive orders to the appointment  of Czars to lead the regulatory processes, it seems that the administration sees the constitution as nothing more than an obstacle standing in the way of achieving their agenda. 

Despite a failed effort to pass additional stimulus spending through constitutional means, the administration now appears ready to circumvent  the constitution in the most blatant manner possible when it is clear that they do not have the constitutional authority to do so. Much in the same manner as the  administration was able to circumvent legislators who represent  the  people to force the EPA to create unconstitutional rules that it could not pass through congress. The use of executive orders that would have the effect of law that was not passed by congress is clearly unsupportable by the constitution.

I know there  are arguments out there that the constitution should evolve to  meet the challenges of an ever evolving society and perhaps that is true in some cases. However, the constitution itself provides for the procedure required to amended it. Any government official who knowingly circumvents the constitution should be held to account.

What seems clear is that the administration is willing  to do what it can to propagate the class warfare in order to insure its re-election. Whether it’s through the housing crisis or student loans, the administration appears to believe that those who benefit from these programs are who will cast votes in  their favor and the rest of us do not matter in the end.

This administration has failed in so many ways, that it seems impossible for them  to be reelected. The only way possible is for  the media to slant the stories and provide enough disinformation so as to create a cloud of uncertainty and dismal economic forecasts.

Either congress, the judiciary or both must stand up and hold the administration accountable for the errors it makes with respect to  the constitution. If they are unwilling to do so, then we the people should hold them all accountable when we next vote.

What is Occupy’ s Agenda

What is Occupy’ s Agenda

So far it is not clear to me as to why Wall Street and other areas are being occupied nor do I understand what they hope to accomplish. While I have heard various reasons as to why certain of the individuals are protesting, no two answers are the same and there seems to be no clear and concise agenda or goal. 

It appears to me that if the young people there would exert similar energy and passion toward pursuing their own achievements, much more could be gained by them and those who would be assisted by their worthy work effort. 

I can only hope that the young people in this country believe that the American Dream is still alive in this country. At times it seems as if it is on life support. That is why every decision we make as individuals and as a nation from this point on is perhaps, life or death to our value systems, economic prowess,  independence and personal and national integrity.

My life began to change when I realized it was up to me if I expected to succeed in any endeavor. One must first embrace the concept of absolute personal responsibility.  Each person’s destiny is contained within them. Life is not always fair, so do expect it. Overcome it. Luck has no bearing. However, the harder you work toward your goals, the luckier you will be.

Young folks need to focus more of their energy and passion on making themselves more marketable to the world. All of the tools necessary to be successful are available to each. Use them.