We Are In Trouble

It is clear that our nation is in trouble. Our government has failed us. We are a great nation of people, but are now lead by the most incompetent group imaginable.  Why we the people would continue to elect the same people to office time after time is beyond my comprehension. These are the same people who created the fiscal condition in which we find ourselves.

 

We must only vote for people who are serious about saving this nation by curtailing government spending and creating a law that requires a balanced budget. There is no hope for future generations without changing the way we do things. 

To better understand how difficult things really are and how they will continue to worsen if we don't do something different, you only need to see this short video. Click on the link to get the quickest and best explanation available:

http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/EW5IdwltaAc?rel=0

 

Real Hard Facts to Consider

Considering that the whole class warfare tactic taken by the left leaning politicians, the narrative of which is supported by the mainstream media is based on false assumptions and factious expected results, it’s no wonder middle American thinks it is important to raise taxes on the higher income earner.

 

The fact is ,if you raised taxes on the rich by 100%, it would have little or no effect on the real financial issues facing the country.  The real problem is government spending too much. Until that is controlled, it is only a matter of time before we have to move tax tables to target the not so rich as well.

 

Politicians are misleading the nation as it relates to Social Security as well. This is supposed to be money that is set aside for the future to pay those who pay into it.  What they did not tell you is that they were going to use your money to buy votes for themselves which would result in the ultimate failure of the system.  To make it worse, the SS system which is already in trouble because government did not have the courage to tell the people that they would have to pay far more of their income if they expected it to receive anything in the future.  Now they want to extend tax cuts for social security even enough though it is already in trouble.

 

Instead of the Social Security funds being quarantined in the so called “lock block”, government now considers the employment tax as part of the federal general budget. That is not the way it was designed to be.  They used to talk about barrowing the money from Social Security, but not anymore.

 

Below are some charts with data points that were sourced from various government agencies. A careful review of the information contained here will shed some light on the problem. Too much spending that must be controlled before the people should be expected to pay more in tax. We pay enough.

 

The latest data show that a big portion of the federal income tax burden is shoul­dered by a small group of the very richest Americans. The wealthiest 1 percent of the population earn 19 per­cent of the income but pay 37 percent of the income tax. The top 10 percent pay 68 percent of the tab. Meanwhile, the bottom 50 percent—those below the median income level—now earn 13 percent of the income but pay just 3 percent of the taxes. These are proportions of the income tax alone and don’t include payroll taxes for Social Security and Medicare.

Just The Facts Please

Facts are easy to quantify. Rhetoric is not. Talking points are not. The facts are so staggering that politicians and the media don’t want us to understand them. Here are a couple of facts that no one can dispute.  

Year                                       Federal Revenue                                             Federal Spending

2000                                       $2,052 Billion                                                      $1,789 Billion

2011                                       $2,303 Billion                                                      $3,603 Billion

Percent Change                     13%                                                                        101%

Would someone please explain to me why we keep electing the same people who could not understand that we cannot continue to grow spending at a rate of more than 100 percent over a decade while revenue only grew by 13% over the same period. 

 

Please press the reset button. We need to start over.

 

Source: Office of Management and Budget, Historical Tables, Table 1.3; http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/Historicals/ (last accessed April 13, 2012).

Investigative Reporting Non Existant

No such thing as investigative reporting. There are so many issues out there that are real  and will affect "we the people" that nobody is reporting on them in sufficient enough detail that the average American can understand them or how they will impact individuals. I will begin a series posts to address such issues in the simplest of terms in an effort to help folks see through the smoke and mirrors that politicians create and media support.

 

First, let’s consider the health care bill. One element is a new tax on medical equipment manufacturers. At implementation, this new tax will be 2.3 percent of gross revenue on the sales of medical equipment.  This tax is on  gross revenue and not profit. Never mind that this should be unconstitutional to discriminated against a single industry and apply  a tax on one and not the others. Does not seem fair.

 

Let’s do some math. Let’s assume the average profit margin among medical manufacturers is 7 percent.  I researched this and discovered that the profit margins ranged significantly including some with losses already, so I believe 7 percent is a fair starting point. Now with $10 million in gross sales that means the new tax applied equates to a tax liability of $230 thousand that must be paid to the government. In this example, the company would earn $700 thousand in profit but must pay $230 thousand in the new tax.  That is 32 percent of their profit.  The question  then becomes how do they make that up. It’s simple, they will have to raise prices paid by the  consumer to offset the  tax. How much you wonder? A staggering 5 percent increase in the price of medical equipment will be necessary just to pay the tax and maintain normal and reasonable  profit margins. Does this help the consumer or does it lower medical costs. I think  not and wonder why anyone thought this was a good idea.

 

It is clear that no media outlet is taking the time or energy to research these issues and report them to the American people. More questions are: Will this tax apply to  imported medical  equipment manufacturers. That is not  clear since the tax is applied at the manufacturing level it is not understood if the tax would apply to imports which seems like another reason for jobs to leave this country and go where the tax would not be applied. At the very least, American manufactures will have yet another disadvantage in the market. Who pays this tax ultimately? We do.  This is a tax on Middle America and everyone else.

 

Wake up people. We can't afford the current government and better plan to change it as soon as possible. Anyone who thought this was a good idea is an idiot. This is what happens when you vote on the bill before you  see what is in it.

Sad Day In America

 

As the realization of the election results sink in, the feeling that we as a nation are in deep trouble overwhelms my every thought. My confidence in the American Dream continuing to survive and flourish has been shattered.  How the majority of the American people could be deceived into believing that more of the policies of the last 4 years is better than those pledged for a better future is beyond my comprehension.

 

The President’s record means something. The results are in and the record is dismal, yet the people gave him yet another chance. The sad part is, that those who supported the President’s second chance will likely be those who are hurt the most in the long term. They may think they are gaining some short term benefit, but the direction the President is taking this country will do nothing but harm us in nearly every measureable way in the long term.

 

The President will soon understand that the divisive class war that he created, supported and promoted will come back to haunt his second term.  His propensity to divide the American people into “haves and have not’s”, “ one percenter’s and nintynine percenter”s”, “rich and poor” and “black or brown and white”  will continue to divide a nation in need of something more common among them for which to rally and support.  It is difficult to imagine assembly with those or join a group that your President has lead you to believe is, in part, responsible for any negative circumstances in which you find yourself immersed.

 

In reality, politics has become so counterfeit that truth, fact and trust are nowhere to be found in the political arena.  Politicians and their surrogates can say anything without repercussion regardless of how false or disingenuous the presentation may be.  The mainstream media is culpable and serve as accomplice’s in the delivery and protection of the message generated by groups they validate and protect.

 

Yes, we have become a “nation of the government” and no longer “of the people”. Government leaders are taking ever more control of everything in our lives yet they feed the people just enough to keep them poor, uneducated and dependent in order to maintain control.

 

Politicians fear more than anything, people or assemblies of Americans who have the courage, self-reliance,  will and resources to challenge them.  They must choose from one of two options, the first of which is to adopt the policies to which a particular group sanctions.  If that is not of their liking or they are supported primarily by those opposed, then they must demonize the opposition at all cost.  Sometimes demonization tends to make some think that one’s difficult situations are the result of someone else’s gain.  They won’t tell you the truth, that is that your situation is most likely determined by your own actions and decisions made through life.

 

The bottom line is this: Until the American people have the courage to vote the politicians out of office who helped to create the mess this country is in, it will only get worse. Unfortunately, the next four years appear bleak.

Real Solution

If politics and partisanship where not standing in the way of progress, the economy could be made the powerhouse it once was virtually overnight. The answer is so simple that no one takes it serious. What polices could be enacted that would help the most people in the shortest period of time is the real question. I plan to answer that here, but first a few points must be made.

 

There are an estimated $2 Trillion setting in banks around the world that belong to companies and individuals who desire to bring that cash back to the US. It was earned in other counties but to bring it back to the US would require enormous taxes be paid when the funds are repatriated.  Keep this in mind while I discuss something else important to the solution.

 

Energy  is the life blood of our economy. The cost of energy plays a more superior role in the health of our economy than any other single element.  A strong manufacturing base is essential to economic recovery as well.  In order for the benefit to encompass the most people, ranging from the poorest to the very affluent we must lower energy costs. In addition, lower energy cost would help manufacturers become more competitive on the world stage.

 

Cutting energy cost significantly would create more disposable income for every family as the cost of nearly everything we buy would be less expensive. Savings on food, transportation, heat and electricity would serve to benefit American families, the effects of which could be felt quickly.

 

How do we do it?  Government needs to pass a law immediately that would allow all funds repatriated that are invested in energy and manufacturing without tax burden. Yes, the foreign funds could come back to the US and provide the capital necessary to fuel the next boom economy. Next, all taxpayer owned federal lands should be opened to energy developers who can demonstrate the ability to extract energy without harming the environment. The technology for which currently exists.

 

This should not be a partisan issue.  Instead of taxpayer stimulus, private funds should be used to stimulate the economy and drive energy cost lower.  Once these funds and land where made available for development, millions of jobs would be created many of which would support on the job training for the less educated.  As new sources of energy are brought to the market, less foreign sources would be necessary. It would create the largest economic boom of our lifetime and create jobs faster than we can fill them. All of this could be accomplished without a single taxpayer dollar being invested.

 

I know the devil is in the details, but this should be the foundation on which we the start to move toward helping middle America.

All I heard was “Bin Laden is dead and GM is alive”.

After four years, all you have to boast about is making one decision that anyone would have made and saving a few union jobs at taxpayer expense. Pretty sad in my view.

The President said business owners "did not build that, somebody else did that". Media pundits point to the infrastructure such as roads and bridges as the reason business were successful. What is wrong with that argument is simple. Government is nothing more than the vehicle used by the people to facilitate common goals. It is taxpayers and bond holders who build infrastructure. It is reminiscing of the chicken and egg argument, which came first? When Henry Ford and others started building cars, people wanted them and roads to drive them on. So the taxpayers supported road building. Car companies were not successful because of roads, roads where build because cars became something people wanted and more and more were becoming affordable.

Let’s consider where the funds necessary to build roads, bridges and other public projects come from. In large part, the money comes from fuel taxes paid for by individual and companies and highway use tax paid by trucking companies.  Government only collected the tax and funded projects that the people wanted and was willing  to support with their tax dollars.  On another note: I noticed today when I filled up my car that 51.8 cents was the amount of tax paid on each gallon of  gas. At $3.46/gal, that equates to approximately 15% in tax on each gallon. Compare that to the $.08 cent per gallon reported by various media outlets as being the profit oil companies make on each gallon for which they are chastised by politicians and the media.

The President and supporters point to the auto industry as an example of how government intervention saved the industry. The President said it is roaring back. What they don’t tell you  is that current GM is a brand new company that was given the valuable assets of the old GM while the non-performing assets and debt were left in the old GM where stock holders and creditor got swindled out of their investments. In the end, the real reason GM got in trouble  to start with has not  been addressed. GM problems were easy to understand, their cost was too high and the cars are priced too high for consumers.  The only ones to benefit from the GM fiasco is the union workers. The consumers is expected to continue buying overpriced cars or GM will fail again. 

As to the President’s comments on "shared prosperity", how does that work? It’s obvious that he is talking about redistribution. The constitution offers each the same opportunity to  pursue happiness. It does not guarantee it. Each  of us is free to pursue whatever dreams one can conjure up.  The opportunity to be all we can be and accomplish all that we can through legal and moral means should never be punished or frowned upon, and those who do achieve should never be penalized for being successful.

The other crowning achievement we heard much about during the DNC convention was Bin Laden is dead. Let’s be real, the military sought out and killed him. That simple. The President simply approved the action based on recommendations from military leaders.  Anyone in the same position would have done the same as the President did. In fact, I would suggest that if he did not approve the mission, he should be impeached. Although his part was small. He did his job on this one. So what?

Time For New

Question: How did the nation get where it is economically, socially and otherwise? Who allowed the current state of the union to become what it is?

Answer: Politicians. All politicians. The current state of our economy is not George Bush’s fault. It is not the current President’s fault. Collectively, the blame should be shared by the politicians who have guided us along the path we are on.

Question: How do we the people exact the change needed to change the course we are on and start making progress toward  greater opportunity and restoring freedom.

Answer: Elect new leadership. From the halls of congress to the Whitehouse, we need new leadership otherwise nothing will change in the right direction.

Question: If your company was in trouble financially and your future and jobs depended on new leadership to guide it through the tough economic times, would you support the idea of hiring a new CEO with no experience at running anything let alone a large corporation with thousands of employees.  What if the proposed new leader wanted to fundamentally change everything the company does to something new that has never been tested.  If he wanted to stop production of the company’s  products that have an established market and demand is predictable only to replace them with untested products for which there is no market and the cost to produce is unsustainable, would you support that? I think not.

This scenario would not give you much hope for your future.  Yet that is exactly what we did in 2008 when we elected the current President. At a time when experience was most critical with regard to economic matters, we elected the least experienced of any candidate ever.  We cannot afford to make that mistake again.

Answer:  America, we need new leadership at nearly every segment of the government machine. We have the power to do this and our future depends on it. In November, Vote new.

Time For Constitutional Convention

The Amendment should read: Congress shall not create any law for which it exempts any member of Congress whether it be the House of Representative or the Senate. Likewise, Congress shall not create any law respecting itself without making the same to benefit all citizens of the United States.

Furthermore, any law made previously that is contrary to this Amendment shall be repealed.

Who's Really Doing Nothing?

There are a number of ways to cut spending in this country without hurting to most disadvantaged. Here are a few ideas which have already been proposed or passed by the current House of Representatives.  Some of those cuts are: 

* Corporation for Public Broadcasting Subsidy -- $445 million annual savings.

* Save America's Treasures Program -- $25 million annual savings.

* International Fund for Ireland -- $17 million annual savings.

* Legal Services Corporation -- $420 million annual savings.

* National Endowment for the Arts -- $167.5 million annual savings.

* National Endowment for the Humanities -- $167.5 million annual savings.

* Hope VI Program -- $250 million annual savings.

* Amtrak Subsidies -- $1.565 billion annual savings.

* Eliminate duplicative education programs -- H.R. 2274 (in last Congress), authored by Rep. McKeon, eliminates 68 at a savings of $1.3        billion annually.

* U.S. Trade Development Agency -- $55 million annual savings.

* Woodrow Wilson Center Subsidy -- $20 million annual savings.

* Cut in half funding for congressional printing and binding -- $47 million annual savings.

* John C. Stennis Center Subsidy -- $430,000 annual savings.

* Community Development Fund -- $4.5 billion annual savings.

* Heritage Area Grants and Statutory Aid -- $24 million annual savings.

* Cut Federal Travel Budget in Half -- $7.5 billion annual savings (I would ground most of the political air force and save at least $10 billion)

* Trim Federal Vehicle Budget by 20% -- $600 million annual savings. (I would trim another     20% here and save $1.2 billion)

* Essential Air Service -- $150 million annual savings.

* Technology Innovation Program -- $70 million annual savings.

* Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Program -- $125 million annual savings.

* Department of Energy Grants to States for Weatherization -- $530 million annual savings.

* Beach Replenishment -- $95 million annual savings.

* New Starts Transit -- $2 billion annual savings.

* Exchange Programs for Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Their Historical Trading Partners in Massachusetts -- $9 million annual savings.

* Intercity and High Speed Rail Grants -- $2.5 billion annual savings.

* Title X Family Planning -- $318 million annual savings.

* Appalachian Regional Commission -- $76 million annual savings. (Not sure about this one.)

* Economic Development Administration -- $293 million annual savings. (obviously dysfunctional)

* Programs under the National and Community Services Act -- $1.15 billion annual savings.

* Applied Research at Department of Energy -- $1.27 billion annual savings.

* Freedom CAR and Fuel Partnership -- $200 million annual savings.

* Energy Star Program -- $52 million annual savings.

* Economic Assistance to Egypt -- $250 million annually.

* U.S. Agency for International Development -- $1.39 billion annual savings.

* General Assistance to District of Columbia -- $210 million annual savings.

* Subsidy for Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority -- $150 million annual savings.

* Presidential Campaign Fund -- $775 million savings over ten years.

* No funding for federal office space acquisition -- $864 million annual savings. (Building are vacant now.)

* End prohibitions on competitive sourcing of government services.

* Repeal the Davis-Bacon Act -- More than $1 billion annually. (Result here would be more work completed and less spent)

* IRS Direct Deposit: Require the IRS to deposit fees for some services it offers (such as processing payment plans for taxpayers) to the Treasury, instead of allowing it to remain as part of its budget -- $1.8 billion savings over ten years.

* Require collection of unpaid taxes by federal employees -- $1 billion total savings.

* Prohibit taxpayer funded union activities by federal employees -- $1.2 billion savings over ten years.

* Sell excess federal properties the government does not make use of -- $15 billion total savings.

* Eliminate death gratuity for Members of Congress.

* Eliminate Mohair Subsidies -- $1 million annual savings.

* Eliminate taxpayer subsidies to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change -- $12.5 million annual savings

* Eliminate Market Access Program -- $200 million annual savings.

* USDA Sugar Program -- $14 million annual savings.

* Subsidy to Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) -- $93 million annual savings.

* Eliminate the National Organic Certification Cost-Share Program -- $56.2 million annual savings.

* Eliminate fund for Obamacare administrative costs -- $900 million savings.

* Ready to Learn TV Program -- $27 million savings.

* HUD Ph.D. Program.

* Deficit Reduction Check-Off Act.

* TOTAL SAVINGS: $2.5 Trillion over Ten Years

This is a good start from a so called “do nothing congress”. It appears that one side of the capital is doing something. Perhaps we have a do nothing Senate.  We need to change our world in November. Let’s get rid of those who put us where we are. Vote new.

The Great Success?

One of the successes pointed to by government officials and often certain media is the US Government’s savior of the auto industry. Much is promoted about recent profits of GM and Chrysler and the fact that jobs were saved because taxpayers bailed them out.

I suspect they would have survived anyway if normal and customary bankruptcy laws were followed and reorganization would necessarily have taken place as the laws were intended.  Instead, government stepped in and circumvented the law to the benefit of certain interest groups to the detriment of others. For example: secured creditors were forced to take far less than would be normal while unsecured creditors received unprecedented standing that resulted in them receiving a much better deal than any of the secured creditors. Not supposed to happen, but in this day of political influence effecting every segment of our lives, it does happen.

The real reason these companies got into financial trouble have not been fully addressed and the likelihood that they will again be in trouble in the future remains uncertain.  To put simple, auto manufactures simply allowed their cost to get so high that the products they produce became too expensive for the consumer and sales began to suffer as a result.

While the above mentioned bankruptcy proceedings resulted in lower cost, fewer jobs, and creditors having to accept up to 70% loss on the money loaned to these companies, auto prices appear to be near the same for consumers. Did no one consider the consumer when restructuring took place. Not only did taxpayers pick up the tab for the bailouts, they are also expected to pay the same overpriced amounts for cars and trucks as they did before the crisis.

So where is the benefit for consumers? How is this a model for success when the root cause has not been addressed? Why is nearly every car dealer in the nation building new showrooms and how will that impact comsumer prices? How can the current system continue to function without more government stimulus. The answer is, it won’t.

To Have Hope, Must Have Change

It seems the President’s true philosophy is coming to light when he is off of the teleprompter. I think what he is saying is simply. He refuses to allow the half of Americans in this country who pay no tax to be burdened by the other half who do not pay their fair share. The half of American taxpayers who are not paying their fair share only pay 97% of the taxes paid to the government. Evidently, that is not enough.

For him to suggest that American entrepreneurs should not be credited for their successes and further that it was government who should receive credit is very revealing. It is taxpayers and bond holders who funded the many infrastructure improvements that we enjoy. The government, which is of and for the people was nothing more than a vehicle organized by the people to facilitate the will of the people. Most politicians including the President seemed to have lost sight of that. To them, it’s about them and only them. To maintain power and control at any cost. Make half of the nation dependent and the other half forced to pay for it all.

The recipe is simple. To create large bureaucracies that will influence nearly every part of our lives and appointed unelected Czars to run them. Give government agencies the will and support to circumvent the Constitution when elected representatives refuse to adhere to the will of the President. Create a monstrous government healthcare plan that will surely give the government more control over the economy and every part of our life and perhaps even death.

We the people need to remember and be willing to remind our elected representatives that we are in control. We decide at the ballot box who represents us and what policies we support.  As representatives, they should do all things as their constituency directs them.

As a whole, government is failing. They are failing because they have lost the ability to realize they work for us and that we do not work for the government. Our businesses are not government entities designed to create tax revenue and be controlled by government. Only when the voters have the courage to vote new people into office will we see any real change in the direction politicians are taking us.

Do you really think the leadership that brought us to where we are can direct us away from the calamity they themselves created. They demonstrated clearly that they do not have the ability or the will.

We the people have the ultimate control in November. The question is: do we as a nation have the courage to force change. Vote new.

Are We Being Deceived?

With respect to the current administration, I have tried hard not to attack personally the President or any of his administration officials. I still want to reframe from doing so. I feel his policies are fair game and my right and duty to interject my opinion, whether positive or negative, are maintained. Recently, I was asked by a colleague to describe with the one word that best defines the President. Instantly, I replied: “Counterfeit”.

Counterfeit? Yes, Counterfeit. Now I have to explain and here are the things that trouble me about the President which forms the basis of my assertion that the President is not what he and his supporters would have us believe:

The President has been touted as an intellectual constitutional scholar. Yet, he continually circumvents the constitution by unilaterally implementing policies to achieve results for which he does not possess the constitutional authority, and mostly for political reasons. Now, this either means he is not the constitutional scholar that he is promoted as being, or he is knowingly in violation of the oath he swore to protect and defend the constitution. I believe the President sees the US Constitution as an obstacle rather than a revered document designed to protect the people and the states from federal government intrusion into our lives and freedoms.

Mr. Obama has been aligned with a number of radical extremists who do not care for America and its capitalism ways. It is clear that for much of his early life, he was exposed to socialist if not Marxist and communist influences that helped to shape his vision of how the county should be governed.  It is not hard to see that those influences are imbedded in his governing style. This is perhaps one of the more frightening elements of the Obama back ground as he appears to be guiding this county toward the socialist government controlled economy similar to those in Europe or perhaps even further east.

This is a man who is touted to have received the best education opportunities available to anyone, who has lived a lavish lifestyle in upscale housing with no discernible means to have paid for any of it. He is reported to have received foreign student aid which is still not explained. He did not grow up in the United States whether he was born here or not.  He spent a great deal of the formative years of his youth outside the U.S. which makes him foreign to the  American culture and sensitive to the other cultures in which he was exposed such as Islam and socialism.

We are told of all of his accomplishments academically, yet all of his academic records are sealed. I cannot believe this is acceptable to the media or the general public. What are they afraid we will learn? Remember in his own words from his book; Dreams of My Father, “I chose my friends carefully: the more politically active black students, the foreign students, the Chicanos, the Marxist Professors and structural feminists and punk-rock performance poets." What records exist from the entire body of work throughout his entire academic pursuits that they do not want us to know about. I suggest that one need only look to the quote above for a clear window into his thought process at the time. Then the question becomes, have his philosophical views changed from those years or is he pretending that they have in order achieve political success.

This is a man who promoted openly the desire to crush energy providers such as the conventional electric and coal industry. He believes that electricity prices should increase substantially regardless of the suffering this would impose on the American people who are struggling now. His policies are accomplishing this as the coal industry is in retraction as plants are being shuttered and jobs are being lost. Also, Federal lands are off limits to drillers who can create jobs.  The EPA has the Natural gas industry under attack. All the while, the president is providing huge amounts of taxpayer dollars to solar and wind energy companies that cannot otherwise provide its energy without taxpayer subsidies.  There is only reason to do this, more government control and dependency.

While I could go on with similar arguments on many other subject such as healthcare reform, time and space will not allow. It is clear to me that the secrecy surrounding the President’s past from birth records to sealed records from nearly every part of his early life can only suggest one thing.  That the records are sequestered  in order to conceal who and what the President really is. That suggests "Counterfeit".

Anyone but Obama.  I now agree.

Change Requires Understanding and Courage.

There are a lot of issues plaguing our country that are making it difficult for many to achieve the success in life that most desire. One thing seems certain, we the people as a whole keep electing the same career politicians to office and yet we still expect something to change.  It is mind boggling that while we all want something different,  it seems we lack the courage to actually do something that could fundamentally change the course we have been on.  Yes, we can change our progression simply by voting for new leadership.

At times it appears the people have had enough and are willing to do something to alter our destiny. The 2010 elections where an example of that. Throughout the nation, people went to the polls and elected new people to congress who promised real change. Many saw the tax and spend policies of the then current administration and congress as extremely detrimental to our economic health and voted to discontinue it.  In essence, Americans have vetoed government’s expansion plan to grow government and increase the number of people who rely on her.

Most of the new congressman elected in 2010 have been criticized for their refusal to continue the status quo in congress and have steadfastly held to their core beliefs that got them elected. These people were elected by their constituents for very specific reasons. The American people are rejecting the contemporary economic policies of tax more and spend more and government healthcare. The House of Representatives gets a disproportional amount of blame for the gridlock in Washington, but not many are talking about the fact that these new Congressman are doing exactly what their constituency expects of them. Most who disagree with them have forgotten the key word in their titles “representative”. They represent the people who elect them and they should honor the promises they made to the folks who by majority vote, elected them to office with certain expectations.  The expectations were clear, stop out of control spending, corruption, cronyism, waste, government intrusion and restore freedom. That simple.

Yes, we can change our future as demonstrated by the 2010 Congress because some had the courage to seek new leadership. Nothing else will work. Breaking down the power structure in Washington is the fasted way to the transformation required to achieve economic successand restore the freedom to choose. The elections in 2012 will have more significance than any I can remember. We will either continue the change already in progress or set back the progress made. It’s our choice.

Energy Price and Jobs, the Answer is?

There are two things that need addressed that will help the most people in this country. One is to lower energy prices and the other is create jobs.

We can accomplish both quickly if we adopt the concepts outlined from a previous post. Please read and get others to read.  These concepts will boost the economy faster than any other plan discussed. We need to get folk’s talking about real solutions instead of just talking points.

While changes in the way traders move the price of oil and other commodities is something that should be addressed now, it does not replace our need to drill more wells and build more infrastructure including pipelines and refining capacity. Natural gas is already abundant and there should be efforts immediately to shift some of the demand now on oil over the Natural Gas.

We need more access to Federal Lands to make a real difference and the American public has both the desire and right to access these lands. Immediate changes should be made in policy to allow for more access in a timely manner without the heavy handed regulation that plaques growth in the sector. We must accept that refining is necessarily going to have to grow in order to meet demand as the nation continues to grow.

Huge amounts of capital will have to be invested. This should not come from taxpayers. The industry and the private sectors will provide the capital necessary just as they did for the gas producers over the last 5 years.  There is more than $1 trillion setting on the sidelines waiting for opportunities to finance and to invest in our energy future if government would simply get out of the way and/or provide the environment that streamlines the processes that are necessary.

To jump start the process. Consider that there are $750 billion in offshore profits held by companies that would like to bring those funds back to the US, but are reluctant to do so under the current tax burden that would be placed on these repatriated funds.  A huge and immediate boost to the economy, the job market and every American if a portion of these funds were made available for  energy improvements.

Congress should consider and pass a law that would exempt all repatriated funds if used in some manner to develop energy related projects.  Whether it is green energy, black, purple or gold makes no difference. The market should decide winners and losers and not the government.

The American people can turn our energy situation around fast if government would simple allow for the tools necessary.  It really is that simple.

Energy Future

Fresh from New York after Eric Bolling revealed his secret plan to reduce gas prices on “Paying At The Pump” with Governor Sarah Palin. His idea to change the margin requirements for traders certainly has merit and should be explored immediately. I appreciate the opportunity to express some ideas on the show but wish we would have been allowed more time to discuss other ideas.

While changes in the way traders move the price of oil and other commodities is something that should be addressed now, it does not replace our need to drill more wells and build more infrastructure including pipelines and refining capacity. Natural gas is already abundant and there should be efforts immediately to shift some of the demand now on oil over the Natural Gas.

We need more access to Federal Lands to make a real difference and the American public has both the desire and right to access these lands. Immediate changes should be made in policy to allow for more access in a timely manner without the heavy handed regulation that plaques growth in the sector. We must accept that refining is necessarily going to have to grow in order to meet demand as the nation continues to grow.

Huge amounts of capital will have to be invested. This should not come from taxpayers. The industry and the private sectors will provide the capital necessary just as they did for the gas producers over the last 5 years.  There is more than $1 trillion setting on the sidelines waiting for opportunities to finance and to invest in our energy future if government would simply get out of the way and/or provide the environment that streamlines the processes that are necessary.

To jump start the process. Consider that there are $750 billion in offshore profits held by companies that would like to bring those funds back to the US, but are reluctant to do so under the current tax burden that would be placed on these repatriated funds.  A huge and immediate boost to the economy, the job market and every American if a portion of these funds were made available for  energy improvements.

Congress should consider and pass a law that would exempt all repatriated funds if used in some manner to develop energy related projects.  Whether it is green energy, black, purple or gold makes no difference. The market should decide winners and losers and not the government.

The American people can turn our energy situation around fast if government would simple allow for the tools necessary.  It really is that simple.

Real Questions

Here are some of the real questions American’s want answered. In no particular order:

How does congress justify requiring its constituents to participate in a healthcare program from which they exempt themselves?

Why does congress allow themselves better retirement benefits than average citizens and why do they think citizens should pay for theirs?

How do lawmakers think it is ok to require proof of insurance, but think proof of citizenship is a burden?

Why does government think it is ok to take money from taxpayers and give it to private companies of their choosing?

Why does Congress delegate its authority to the EPA and other agencies without congressional oversight?

Why is the executive branch allowed to circumvent the constitution without congressional or judicial challenges?  ie: Czars who are not elected and regulations imposed by unelected officials.

Why do we need legislation barring  insider trading by government officials? Did they think they were exempt from the insider trading laws the rest of us are subject to? What else are they exempt from?

Why is Social Security in financial trouble. Is it because we did not collect enough from those in the program or that we pay out to those who did not contribute. Why and how is this fixed fairly?

How is the National Debt going to be repaid. Really, this needs a real answer to which none have surfaced?

Why does government not perform a cost/benefit analysis on legislation and regulation before enactment?

Why is it ok to build roads and bridges that will require chemicals and salt to be applied forever, but a temporary earth disturbance such as a coal mine or oil well is unacceptable.

Who changed the meaning of the word “swamp” to “wetland” and how can government control privately owned swamp land without compensating the owner.

Why do we need any more laws? Don’t we have enough.

What steps must be taking to insure we have affordable energy?

Why are there so many lawsuits and should there be changes in legislation to curtail them?

It appears to me that government does not have answers to any of these questions. It seems that they only know how to increase the power and influence of government while diminishing the power of the people.  Before it is too late, the people better start exercising its power at the ballot box.  Anyone not having answers to these questions and the willingness to address them does not deserve our vote.

Russian Promise Not a Surprise, but Scary

The president’s off-mike suggestion that he would have more flexibility after the election to make certain concessions on nuclear agreements with the Soviets is very alarming, but not surprising. We already know that he has a propensity to punt controversial decisions into the future and after the election. Like the Keystone pipeline project, this is yet another series of decisions that must be negotiated, but he is more concerned that his position on the issue will not match that of the people or our elected officials, so his choice is to act now and risk re-election or hold off the decision so he can do as he pleases regardless of the will of the people after the election.

What other issues are treated in the same manner. How many promises has the president made to other groups that he knows the American people would never support and therefore hurt his re-election effort.  His base is certainly expecting a lot from him. He and they know the majority does not agree with many of the left wing socialist,  secular and progressive agenda, so they have to conceal their true agenda and play the game in a manner that enhances their re-election potential.

One can only hope that the majority of voters will see through this destructive strategy and cast out this very disturbing method of managing the people’s government.  The President and his administration seem not to care what the majority expect from their government. They see their agenda as being supreme and they will do whatever is necessary to coerce the people by disingenuous means into supporting them though deception. They seem willing to hide their true intentions until elected.

We can only hope the American people will see through this and vote to remove the president and all of his Czars from office as soon as possible.

Where Do People Turn For Facts.

And they wonder why we do not  trust ABC, CBS, CNN and particularly NBC and MSNBC  to provide the news that is important to us. It is this simple. When ideological bomb thrower’s like Ed Shults  and Bill Maher are allowed, without criticism, to make  the  most vile comments imaginable while most other media outlets are openly criticizing Rush Limbaugh and others for making controversial yet not nearly as vile comments, trust leaves the building.

Hypocrisy is becoming so common in the mainstream media that they do not even try to hide it anymore. They don’t care how obvious it is because they believe their audience is too loyal to them and their ideology  to even consider looking for news anywhere else. Maher and Shults are two of the same.  They fire up their audience (however small) with ridiculous comments that no open minded person seeking only truth and facts could ever support.  Like many politicians, they are playing to their base. Even talking about them in the real reliable media adds some weird since of credibility to their existence which is undeserving. What is sad is that all of this only serves as a smokescreen to keep the public from focusing on the real issues.

Ever increasingly, the general public is becoming more informed on some levels and want more facts and informative detail on the more important issues. Most would rather hear about something other than what any of the aforementioned persons have to say about anything. Nor do we care what the media thinks about it. We want hard facts about hard issues. Take any subject, and for now let’s start with “jobs”.

Big issue. The left says we need to borrow more money from China and others to stimulate the economy with more government spending.  The right says we need lower taxes and provide for less regulation.  What neither are saying is how it all will work and why.  They must think we are too stupid or too lazy to learn the facts and make a determination as to what makes the most sense.

On the subject of jobs, the American people need to consider the real facts from each prospective: For example, let’s begin to talk about how lower taxes improves economic growth, and how less regulation will improve efficiencies without creating new risk. Just the facts please. Not philosophical viewpoints.  Then let’s talk about how it makes since to borrow billions or perhaps trillions of dollars in order to create jobs and explain how we are going to pay the borrowed money back with interest. Again, just the facts please. Not philosophical viewpoints. Oh, just to be clear, and since we are already borrowing 42 percent of what we need to fund the current budget, 100 percent of any stimulus would have to be from borrowed money.

I admit that I don’t fully understand how more government spending will do anything but raise the national debt and help the very few who reap benefits from stimulus programs (mostly politician). We have at least two previous rounds of stimulus to draw from and the record seems clear so far. It  did not work before, so why and how is it going to work this time and at what cost and who is paying for it?  I will wait for others who understand this to provide answers. Real answers to these very precise questions.

As a former businessman, I think I understand the other side of the argument a little better, but will continue to look for supporting data as time move forward while keeping an open mind as we navigate through the debate. In order for American companies to grow and create jobs for Americans, they must be competitive in a global economy. That part is uncontested.  So, the question becomes, “what makes American business non-competitive”?  Specifically, what are the elements that a nation of people can provide to our American companies so they can maintain competitiveness and therefore grow the domestic job market.

First point, giving a company a tax break for hiring someone doesn’t encourage hiring. It just creates more paperwork. There is only one reason any company hires an employee. Only one. That is that it needs help to provide to the market a product or service. It really is that simple. So, if politicians want to help business create jobs, then we need to figure out how to assist companies to create markets for their products in which they can be competitive.  To create markets for American products, we have to be competitive, not only in price, but in quality as well. I think Americans win on the quality part of the equation.

We already know that Americans are paid more and have more benefits than some of our most competitive challengers.  I doubt anyone is prepared to argue that we should make the American worker more competitive by lowing wages. So what other elements could have a significant impact? Well, we have more lawyers and more lawsuits and as a result require more insurance than our competitors. All at a cost to productivity. In this respect, our competitors enjoy a significant advantage. The EPA has put more stringent regulation on companies that add significant cost to provide products and services. Our competitors make comparable products without the cost of similar regulation, another advantage for the other side. The SEC requirements on companies is extremely costly which other nations do not impose at the same level (Sarbanes-Oxley for example). The IRS taxes our companies at higher rates, OSHA compliance is expensive and our competitors are not subject to the same rules and the list of government intrusions into our corporate and personal lives continues on an on. These are but just a few.

At some point, the American people need to be engaged in the discussion. We need a voice out their asking the right questions and demanding the answers necessary so that we the people can make decisions about who our future elected representative will be.  We need facts and real answers as to how we get this county moving again.

Currently politicians and the media only talk in general ideological terms which doesn’t  mean much.  We should demand more.

If It’s the Economy Stupid, Then it’s All About Energy Cost.

Most are aware of how dismal the economy was during the Carter administration.  Yet not many point to the cost of energy which at the time, was very high, as the primary reason.  Remember the lines to get gasoline for your car in the 70’s? It was clear then that the OPEC nations had more control over our economy than any of us wanted to believe. Today, it is no different. The cost of energy is what is stagnating our economy and few officials want to tackle this issue head on.   

Just as Carter was blamed for the bleak economy during his administration, Reagan was often given credit for the recovery during his. Perhaps both are justifiable, but not for the reasons most talked about.  Through a number of strategic maneuvers orchestrated by Reagan and his administration officials, the price of oil began to drop during the Reagan years. Oil first, then gas and coal became less expensive. Once energy costs began to drop, the economy got better, businesses began to grow again, all of which instigated a drop in unemployment.

Too often the Clinton administration is given credit for the 1990’s boom economy.  I can’t think of a single Clinton economic policy that had any impact. However, Oil and gas prices continued to be at low levels during the 1990’s. Add that to the tech revolution and you have and economic powerhouse. Everyone lived better because they were not spending as much on energy. Businesses were delivery products at good prices because their energy costs were low.

So, it is simple.  To help the most American people do better, we need to find ways to lower the cost of energy. Not one single thing can do more for the most people than that. How? That too is simple .  We need to build pipelines, drill wells, and create more energy infrastructure here in the good ol’ US OF A.

We need a network of natural gas fueling stations. We need access to taxpayer lands for drilling. We the people own the land and should therefore have access to it and quit allowing the environmental groups to hold the rest of us hostage.

 So, what’s the recipe?  We could cure a lot of what is hurting the American people by considering the following:

We have the reserves in North America to virtually eliminate OPEC as a factor in the future.

Many jobs and economic growth can be created by the energy sector if government got out of the way. 

Lower energy prices, more jobs and less or no dependency non OPEC would support generations of American families. 

Sounds like we need to get this moving now.

Trading Places

Do we require special laws for members of congress now. As pointed out in a previous post, congress imposes law on their subjects but does not consider certain laws, if any, to be applicable to them.

You see, insider trading is illegal for most. However, apparently members of congress thought they were exempt from the regulations regarding insider trading. What does this say about the legislative branch when it has to create new laws for themselves when the very focus of the new legislation is already well established and practiced in the private sector and those who act outside the law are prosecuted.

Martha Stewart went to jail for doing what some congress members practiced routinely. Perhaps they believe that unless a law specifically includes language identifying members of the legislative branch, they are exempt.

It seems clear that congress considers themselves a higher class of citizen. Each member is the head of his/her own little monarchy.  Further evidence is that legislators have their own healthcare and retirement plans that are far better than that which they  impose on the American people, their subjects.

While this sounds extreme, and maybe it is, but something needs to change. The class warfare waged by the Obama administration with media support is focused on the wrong class war.  The class war should be the "subjects" or the American people against the elitist government officials who believe the people are here to support them  and keep them in power, rather than remembering the government is of and for the people.

No wonder they try so hard to stay in office. I am not certain where there is a better deal.

Pride and Shame

Let me see if I have this correct. 

Fed prints money out of thin air…..Then gives it to banks…..who loans to government or buys treasury bills while making enormous fees. Government uses money to buy votes. 

Tax payers (less than 50% of us) pay it all back. Kind of like a credit card. You know they take longer to pay off than a mortgage. In fact, now days, you really don’t have to pay your mortgage. 

I think that is how it works. 

Pride and shame no longer exist in our society. Otherwise, these and other things would not be acceptable.