The Tax Payers are Tired

I am tired of working for the government. I keep getting taxed more and more. Our government takes our money and spends it foolishly at best. Their party days need to end. We need serious leaders not career politicians. I want the return of the founders vision where people go to Washington for but a season and then return to their personal affairs. These limited exposures to all the money and power could get us a real working government that understands and observes the limits of our constitution.

Maybe we need a new pay system for our leaders. Full payment for service up to two terms and then reduce it by half for every term afterward with no retirement package.

Maybe they need a new itinerary that says they have to spend more time with their constituents then in Washington DC. Perhaps if they had to spend time with those who want them to represent them, we might actually get represented.

Probably the number one thing on our list is stop spending. We can only be bled out so far and I think we have reached that point.

We don't need to raise the debt ceiling we need to cut the legs off of the spending plans.

We don't need to raise the debt ceiling we need to raise employment so more people pay into the system.

We don't need to raise the debt ceiling we need to stop illegal immigration and the massive funding that feeds these leaches on the system.

There are a lot of things that We The People want done. Unfortunately, everyone we elect to do them turns tail. I will say I am rather impressed with our current freshman class in DC. We need to send a few more like them. It is nice to see a politician with a spine and a conscious.

Stop Spending

Is it simply too obvious?

Could the American people make it any plainer?

The CATO Institute did a great job of boiling it all down for us. Please go and review the information and come back.


Our government has gotten bloated with redundancies and special interests. Now is the time to go back and remove all the waste. There are thousands of unnecessary programs and departments that are eating away at our nation. Year after year we send people to Washington DC to address these issues and time after time they have turned a blind eye to these while enacting more bloated wasteful programs.

Have you ever watched someone who is addicted quit cold turkey? We have tried various interventions and weening programs only to find America back on the spending wagon in short order. We must stand now. We must put our foot down and accept the situation for what it is -- bad. For the good of our nation and the future of our children we must stand strong.

Yes, I know there are those who have become dependant on the government programs. Real leaders would be going before our nation and asking charity groups and religious institutions to prepare. They would be sending out notices to those about to lose this crutch to seek other sources. Why should our bloated government that wastes most of its money on layers of bureaucracy be even attempting to do what local charities can do for so much less? This should be a state or community project as our constitution would suggest.

Stand strong and say No More. Our children and grandchildren will thank you. Don't wait for them to ask what you did with their freedom.



Something to think about. It is worth the watch.

It's Not Fair

I'm going to take my ball and go home. You guys don't play fair and I ain't going to put up with it.

The new tool of the democrats seems to be elementary and preschool standards we all grew up with. If you can't get your way, you make sure no one else can either. Play yard tactics seem to be the only thing left for the Democratic party. This is evident in Wisconsin and Indiana. I am sure it will be adopted across the US. It has become clearly evident over the years who are the adults in leadership positions.

Apparently the Democrats don't understand how serious the debt issues are for all areas of government. Their focus is only on their dream Utopian ideals that can't be fed the vast sums of cash we don't have to make them happen. They need a reality check and a serious kick in the pants. I hope those of you who have a say over keeping these children in office will make your intentions clear.

We need serious adults who desire the restoration of real American values that work. Sound fiscal disciplines in government and true freedom returned to its citizens will solve much of what ails us. The private sector has demonstrated time and time again that it can and will over come obsticals if government will get out of its way.

Here is a demonstration of that very fact in action today.


So tell the children to get back to the jobs they were sent to do. Stop running and trying to hide. These are real problems that need to be fixed. Yes, there may b e some initial pain but the future for your children is at stake. If you would like to reduce their suffering then cut the spending. It is time for everyone to live within their means, including the government.

Fixing The Economy

Yesterday, Fox News put out a poll asking:
Can Anything Be Done to Fix America’s Economy?
I was not impressed with the article that stimulated the poll. Nor was I impressed with the options they offered. I couldn't help but add some comments. Below is the two comments I added. Go Check out the poll and add yours as well, or offer up yours here.

Comment 1
The problem in America comes down to people wanting somebody else to pay for their problem. The politician taking advantage of this human weakness, offers to do just that. We don't ask how. They then create a law giving someone special status over someone else. Slowly, we steal the life blood from everyone resulting in nothing.

We need to cut business taxes down to the level of Ireland, 11%.
We need to eliminate the death tax, Pulling this money out of the system on a persons death robs everyone of the investments.
We need to reduce government and the layers of bureaucracy that have been created. Are entire constitutional government ran on less then 5% for over 150 years. Why do we need, including fees and misc revenue items, 30%?
Change the Capital investment deduction to the following: A business can write off up to 100% of the percentage of the investment made in America on the first year of implementation. This would bolster business growth and American business opportunities at the same time. All other investments, and the percentage not American, would use the current tax deduction schedule.

This is my short list I could go on.


Comment 2
What do we as citizens need to do to turn this nation around?

Vote - I don't mean show up and pick at random. I mean educate yourself on the issues and the people. Know what it is you are authorizing and who. I don't care if they have a D or an R by their name. Are they a person of character? Will they adhere to the constitution and the limits as written? Have they ever ran a business or been in charge of a group of people? Have they ever had to maintain a budget or make a payroll? Do they willingly admit to past mistakes and yet rise above and move forward? These are the ones to vote for.

Write - Keep your representatives informed of your wishes. Don't put them out there alone. Let them know how you feel about the bills and issues at hand.

Learn - know your history. Look over American history seeking as many first sources as possible. Understand where we have been and what it took to get here. Help those you know gain in this knowledge as well. It wasn't that long ago when issues of the constitution were common items of discussion across the table with friends and family. Bring back those days.

Strength - Stand for something. Don't just buy into the person next to you's bit. Learn and claim your own standards. Boldly hoist them as a banner in your life and defend them in the battle of ideas. This will prove to sharpen your character while you do so with others.

Honesty - Hold the truth as sacred. Don't settle for lies and half-lies (half-truths). Don't accept fence sitters. Stand for something so you don't fall for anything.

Selfless - Think of the future and those who will follow. Leave something better behind.

If we as citizens would do these things, our nation would be transformed to greatness again.

They Don't Get It. They Need To Go.

The Obama Administration has stated that the only reason Americans are dumping the Democrats in Congress is employment. This is the only issue weighing down America. Everything else done by congress and this administration has been welcomed and received with anticipation and excitement.

Let me burst your bubble Mr. President, real unemployment is between 10-20%. I believe it would take more then 20% of America to make the substantial change coming to congress. Let us look at some of the other reasons you have failed to see.

The Healthcare bill you pushed through congress that No One read, is playing a role. Perhaps you haven't noticed that 61% of America wants it repealed. In fact polls have put repeal between 53% and 63% since it was signed. Since no one was willing to do their job and read the bill before voting for it. We have decided to fire our elected representatives for failure to do their job. We told them in mass that we didn't want it and thinking they work for us, we are going to fix the problem.

The vast number of Too Big to Fail bailouts has robbed America of its future. We have increased our debt to such a degree that it will take generations to repay it. We are taking money out of the pockets of people who don't even exist. We are destroying the future of our great great grand children. This is unacceptable and anyone who would encourage such a spending measure should be fired.

The Auto Company bailout has upset us greatly. Your administration dismissed standing rules of bankruptcy and trashed the stock market. Stocks that are high on the scale of debts to be paid under the rules of bankruptcy. If the government can simply snatch your rights as a stock holder then what stocks and investments are safe? How can the market grow and move forward with your administration leaning heavily on all areas? Those, in congress, who have backed your foolishness, need to go.

The now aptly named "Climate Change bill" is sitting in the wings waiting to devastate business and citizen alike. Global Warming has lost its sting with the world suddenly cooling back to pre-warming levels. Yet, regardless of the facts, your administration is still pushing this heavily burdening agenda on its citizenry. Estimates have come in at energy prices being from three to six times higher. Funny thing is, we Americans know that our energy supply is vast, and the high costs is due to your unwillingness to let us use our own resources. Those in government who find this folly acceptable need to go.

The list goes on and on. Let me assure you though of one thing. This isn't about removing Democrats from power. This is about restoring power to the people. Yes, some Republicans may benefit from the current anger, but we aren't going away after this election. We will be watching each and every one of you. As each future election cycle approaches, we will read your sins against this nation and your failures to uphold the constitution that you swore to uphold. We will toss each of you our without regard for party. "We The People" are rising and taking our nation back.

Articles of Interest:
Obama's Policies Drag Down Democratic Governors
Why Obama Is Losing the Political War
Health Care Law Poll

The American People Already Know the Truth

The media is attempting to tame the angst of the voter. No one wants to blame BO for anything tied to the economy but the electorate isn't buying. Now I find an article that does a fair job at trying to paint Obama into a new era of presidency.

Such powerlessness in the face of economic free fall has emerged as a hallmark of the modern presidency. While Mr. Obama is facing a more acute economic crisis moment than his predecessors, characterized by a near depression, the truth is that every president going back to Jimmy Carter, at one point or another, has had to campaign or govern in an environment dominated by the same cyclical and stubborn factors — recession, unemployment, rising energy costs. And so perhaps Mr. Obama’s presidency, as it reaches its midway point, is best understood not in isolation, but rather as part of a longer and still undefined political moment.

The farther we get from presidencies, after all, the more we tend to view them as belonging to periods rather than individuals, as sometimes overlapping clusters along the country’s historical continuum. We’ve had pre-Civil War-era and Reconstruction-era presidents, Industrial-era presidents and Depression-era presidents. The last discernible era belonged unmistakably to the cold war and can be said to have encompassed every president from Harry Truman through Ronald Reagan, all of whom served under the shadow of Armageddon.

When historians look back 50 years from now, in what era will they place Mr. Obama’s presidency, and what does it say about the challenges he faces?

Projecting his ultimate greatness in the future, they attempt to create a special class or situation that will absolve him from his apparent failures. Oddly they start off calling his current situation part of a normal cycle. They don't bother showing how some of them over came the problems, while others only made them worse.

Historians have different ways of looking at the question. But in interviews, several hit on the same basic theme, which is that Mr. Obama and his immediate predecessors have been forced to contend with the erosion of self-sufficiency. In other words, until the end of the Soviet Union, America’s economic and national security were largely self-determined, thanks to its manufacturing might and its ability to negotiate treaties with other states. But the advent of truly global markets, along with threats from non-state forces like Al Qaeda, changed all that. Now we live in an integrated world where American jobs rely on the economic policies of governments in Asia or Latin America, while our security is subject to the whims of a cleric living in a cave.

In their attempt to confuse and remove blame from their leader, they inadvertently gave away the answer to the whole thing. The key, no one wants to talk about, fell out of their pocket. The Key, "the erosion of self-sufficiency", is the very issue that would be whole heartedly embraced by almost all Americans.
Our power came from self-sufficiency. We really didn't need anyone as much as they needed us. We mined it, made it, and even created it right here in the USA. Through regulation and environmentalism we have given away much of our independence and with it our freedom. Now we give away our wealth to those who don't like us. We negotiate deals with despots who have no intention of honoring them and no fear of penalty.

What we need is to fix the problem. The next election cycle is just the starting place. We want less government and less government regulation. We want to suspend a number of environmental policies and start using our own resources. We have plenty of oil, coal and gas. We have plenty of people who would be willing to start manufacturing if taxes and regulation made it possible again. We have driven business and manufacturing from our shores but we can bring them back as well.

Vote for candidates who are pro capitalism and pro constitution. Vote for candidates who want to restore independence to America. These are the candidates who will give you real "Hope and Change".

Quotes taken from: The Presidency, Chained to the World fm New York Times.

Doubts and the Dow

Everyone is going gaga over the Dow. Yes, I am talking about the Dow Jones Industrial Average. It has gone up everyday in September. There has only been three of them. It still hasn't topped where it started at the beginning of the year. People who are heavily invested are still in the red. But, Whoa Nelly, are we excited.



To be totally overtaken with enthusiasm, look we are stuck back at 2004. Nothing is happening here.



It is all a ploy to make us think things are getting better. To make us believe that our president is actually doing something to improve our economy. The truth is that nothing has changed and nothing is really better.

Okay, just so someone doesn't show up and claim that BO has actually improved the stock market since he has been in office. Here is the chart.



On the 17th of February 2009 the president signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Dow continued to plunge. When we started to come back, he signs another bill and we plunge again. If you look at each of the drops and then the dates he signs legislation, you will see a pattern. The pattern has some variation with pre or post bill blues and bliss.

The key here is that nothing has been dome to restore confidence in the market. There is always another bill on the block that will take more out of business. There is a constant supply of money draining bills that stop progress and stagnate the market.

Our organizer and chief has no idea what it takes to motivate business into action. You would think all politicians would want to understand this given that most of the tax revenue structure is based on earnings both personal and business. Instead, we see every means possible for closing up business and stopping income earning.

It's The Economy Stupid

Jobs are the driving factor that improves the economy. The more jobs, the more employed. The more employed, the more people with available money to spend. The more employed, the more people paying taxes. Our system of government and the general economy relies on jobs.

Why is it the average liberal doesn't get this? They are constantly pushing to destroy jobs and reduce personal wealth. The United States became the driver of the worlds economy by doing the exact opposite. If we want to fix the current problem and get America back to work then we need to focus on job creation.

Let me point to some statements made by Chris Edwards, CATO Institute economist and director of tax policy studies.

"The Obama administration has done nothing, nothing in my view to benefit the economy in the short, or the long run," said Edwards.

"Everything they're doing is anti-business, anti-enterprise, anti-venture capital, anti-investment. It's anti-small business and anti-big business. It's just astounding in my view."

Edwards says the big jobs killer weighing down the economy right now is uncertainty over what will happen next.

"Businesses large and small frankly they're just uncertain, they're fearful about what is coming in the future, and they're holding cash… they're not investing," he says.

Moreover, Edwards says, there is no assurance that when U.S. businesses do finally begin expanding again, that they will do so in the United States. In today's global economy, he said, they can flee to more business-friendly locations — something that pro-stimulus Keynesian economists often overlook, according to Edwards.

"I think our tax and regulatory policies are scaring U.S. and foreign multi-nationals away from investing in America," Edwards says.

I recently spoke to a businessman I respect who suggested, allowing for full depreciation of any capital expense up to the percentage that is made in the U.S. in the first year after implementation. This would be a boon to American business and a huge incentive to expansion instead of contraction of business. Programs such as these would draw business to America instead of current policies that suggest they move it elsewhere and take the jobs with them.

We need policies that keep business here at home. We also need some assurance that the goal posts aren't going to move after we make the investment. Right now the goal posts are constantly moving as the Obama administration constantly changes the business climate in America. Until things settle, we are in for a long and bumpy ride.

Quote above from here.

How is the Stimulus Working Out?

The Obama Administration was in such a rush to do something to turn around our economy. They pushed, coerce and crammed an almost one trillion dollar plan down our throats. There were promises and future expectations.

Have you looked at the results? How did all the predictions and posturing stack up to reality?


Did you get the a trillion dollars of value out of it?

Look closer, do you see the New Projections? These are Timothy Geithner's projections. You know the one who made the other chart. Looks pretty flat until the first quarter of next year. That's right, no recovery for the unemployed until the first quarter of next year.

Does this timeline work for you?
Does it match anything else going on?

Looks like Tim is already planning for the big house cleaning come November.

Stay with Me. Don't go back to sleep now. I'm counting on your vote in November.

Cap and Tax - Here We Go

Back room deals and kickbacks are the standard operating proceedure of those in power. They will do anything to short change the American people and push their agenda.

In an effort to keep the bill in Reid's hands, the sponsors -- Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) won't officially introduce the bill in the Senate when they unveil it to the public next week.

"If we introduce it, it'll get referred to committees," Lieberman said. "We want him to be able to work with it and bring it out onto the floor as a leader whenever he's ready."

Once again transparency is tossed on the ash heap. We, the American people, will be short changed, robbed and beaten to satisfy the progressive and their march to socialism. If the possibility of recovery from this recession is ever going to happen then this is the last thing we should be doing.

Already, some senators also are raising red flags about the committee process, which they warn may be circumvented if the Kerry-Graham-Lieberman proposal moves directly into Reid’s office.

“These bills need to go through committee,” said Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.). “If you’re talking about making major deals on energy policy, it needs to go through the Energy Committee. If you’re making major deals on tax policy, it needs to go through the Finance Committee. I mean, if you want to get it done.”

Budget Committee ranking member Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), a possible swing vote, said he would prefer the committee process remain intact for the energy and climate bill — rather than shifting the debate into Reid’s office. “This concept of going through the leader’s office is a new concept in the legislative flow chart,” Gregg said.

Speaking on the Senate floor yesterday, Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) repeated his call to move to floor debate on S. 1462, the “energy only” approach “There are not a lot of weeks left in this legislative session, and my fervent hope is, I would say to those who have been working on climate change and blocking our ability to bring an energy bill to the floor of the Senate, I hope perhaps we could find a way to work together to bring the energy bill to the floor,” Dorgan said. “That’s the way the Senate works. The Senate works by running things through a committee.”

Both sides of the isle are already reeling form Obamacare. The last thing they want is to do energy legislation wrong going into an election period. By wrong, they mean anything like the shady practices the health legislation used.

Reid needs this done and he needs it fast. Why? It is looking like he wont be around after the first of the year, due to a real challenger holding him down in the polls. Reid needs time and energy for the fight of his political life. He also is pushing a bill that is dead against what his constituency wants in Nevada. He needs this measure done and out of sight before the heart of the election campaign swings into full gear.

Well folks another bad bill is coming hard and fast. Maybe some of the Democrats have learned their lesson and will stand fast in hopes of redemption. Perhaps they all know the end is near and they will push it through. Once again we need to write our representatives and push them to make the correct decision.

Links to Quotes

Calculating the Suffrage of Taxes

If you came looking for someone to argue with over the value of our government, today is not the day. I have been robbed and beaten by the ever hungry government. Once again I have given my all to support the needs of my family and to help those who I choose. Yes, I believe it should be a choice. Charity would feed and cloths far more of the needy then our government with its bloated baggage could.

Taxation is a tool used by government to take power from the people. Your money is your vote. Every time you buy something you are voting for that product or service. You are saying I want more of it and I am willing to pay for it. When the government taxes you they are limiting your ability to vote and promote that which you find of value. Often the government takes your money and does things with it that are in direct contrast to your values and interests. We have often seem our money sent to foreign leaders to be wasted as an example. We see government programs that serve to limit and reduce our every effort.

Have you ever sat back and considered how much different this nation would be if you controlled more of what you earned? The government by way of direct and indirect taxes, fees and sir charges removes about 42% of your power. Most American families are so drained by this burden that they need an additional income just to take care of the basic needs.

The awkward side is that so many people have been brought up on the milk of government programs they no longer no how to take care of themselves. This life on the dole serves to further strengthen the power of government over us.

The excerpt below is from pgs 19-20, Annual Report of the Secretary of the Treasury on the State of Finances for 1921:

"But the direct effect of these very high taxes is to hinder and prevent business transactions which would otherwise take place. A man may have property which he has held for years and which has greatly increased in value, and he would like to sell it, but if he does a large part of the gain would have to be paid out in taxes. He would rather keep the property than sell it, pay the tax, and invest what is left in something else. At the same time the party desiring to buy this property, if he obtained it, would improve it with buildings.

What is the result? The transaction does not take place, and the community loses the advantage which would come in the stimulation that would arise from the transactions resulting from the buyer's improvement of the property, and it also loses the advantage of the seller's putting his money into some other form of investment, which in turn would give rise to business transactions. The same thing on a much greater scale is true in manufacturing and mercantile lines. Men have built up enterprises to the point where they are highly successful. They would like to take their profit and turn the business over to younger men to carry on.

These transactions are highly desirable not only for the parties but for the community, yet they are absolutely stopped, because if made the seller would have to pay in one year a tax on a gain which has been the result of perhaps the better part of a lifetime of effort. And in all such cases the Government gets no tax, whereas if the rates were reasonable the transactions would take place and the Government's revenues would benefit accordingly.

The free interchange of property in business transactions is essential to the normal prosperity of the country, and each such transaction has a direct tendency to bring about others of like character with the result of increasing the amount of gain or income available for taxation; but when the tax is so high as to act as a deterrent against usual and desirable business transactions, and the volume of such transactions is thereby lessened, the inevitable result is for the tax to become less and less productive.

It is for these reasons that, particularly in the higher brackets, a lower tax rate will produce more revenue in the long run than excessive rates. So long as the high rate stands in the way of accomplishing bargains and sales, the Government receives no tax; but at a lower rate the transactions proceed and the Government shares in the profits."

It has been obvious for years and yet we are still sitting here taking it. Now we have even greedier government with an even more ravenous appetite for your money. Now is the time to seek out candidates at every level who want to restore our constitution and reduce our obese government. Don't wait till the polls open come November. Get out there and make it happen. Don't forget to vote with a few of the dollars you have left before they come for those as well. Find a good candidate with the right perspective and help them win the election.

Clear Words That Need A Listen

Clearly, our leaders don't understand the keys to which they have gained the power they wield. We did not become great because someone organized us and kept things in order. We became great because we had to bring order unto ourselves. We had to strive and reach to obtain.

Those who have been given much, do little for both respect and to honor the gift. Those who have strived for every stitch and inch of life rise to the level worthy of respect and honor.

We are strong and survive because we have been made strong through our efforts.

Big Tent Thinking

Seems everyone is talking about inclusiveness. Nobody wants to be left out. I was once in a church that decided to clean up their member directory. They removed all the people who were not attending at least once a month. Suddenly people came out of the woodwork mad that they were not included. They acted like the church had done some horrible act by excluding their names from the directory.

We see the big tent approach being heavily pushed in the political area. Rather then take a strong stand on an issue, which may serve to shrink the tent. We see wishy washy, limp positions on nearly all issues. With both parties doing their best and worst to draw in the crowds they instead are starting to scare them off. Suddenly, nobody wants to belong to a less then exclusive club. People are suddenly aware of the fact that pleasing everyone pleases no one and the result is a large crowd who stand for nothing.

The Big Tent idea has started to permeate into business life as well. During a recession, this looks like a good idea but will often end in disaster. Most businesses are scrambling for sales in order to stay in business. They are so focused on making the next sale that they often push out to the edges of their ability just to get that next contract. Soon they find themselves doing jobs barely in the possible range and often taking losses due to this lack of expertise.

Knowing your niche market and focusing on what you do best is the way to stay in business. Doing what you do best means doing it with maximum outcome for both you and your client. Doing what you do best means getting referrals and staying in business.

Doing what you do best also means doing it more competitively. You are confident in your costs and turn times and are therefore confident on negotiating the price. Making money or breaking even is almost guaranteed. Once again staying in business means covering the costs and satisfying the customers.

The Big Tent approach means doing everything for everyone in order to never turn a customer away. This approach will often give less then ideal results and start turning customers off rather then making them more loyal. Small amounts of dissatisfaction will lesson referrals and reduce confidence in the customer getting a job well done. Instead of endearing the customer to you, you are slowly driving them off. A significant failure may result in a loss of more then just this customer. The word gets out.

Stay in business by doing the business that you do best.

Do You Believe Him?

It seems our president continually says one thing and does another. The State of the Union seems to be full of much more of the same. Looks like the facts are starting to cloud over already.

Fact Check: How State of Union Compares With Reality

WASHINGTON -- President Obama, who once considered government spending freezes a hatchet job, told Americans on Wednesday it's now part of his solution to the exploding deficit. He didn't explain what had changed.

His State of the Union speech skipped over a variety of complex realities in laying out a "common-sense" call to action.

A look at some of his claims and how they compare with the facts:

OBAMA: "Starting in 2011, we are prepared to freeze government spending for three years. Spending related to our national security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security will not be affected. But all other discretionary government programs will. Like any cash-strapped family, we will work within a budget to invest in what we need and sacrifice what we don't."

THE FACTS: The anticipated savings from this proposal would amount to less than one percent of the deficit -- and that's if the president can persuade Congress to go along.


Obama is a convert to the cause of broad spending freezes. In the presidential campaign, he criticized Republican opponent John McCain for suggesting one. "The problem with a spending freeze is you're using a hatchet where you need a scalpel," he said a month before the election. Now, Obama wants domestic spending held steady in most areas where the government can control year to year costs. The proposal is similar to McCain's.

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OBAMA: "I've called for a bipartisan fiscal commission, modeled on a proposal by Republican Judd Gregg and Democrat Kent Conrad. This can't be one of those Washington gimmicks that lets us pretend we solved a problem. The commission will have to provide a specific set of solutions by a certain deadline. Yesterday, the Senate blocked a bill that would have created this commission. So I will issue an executive order that will allow us to go forward, because I refuse to pass this problem on to another generation of Americans."

THE FACTS: Any commission that Obama creates would be a weak substitute for what he really wanted -- a commission created by Congress that could force lawmakers to consider unpopular remedies to reduce the debt, including curbing politically sensitive entitlements like Social Security and Medicare. That idea crashed in the Senate this week, defeated by equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans. Any commission set up by Obama alone would lack authority to force its recommendations before Congress, and would stand almost no chance of success.

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OBAMA: Discussing his health care initiative, he said: "Our approach would preserve the right of Americans who have insurance to keep their doctor and their plan."

THE FACTS: The Democratic legislation now hanging in limbo on Capitol Hill aims to keep people with employer-sponsored coverage -- the majority of Americans under age 65 -- in the plans they already have. But Obama can't guarantee g point of contention for the president. In December, the administration reported that recipients of direct assistance from the government created or saved about 650,000 jobs. The number was based on self-reporting by recipients and some of the calculations were shown to be in error.

The Congressional Budget Office has been much more guarded than Obama in characterizing the success of the stimulus plan. In November, it reported that the stimulus increased the number of people employed by between 600,000 and 1.6 million "compared with what those values would have been otherwise." It said the ranges "reflect the uncertainty of such estimates." And it added: "It is impossible to determine how many of the reported jobs would have existed in the absence of the stimulus package."

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OBAMA: He called for action by the White House and Congress "to do our work openly, and to give our people the government they deserve."

THE FACTS: Obama skipped past a broken promise from his campaign -- to have the negotiations for health care legislation broadcast on C-SPAN "so that people can see who is making arguments on behalf of their constituents, and who are making arguments on behalf of the drug companies or the insurance companies." Instead, Democrats in the White House and Congress have conducted the usual private negotiations, making multibillion-dollar deals with hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and other stakeholders behind closed doors. Nor has Obama lived up consistently to his pledge to ensure that legislation is posted online for five days before it's acted upon.

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OBAMA: "We will continue to go through the budget line by line to eliminate programs that we can't afford and don't work. We've already identified $20 billion in savings for next year."

THE FACTS: Identifying savings is far from achieving them. If the past is any guide, little will result from this exercise because Congress routinely rejects the White House's suggested spending cuts.

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OBAMA: "The United States and Russia are completing negotiations on the farthest-reaching arms control treaty in nearly two decades."

THE FACTS: Despite insisting early last year that they would complete the negotiations in time to avoid expiration of the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty in early December, the U.S. and Russia failed to do so. And while officials say they think a deal on a new treaty is within reach, there has been no breakthrough. A new round of talks is set to start Monday. One important sticking point: disagreement over including missile defense issues in a new accord. If completed, the new deal may arguably be the farthest-reaching arms control treaty since the original 1991 agreement. An interim deal reached in 2002 did not include its own rules on verifying nuclear reductions.

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OBAMA: Drawing on classified information, he claimed more success than his predecessor at killing terrorists: "And in the last year, hundreds of al-Qaida's fighters and affiliates, including many senior leaders, have been captured or killed -- far more than in 2008."

THE FACTS: It is an impossible claim to verify. Neither the Bush nor the Obama administration has published enemy body counts, particularly those targeted by armed drones in the Pakistan-Afghan border region. The pace of drone attacks has increased dramatically in the last 18 months, according to congressional officials briefed on the secret program.


Anyone notice the "No Lobbyists in my Administration" comment?
"American Business is the True Engine For Jobs" - Could it be any more obvious.
Yes it can -- "We need to export more goods." - Sentences like this in speeches that are supposed to make an impact on America and set our course before the rest of the world only serve to demonstrate how little our leaders really understand about business and financial matters. Is it any wonder why we are in a recession given this obvious lack of basic economics. Any hope that might have been offered has been dashed by a completely stupid comment.

In case you missed it Obama wants people to step up and show him a better plan for fixing healthcare. My wife right away suggested I send him most of my blog articles for the past couple of years. He isn't going to listen. He already KNOWS what we need and no amount of facts of information is going to change his point of view.

Once again our nation missed an opportunity to move forward. Obama is still using the same lines and the same list. America needs to move forward but our leaders are still in the past. The people have become more vocal and our leaders have closed the doors and attempted to shut us out. We are only beginning to be heard. Massachusetts sent a clear message to congress. More messages are soon following.

Validation

I have written many articles about the minimum wage. Every time I do the sad and angry show up to call me names. Well here it is. Some economic got together and wrote a book with what is considered a record level of research into the subject.

How Minimum Wage Affects the Job Hunt
December 14, 2009 - 2:42 PM | by: James Rosen

It's been an article of faith for so long that the minimum wage offers a "hand up" to the people on the lowest rung of the economic ladder, but some recent studies show otherwise.

The most exhaustive of these is a landmark book published last year called "Minimum Wages." It's by two economists, David Neumark of the University of California and William Wascher of the Federal Reserve.

They examined sixty years of data and concluded the minimum wage actually cuts down on job opportunities and even wages, over time, for low-skilled workers.

Neumark broke down his theory for Fox News in simple, layman's terms, starting with the premise of what would happen if the minimum wage were raised again, say, tomorrow.

"Now, many people, of course, will not lose their job. Many people who were employed at the old minimum wage will, you know, have a raise in their wage, and they will still be employed at the new minimum wage,” Neumark told Fox News.

“A small number -- and it depends how big the minimum wage increase is -- will lose their job.

“Some people entering the labor market for the first time, or, you know, anew, will not be able to find a job because of the higher minimum wage."

The last bump for the minimum wage was this past July, a seventy cent increase to $7.25 an hour.

In September, three months later, the teen unemployment rate hit 25.9 percent, a full two points higher than in July, and the highest since World War II.

Charles Lane, a member of the Washington Post editorial board, recently called for the minimum wage to be rolled back as a way of creating jobs. That would require an act of Congress, and it's not likely anytime soon. Democrats control both houses of Congress and the issue has become, particularly for Democrats, freighted with emotion.

Read the rest

Perhaps some make up reading would help.
The Minimum Wage Isn't the Problem
How Do I Understand Price Structure In Business
The Minimum Wage Comes Up Again

Let's Talk Taxes

We are almost to the end of the year and although we are preparing for the merriment of Christmas some are looking at their tax situation. Making adjustments to your 401k and donations to adjust your year end tax exposure are on the minds of many. You will notice the heavy holiday push for donations. Many charities make the bulk of their income during the last month of the year.

I have been thinking about government spending and our obligation to the debt our government places us under. Most of us are aware of Tax Freedom Day, that is generally celebrated around the middle of April. This year Tax Freedom Day was generally recognized on April 13th even though each state has its own tax variations. This was eight days sooner then 2008 with April 22 being the recognized day. This is a little misleading because it doesn't include many taxes and fees that we pay. This event is directly attributed to income taxes while failing to recognize various user taxes like phone, cable, electricity. It even fails to account for property taxes and licencing fees. We also don't see any allowance for the vast debt our government has racked up and expect us to pay.
If we were to change the name to No Longer Paying Government Obligations day, what day would we actually start working for ourselves?



We can now see taxation holding our wages until June.

In doing my research and reading I ran across a section that gave me great pause.

Nevertheless, in 2009, Americans will pay more in taxes than they will spend on food, clothing and housing combined.

Go back and read that again. Americans will pay more in taxes than they will spend on food, clothing and housing combined.

People are often asking why we have to have two incomes to survive. I hear people wishing to spend more time with their family but we are seeing government mismanagement of our money forcing these things upon us. It is time for there to be a change in philosophy in every government office across the land. We need leaders who are willing to review and judge each program as worthy or worthless. We need a serious look at downsizing government.

Let's look at tax history. Here is the tax obligation broken down in ten year cycles. I will include all years since 2000.
1900 5.9%
1910 5.0%
1920 12.0%
1930 11.7%
1940 17.9%
1950 24.6%
1960 27.7%
1970 29.6%
1980 30.4%
1990 30.4%
2000 33.6%
2001 32.6%
2002 29.8%
2003 29.0%
2004 29.3%
2005 31.1%
2006 31.7%
2007 31.8%
2008 30.4%
2009 28.2%

We no longer have a government that reflects our founders mistrust of the government and the original intent of keeping government small with the power base held by the people. We have a continuously growing government that seems to have a ravenous appetite for taxation. The first 150 years we had a government who taxed at less then 5% allowing for the growth and incredible innovation that made America great. We now have a stifling government with business taxes that average 42% and personal taxes that hover near 30%.
Even with these facts easily obtainable people are still acting as if businesses pay nothing.

If we want to return to prosperity and bring back jobs to America perhaps changing our obese government is the starting place. It's time to put congress on a diet.

More Jobs -- Where?

Yes, the seasonal job surge has once again shown up. Companies are not hiring as many as usual but an up tick was expected as sellers, mailers and marketers enjoy the Christmas rush. The slight improvement from 10.2% to 10% was used as a lifting point in a speech given by BO.

Once again nothing happened but everyone is making a big deal over it. These seasonal jobs are generally low in pay and high on inconvenience. They usually fall into odd times in the early morning or evening hours. Let me not diminish the fact that working and providing for ones needs at any job is better then being destitute over the holidays. So many suffer do to the economic conditions brought forward by Bush and magnified by Obama, that any help should be welcomed.

Instead of allowing big business to fail and small businesses to step in and rise up. They rewarded bad business practices with our money and then denied us things that we actually needed. These poor choices by our representatives have lengthened our suffering and prolonged our economic failings. Millions continue to be out of work while we witness more bank failures and more businesses closing.

To big to fail? Perhaps to big to save. How much more will they give away?

Not Your Father's Union

Unions have changed a lot since my father and grandfather entered the work force. We now see unions actually attacking the traditional values they once were instituted to secure.

Big Labor and Big Government Are Officially the Same Thing

Who do the words “union members” bring to mind? United Auto Workers building cars in Detroit? Teamsters truckers hauling freight? Steel workers in Pennsylvania?
Not any more. Newly released numbers show that the actual face of today’s union movement is the teller at your local Department of Motorized Vehicles.
Preliminary estimates of union membership this year show that most union members now work for the government. The overall unionization rate between January and September 2009 stood at 12.4%, unchanged from last year. However, this difference masks a large difference between unions in the private and public sectors.
Union membership has fallen to 7.3% of private sector workers – the lowest rate since Roosevelt signed the National Labor Relations Act into law. But it is a completely different story in the public sector: 37.6% of government employees belong to unions, up almost a percentage point since last year. Those 7.9 million unionized government employees are 51% of all union members nationwide. Most union members today now work for Uncle Sam.
So when unions start lobbying, taxpayers should hold onto their wallet. Government employees don’t strike to get higher wages from a private business – they strike to get higher wages from you. Their pay is funded through your tax dollars. For government employee union members to get more your taxes need to go up. So that is what unions now lobby for. Just take a look at what the labor movement is doing to taxpayers on the Pacific Coast:
In Oregon the labor movement is donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to fund two ballot initiative campaigns to raise personal income and business taxes. The unions want tax hikes instead of cuts in the gold-plated medical benefits for state workers.
In California the Service Employees International Union spent $1 million on a television ad campaign pressing for higher oil, gas, and liquor taxes instead of spending reductions.
Washington State Democrats, however, have so far resisted the labor movement’s call for higher taxes. In response labor unions are threatening to fund primary campaigns against the Democrats who oppose the tax hikes.
This is not your father’s labor movement. Unions today want higher taxes and bigger government because they are the government.

What once saved middle America now wishes to rob her.

Where's Mine?

I have been waiting for a while to point this out. It has been bothering me for a long time so I thought I would bother you some.

The Stimulus Bill that was passed by the Obama Administration is reported to cost us $787billion.

There are almost 308million people in the US.

Small Businesses produce about 85% of the Jobs in America.

There are almost 23million small businesses in the US.

The Stimulus bill cost us almost $2600 per person. This does not include future interest on this additional debt. If 47% of Americans don't pay any taxes then the actual cost per person is $5600 per person who pays taxes. (This is skewed farther by able bodied workers who pay taxes.)

If the Stinulus would have been distributed to small businesses, each business would have gotten $34,250. This money could have provided one job at a living wage for one year for every small business, adjusting for employer side taxes and expenses. That would have created 23million jobs. Notice that the employer and the employee are immediately contributing back in the form of payroll taxes minimizing the net cost of the stimulus package. Don't forget to imagine 23million significant wage earners as consumers in the system. Now we are talking real stimulus.

If the US is statisticly suffering from 10% unemployment then putting the money to work by giving it to small business for job creation would have cut unemployment by 7.4%. Mathematically we would be at 2.6% unemployment.

Does anyone still think those in Washington DC have a clue on how to get the most bang out of our buck. Don't allow them to take anything more from us.

Keep saying NO to Healthcare.

Why Keynes Theory Didn't Work

Keynes was an economist who believed that the depression could have been reduced if not avoided if the government would step in and spend money to keep the economy stimulated while the public sector catches its breath and then re-engages the market. This would greatly reduce the fall in the market place and keep the unemployment level down and the economy moving forward.

What went wrong?

First, look at debt load. Our nation was vastly in debt and increasing spending only magnified the debt and the gloom and doom associated with excessive debt. Instead of embracing the spending, the debt and the future payments on it, out weighed the possible benefit.

Second, the government was late to the party. The economy started tanking in 2007 but nothing was done until 2008. To add insult to injury, the key issue that started the negative downturn was debt. Personal debt, corporate debt, state debt and federal debt all these debts and others weighed down our economy. The Bush administration racked up a great deal of debt and the weight and cost of terrorism made the debt more magnified.

Third, Keynes made no suggestion of public bailouts and take overs. These excesses further depressed the notion of the public sector becoming re-engaged in the market place. Companies that have been financial fortresses for decades were suddenly easy prey for an over anxious government system. Big debt was bought and controlled by bigger debt. The actions of our government are stained by the impression of communism and careful review of those who are in charge, furthers the assessment.


Well we are now here and want out. We are seeing the governments lust for power starting to show in its recent encroachment on executive salaries and compensation. When will the government encroachment end and the people restore the confidence in the market. I have been saying that it will take the public at least six months to gain any confidence after the government stops playing around. That will include any hints of meddling. I believe recovery would have happened much quicker if the government would have allowed private business to fail and adaptive. If the strong or the new innovators could have moved in and stabilized the market all would be far better.
With the government constantly changing the business market and picking winners and losers at random, the economy will continue to suffer. No confidence can be created in the marketplace by fictitious propping of the government. Confidence just like respect is earned.