Saturday, February 27, 2010

Morality of our politicians

Hi

There is a terrible attitude in Washington, DC. It appears as if the elected officials,both parties, have a sense of entitlement to the spoils of our labors. Ain't so.

It is distressing to read that someone like Congressman Wrangle (D-NY) adopts an air of, "I am above the people of the nation". This man has tax problems, questions of his
reporting wealth and now an ethics allegation. He answers the allegation by denying his aides statements that they informed him of certain trips being illegal. He never got the message. Cone on, Congressman, you got caught with your hand in the cookie jar, admit it,take the responsibility and atone. The way to atone is to resign your post as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. We don't need some one with a clouded sense of ethics writing our tax laws. Of course a resignation would show you have morals and I wonder if you do have morals. Actions speak louder than words.

While we di8scuss this let us remember the words of Speaker Pelosi and the candidate Obama, we were promised a clean, open and honest administration. If you want to be what you promised get this character off the committee. Is this too much to expect. I await your decision.

Mean while we can continue to pray for our honorable and brave warriors. Please remember them.
GOD Bless

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Bipartisan politics and health care

Hi

Thursday the President will conduct a so called bipartisan health care summit. I wish him luck but I don't expect mush to be accomplished. In reality it seems like a feeble attempt to get republicans to agree to a bad piece of legislation. The only bipartisanship to come from this is the distrust from the American people. The voter anger will be aimed at both major political parties, and the American people will be the ones to suffer. This is the time for partisan politics, the republicans should stand for what the voters want, no Obamacare, and the republicans should not sign on to any legislation which gives us Obamacare.

The tea parties were held in order to let the politicians what the American people want, the republicans must respect that feeling or else be doomed. Let's hope that we get some fortitude from the republicans. If not, keep in mind those who caved and remember their names when the 2010 elections come around.

Keep saying those prayers for our service people.
GOD Bless

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Obama Health Care

Hi

The president is at it again. We are seeing another effort to pass unwanted health care reform down our collective throats. When will this end? I know I speak for many people when I say that the government no longer is doing the best thing for the people.

On TV we see liberal pundits still try to justify the attempt to pass this health care legislation but no one addresses the fact that the public doesn't want Obamacare. It has been mentioned often that the people want some reform but things like tort reform and allowing insurance carriers write policies across the state lines. The democrats will not even discuss this, solely because the trial lawyers want it and the lawyers contribute t democratic candidates. The democrats are playing to their donors even though it creates a hardship on the general public. We have one big weapon, vote the bums out in midterm elections and then vote the president out in 2012. Save the country. Please look at what any candidate stands for before making your decision on election day. This past election which was primarily an anti Bush vote showed how dangerous a vote can be if the electorate do not consider the stand and policies of the candidates.

Continue t pray for our troops.
GOD Bless

Monday, February 22, 2010

Where dowe go from here

Hi

The title of this blog does not give a clue as to the content, this was done with a purpose in mind. The blog is about the direction we should try to steer our country. Let us start with the 2010 mid term election.

We need a new government, not just the people but the complete mindset. resident Obama promised this when he ran for office but so far all we have gotten is more of the same. We need real change.

In the 2010 elections we should elect out of office any politician who supports the unpopular positions being put forth by the liberal left. The people do not want a government run health care system, why is congress trying to push one off on us? We don't want a blanket amnesty for illegal aliens, again, why is the government trying to push this on us? This writing could go on and on about things that the liberal elite in DC feel we should have. I say let's teach them a lesson and throw them out. In the next presidential election we should look at what the president has done and if we don't like, then throw him out. We the people need to take back our government.

I have tried to give my take on ways to better our government and I will continue to do so. I hope you will read the blogs.

Please remember to pray for our heroes.
GOD Bless

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Tea Party and Town Hall meetings

Hi

It has become a hot topic on the news programs, "What do you make of the Tea Party?" What amazes me is how the pundits see so differently from the way I see it. Many, if not most, of the pundits see this as a new insurgent political party. I see it as a grass roots movement which is angry at both political parties. The cause of this misunderstanding is that those elected officials in Washington, DC just do not understand the American voters. The pundits go along with the Washington establishment primarily because of the culture of the city. DC eats up personalities and numbs the thinking process of the insiders. They huddle together and socialize with each other so they tend to get a very narrow point of view. Since most of these people seem to be liberal the prevailing thought is liberal.

We see it in the main stream media,papers like the New York Times do not report the cause,effect nor the make up of the tea parties. To the editorial staff any one who supports a tea party concept is just a radical right wing nut. Why don't they get it. The American public is tired of politics as usual,mutual backscratching by politicians of both parties and what seems like an unending stream of self serving legislation. We pay and we are pi**** off, listen Washington. The American people want and need a change of the way things have been running. I usually do not give ultimatums but in this case I must make an exception. If the elected officials don't share up by the November electionm, it will be "sayonara". 'Nuff said.

Meanwhile please continue to support our troops and keep praying for their safety.
GOD Bless

Friday, February 19, 2010

Biden and religion

Hi

Am I the only one who noticed Vice President Joe Biden on Ash Wednesday? He was on TV and standing there on a platform with some other people, and there was the traditional ashes on his forehead. It is great that the vice president follows his religion, but I have some questions.

Mr Biden, do you follow your religion when it comes down to voting on the abortion issue? Every one except House Speaker Pelosi knows that the Catholic Church opposes abortion. Mr Vice President, Don't you think it is a bit hypocritical to display your religion on TV and then continue to espouse the principle of abortion on demand? I saw a bumper sticker which sums it all up, the sticker read. "You cannot be a Catholic and favor abortion."

It may seem hypocritical on my part to pass judgment but I feel that those who can have some effect on the issue of abortion and profess to be Catholic should follow the teaching of the Church. For the benefit of any non-catholic reading this the church opposes abortion because it deems that life begins at conception, not when the child passes through the birth canal. If you follow the Catholic rule there can be no other definition of abortion but that it is the taking of a life. I repeat,Mr Biden, do you really believe in the teachings of the Catholic church or are you putting on a show when you wear ashes? Please let us know.

Here I will ask you to be religious and pray for our brave service people.
GOD Bless

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Tea Party

Hi

Sometimes I wonder if people understand the Tea Party movement. The reason I say this is that I was watching the O'Reilly Factor on Fox News and I came away with the impression that Bill O'Reilly missed the point. Here is my take on it.

There is no such thing as a Tea Party, not in the way we ave come to understand the Republican and Democratic Parties. The group should be best thought of as a grass roots movement. Because it is a movement and not a political party there should be no leader or spokesperson. No agenda except for the common desire for a more responsible government. If the Tea Party were to run candidates then I feel the aim of the movement is lost. To really be effective the Tea Party should only support candidates of the two major parties if those candidates pledge to champion the causes of the Tea Party.

It would seem like a path to destruction if the party were to run candidates and act like a regular party. Our history is full of examples of what happened to third party movements,they all have failed. Not only have third parties failed but because they dray voters away from one of the major political party they generally mess up elections. It is well known that third parties usually draw from the candidate most closest to their way of thinking,this splits the vote and almost insures that the candidate they hope to defeat gets elected. Not a good way to achieve results.

The Tea Party should stay away from a structured existence and just operate as a place to marshal voters and accumulate support for the desired candidate. The party would get better results. More to come.

Continue to pray for our brave heroes.
GOD Bless

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Unemployment and illegal aliens

Hi

It makes sense that one can tie the subjects of unemployment and illegal immigration so here we go. It also makes common sense that if you allow an unchecked flow of illegal immigration into the country there will be a great effect on unemployment. How come I can see this but our elected officials cannot?

We hear the argument that illegals fill the positions that American workers don't want, but I say that premise is false. It is difficult to believe that some one who wants to work would not be willing to accept a job outside his chosen profession. Remember the old adage, "Bread is required on the table."

The solution is simple, rein in illegal immigration. We cannot just deport all the illegals, it would be impracticable and costly. We need a different solution. In previous blogs I have written about the so called tag-up rule. Under this concept all illegals must return to their native country, get clearance from the police that they are not wanted felons and they must also get a medical statement stating that they have no serious communicable disease. Armed with these documents the illegals then apply for entry into the United States. We control the number. If there is a need for labor we can increase the entry number for illegals (who would now be here legally) and we could even direct them to where the work force is needed. Every body wins. Both sides of the political aisle bear blame for the crazy situation we now have, maybe both sides should now get together and correct the situation.

Please remember our brave service people in your prayers.
GOD Bless

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Unemployment solution

Hi

The unemployment rate in the United States is hovering about the 10 per cent level. That is the figure given by the White House and the mass media. For our purposes we can use that number.

The current administration does not seem to have a clue about how to go about fixing unemployment. I wish some one in DC would read this and consider these suggestions.

The so called stimulus bill did not help the rate of jobless but in actuality it increased the number of out of work people. Obviously that is not the answer. The way to get out of this mess is simple and time proven. Before we do any thing else we must cut taxes. Better yet, enact a flat or fair tax. Tax reductions give the people more spending power and that translates into more jobs. People spend the extra money which causes retail and manufacturers to produce more. It is a self serving solution. Former presidents have reduced taxes, ( Kennedy, Reagan and Bush ) and we got an increase in revenue in all cases. Coupled with the tax cut there must be fiscal restraint by the government. Spending must be reined in. This combination of tax cuts and curbed spendingwill work. The liberal left would have you believe that only the rich benefit, but, let me ask this question. What do you think the rich do with the extra money? Answer, they invest it and create jobs. Real jobs, unlike the government which only creates make work programs which produce nothing. Just ask yourself which alternative is better.

The economists use the term "laissez-faire" to describe this approach. Translated from the French it means "leave us alone". I trust the American people and know how far more than I trust the congress and the president.

Another step would be to remove the many regulations which make it difficult to operate a business. The president and most members of congress never had to balance a checkbook, live within a budget or meet a payroll. How can they possible be entrusted with the fate of our future. Our economy would be better off is these characters left us alone. American ingenuity will triumph.

In the future I will talk about other ways to improve our way of life. I hope you stay tuned in.

Keep on praying for our brave heroes.
GOD Bless

Monday, February 15, 2010

Energy policy - recap

Hi

Today I will tie together all the things we should do to get an effective energy policy. I have already discussed domestic and off shore drilling and the development of alternative sources of energy. This should be done immediately, and it can be done simultaneously.

One of the most knowledgeable people in the area of energy is mister T, Boone Pickins. He has several ideas on solving the energy crunch but unfortunately our elected politicians do not listen. Pickins has suggested converting our fleet of semis, the 18 wheelers, to natural gas vehicles. This would be a great first step, and the cost per Mr Pickins would be about $60M per vehicle. With the amount of gasoline these vehicles use how long before we can recover the investment? Certainly within a reasonable time. Go for it. We may have to subsidize the conversion to natural gas but that could be done by repayable loans. It would benefit both the truckers and the nation.

Other methods of getting energy are more efficient drilling technology, drilling off shore, the licensing of new nuclear plants and the use of cleaner burning coal. All of these could be explored and used. To repeat myself these steps would help our economy, create jobs and wean us from dependence on foreign oil. That's what we need.

We can hope that the Tea Parties and the Town Hall meetings have goaded our elected officials into some action.

Keep praying for our service people who are protecting us.
GOD Bless

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Energy policy - Part III

Hi

This is another suggestion that should alleviate our energy problem. For far too long we have held up the drilling for crude in Alaska. It was once described to me that the area designated for drilling is a minuscule part of the pristine countryside. The way it was described to me was as follows - If you take a quarter coin and place it on the corner of an average sized living room rug, the ratio of the quarter to the rug would be in line with the area sought to be drilled. This begs the question, "Is this going to cause any real and lasting harm to the Alaska landscape?" Common sense says we should have been drilling for years and the discussion should have been done, over and closed. Unfortunately our politicians do not think this way. We do have a solution. In November vote out the members of congress who vote against the federal government allowing the drilling.

I will close for now but I will continue to write about what I think we as a nation need to do. Stay with me.

Keep on praying for our brave service people.
GOD Bless

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Energy policy - Prt II

Hi

This is a continuation on my thoughts on our energy policy. I find it hard to understand why neither political party has addressed this issue previously. The apparent divide is environmental activists on one side and commerce seeking cheaper energy on the other side of the issue.

Our elected officials MUST come to grips with this problem. It is about time that Washington makes a decision either way. Come on guys and gals, get with it. The American people need some kind of action.

In my last blog I discussed drilling within the United States. There is another aspect to this thinking, namely national defense and security. How long can we be dependent on foreign crude and still be able to protect ourselves? The answer is clearly evident, not for long. Our domestic supply of oil is large enough to maintain our energy needs for a long time. It makes no sense to me not use our domestic supply. Mind you not waste it but use it in connection with alternative means of energy. I see that the Obama administration seems to be heading for an approval of a new nuclear plant in Georgia, good. We need to use all our brainpower to solve our energy needs. This is an example of what I mean when I say drill and at the same time develop alternate energy sources. We should have been doing this all along.

The solution is not quick but if we do not start somewhere we never will rid ourselves of dependence on foreign sources for our energy needs. Maybe DC is waking up, I sure hope so.

Please continue to pray for the safety of our armed forces.
GOD Bless

Friday, February 12, 2010

Why aren't we drilling

Hi

This is a blog about the problems caused by the direction concerning our "energy policy". Maybe I should say "lack of energy policy".

We are dependent on foreign crude oil. We currently import too much from various nations and this is a severe problem. In the next few blogs I will spell out what the problems are and how we can correct them.

As a starter the US now imports crude from many sources. If these sources are cut off we face severe economic disaster. It is incumbent upon us to wean ourselves from this foreign dependence. We can accomplish this by several methods, but the first is by drilling within our own borders. For too long the politicians on both sides of the aisle have caved to the tree hugging environmental movement, it is time to stop. Our national security depends on us being forceful. One argument we hear from the environmentalists is that we will endanger the planet. They fret over spills, damage to the air quality and other fears. The Heritage Foundation has an interesting piece about the oil fields off the coast of California. Every year the beach gets some oil spill and damage is caused. The oil spill is caused by an overflow of the underwater oil fields. If we tap these oil wells we will ease and even relieve the pressure,thus we would solve the problem of oil spills. It would be a win-win situation, we prevent spills and we get extra crude. I wish some one in DC would listen to common sense.

Another argument is that we in the US lack capacity to refine more crude. A solution -build more refineries. It will take some time but it will also start us in the right direction. Jobs would be created by the building of the refineries, the economy benefits. Another win-win situation.

If we feel that using new technology to drill off shore is too costly we would be cheating our future. The mere thought that an abundant supply of oil will flow is enough to reduce prices. It is cheaper to drill than to import. In future blogs I will give my take on the effect on national defense. Let's start to drill as soon as possible. A person more knowledgeable than than I is T. Boone Pickens. He has stated that even if we start to develop other sources of energy we should start drilling as soon as possible. His opinion is certainly more learned than that of the fanatic environmentalists, let's listen to Mr Pickens. I trust him more. The next few writings will continue to address the energy problem.


Pray for our brave soldiers and service people.
GOD Bless

Thursday, February 11, 2010

More on health care

Hi

I would like to advance another idea on reforming health care coverage. In the past I mentioned tort reform and I will expand on that subject. This post is about Class Action lawsuits.

A CLS (Class Action Lawsuit) is a legal action wherein plaintiffs with a similar complaint are lumped together in one lawsuit. The reason for this is it makes it easier to try similar cases without many witnesses, court time, different lawyers, etc. As a rule CLS does serve a purpose because it eases the burden on our court system and it does not present any undue hardship on plaintiffs. My remarks are aimed at CLS in medical malpractice cases.

When I was younger and still practicing law the states (NY) passed a law which in effect ruled that when all attorneys in a state charge the same for a legal matter it amounts to price fixing, which is a no-no. At that time the question was the fee for handling a house closing. Now the fee varies and basically is determined by market forces. CLS should be governed the same way. It is no different than other legal matters and the change would put the fee charged on a competitive basis. We all know what happens when competition is introduced. The fee usually goes down. It would be a simple thing, make all CLS suits federal cases. Because the legal costs would be reduced the cost of insurance, and accordingly, health care would be reduced. The people would be the beneficiaries of this reform.

I cannot understand why our president and congress have not made these changes already. (Well, yes I can - catering to special interests). We should demand this change from our government. If they donot respond vote the rascals out in November.

Keep praying for our service people.
GOD Bless

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Health care reform - Part II

Hi

Just a reminder that yesterday I wrote about one step which should be taken in order to "fix" health care. This blog will address reform two. Creating an environment of competition is a good way to lower costs of existing health care policies. In order to create the environment of competition we must pass some effective legislation to clear obstacles.

Currently health care insurers must comply with state regulations. These regulations vary from state to state. I am not a big believer in federal intervention but in this instance a "LIMITED" intervention is needed. Because federal law supersedes state law the federal government should enact legislation that would allow health care insurers to write policies in all states. The effect of this would be that the doors of competition would be open. Insurers could cross state lines to write their insurance policies. The people would be given less costly insurance because of the element of competition. However there is one potential pitfall, government take over of the insurance. To protect against this the legislation should be drafted so that the federal government has only a say in setting up private insurers and will never have any regulatory powers. The insurer would have to comply with the laws of the state in which the insurance company writes the policy.

As a side effect there would be less wiggle room for an insurer to claim a "preexisting" condition. When a person moves he can carry his insurance with him. It would alleviate the problem with paper work. I don't see any down side for this.

There is some resistance to this idea. It comes from lobby groups like AARP, Trial Lawyers associations and similarly situated groups who would see their gravy train disappear. What a shame. The American public benefits. Still more to come.

Continue to pray for the protection of our brave service people.
GOD Bless

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Health care reform

Hi

Now that I have tackled the flat or fair tax issue I am going to express myself on health care reform.

We have to look at health care reform in 2 different ways.

The first is to reform the health care system which is already in existence. Those of us who have adequate health care don't want our politicians meddling with the system. Heaven knows they cannot get many things right. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Unfortunately too many politicians think they know better than every body else. (The liberal bible says so). We must keep reminding these people that just because they have a few letter after their name they are not necessarily the smartest person in the room. With existing health care we must bring down the cost. This is done by enacting a form of tort regulation and further enacting a federal law which allows insurers to write policies across state lines.

A tort is a civil wrong. A malpractice suit is a typical tort. Under existing law the plaintiff is allowed what is called punitive damages. In most states this is an amount 3 times the amount of actual damages. The purpose is to punish the wrong doer, in this case the medical provider. The medical provider guards and protects himself by purchasing malpractice insurance. We all know that the cost of this malpractice insurance finds its way into our medical bills. If we were to eliminate the punitive element but keep the remaining tort legislation the plaintiff would still get his compensation. Since a large portion of the award for punitive damages goes into the hands of the trial lawyers. This is paid for by malpractice insurance, so it follows if we eliminate the punitive damage awards, we lower the insurance costs. This is then passed on to the medical care recipient. The cost of existing medical care would be lowered for all without any significant loss to the patient.

In my next blog I will cover the second scenario, "Does the government (we the people) have an obligation to provide free health care for every one?" Stay tuned.

Continue to pray for our brave service people.
GOD Bless

Monday, February 8, 2010

Revamped government

Hi

If you have followed my posts you know I am a great advocate of a flat or fail tax. Now I will try to spell out some other changes which would be beneficial. Please remember that I want nothing except the best for our country and its people.

Term limits is often mentioned and I think that it is now time for term limits for Congress. Too many members get elected, stay forever and take root in Congress. This leads to a misguided concept that the congressional seat belongs to the congress person. The recent Senatorial election in Massachusetts where a republican took the seat that was held by democrat Ted Kennedy illustrates why we need term limits.

During that campaign the democratic candidate acted and believed that she was the heir to the senate seat. The republican kept reminding the populace that it was the peoples seat. You know what happened, a republican won the seat held by a democrat for 50 years. The people spoke. The voters said the seat is ours, not a politician who claims a right of passage. Hooray for democracy.

We need to keep the attitude of the voters in Massachusetts. Congress works for us, just keep reminding yourself of that fact. And even more importantly, at election time remind the politicians that we own the congress. We pay the salary and therefore we have earned the right to tell congress what we want.

I will continue to write about what I feel are changes we noeed to keep our government strong,,so stay tuned.

Meanwhile, please continue to pray for our service people.
GOD Bless

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Flat tax - continued

Hi

If you have been following my blogs you are aware of the fact that I have been writing about the advantages of a flat or fair tax. I would like to refute the argument made by some (see-article by Douglas Dunn referred to earlier).

The main thrust seems to be that the tax will fall on the poor and middle class while benefiting the high income earners. An objection to this theory is that it does not really face the facts as we know them to be true. While the income tax is paid overwhelmingly by the upper earners, other taxes like social security, medicare, unemployment insurance (paid indirectly through your employer) are all paid primarily by the middle class. The objection that is raised does not hold sway. Very little, a negligible amount, is shifted. The problem is that the liberal left in this country always play the class warfare game. This is another example of such false thinking. We should look at what is good for the majority of us and not give in to class warfare. Who needs it. When measured against the many benefits derived from the flat or fair tax we can only come to one conclusion, pass the flat or fair tax. We deserve the control over what we pay. Please consider that many of the tea party and town hall protesters are inline with this flat or fair tax. In November vote out any politician who refuses to follow the wishes of the people.

Please continue to pray for our brave military.
GOD Bless

Saturday, February 6, 2010

More on flat tax

Hi

This writing will try to explain some of the advantages of a flat or fair tax. Simplicity is the biggest advantage but there are other equally valuable reasons to enact such a tax.

The flat or fair tax would curtail government spending. Imagine congress limited to how much "pork" comes from DC. Wow. Because the unnecessary spending would be cut it follows that the deficit would also be lessened. In time economic growth would eliminate the deficit altogether. We need this edge to stay competitive on the world economic stage.

Another advantage a flat or fair tax would give is the effect on term limits. Congress would not have as much power derived from taxation, hence, the influence on our lives would be diminished. Because the flat or fair tax would not be subject to special deductions and credits,the need for lobbyists would also diminish. Again this means more control is ceded back to the people. We would take steps back to "government of the people, by the people and for the people". I'm sure Mr President Lincoln would love that.

Now let me ask you to pray for our service people.
GOD Bless

Friday, February 5, 2010

Flat tax continued

Hi

In my blog yesterday I gave a link for a writing which favors a flat or fair tax, so today for the sakke of fairness I will give a link which opposes such a tax. The article is written by a Douglas Dunn, thelink is:

http://www.wordwiz72.com/flattax.html

Before you make up your mind whether you should support or oppose the flat or fair tax you should really read both sides of the issue. I believe that knowing all aspects of any issue makes your decision so much more intelligent, and therefore usually correct. The more one knows the better the choice.

I will try to point out one difference in the structure of the two writings, please note this. Mr Dunn opens his treatise by knocking a proponent of the fair or flat tax, Steve Forbes. Doctor Mitchell, on the other hand, does not use any negative comments about any individual. Which do you think is more effective? Read them both and determine for yourself.

In the future I will go into other reasons why I prefer the fair or flat tax, so stay tuned.

Keep on praying for our brave service people.
GOD Bless

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Flat or fair tax -continued

Hi

Today I will attempt to explain what the flat or fair tax is. I will refer the reader to a comprehensive article by Daniel J. Mitchell, PhD. He is more of an expert on the subject than I am and I am sure that the reader will get more out of his explanation. Here is the link.

http://www.heritage.org/Research/Taxes/bg1866.cfm

My writings will include what the advantages of the flat or fair tax are and how they impact other aspects of our economy, job retention and even politics.

The biggest advantage is that we, the American people, actually get to name our own tax. Yes, we control how much our government gets to spend. Lovely concept, isn't it. The only real losers are the spenders in DC. Flat tax, where have you been all my life?

This will be a short writing because I would like you to follow the link and get a real understanding of the mechanics of the tax before I voice my opinion on the tax. Read and enjoy.

Please continue to pray for the brave heroes defending our nation.
GOD Bless

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Fair or flat tax

Hi

If you have followed my blogs you know that I am an advocate for a fair or flat tax. It is worth while to demonstrate what such a taxing system would bring.

The first thing that is necessary is that a Constitutional Amendment be made, and this amendment would have to do the following two things.
First: It must repeal the Amendment which gives the government to assess an income tax. Failure to do so would result in a possible double taxation. We know too well that politicians of both major parties would love that, it would be a disaster. At the same time the legislation or amendment authorizing a fair or flat tax would be passed.
Second: Any new amendment must contain a proviso that it can only be amended by a super majority of both houses of congress (67% or even 75%) This would insure that the only way congress can play around with our money is to expose themselves as tax raisers. That would be great, I can see them squirming when time to get reelected comes around.

The fair or flat tax would have to be explained to the people, so I will limit my next few posts to explaining how the tax would work. I find the mechanics of the fair or flat tax intriguing. Stay tuned.

Continue to pray for our brave service people.
GOD Bless

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Fiscal responsibility

Hi

Today I will try to make some sense of the current dilemma that is going on in DC. Where is the fiscal restraint? When candidate Obama ran he promised an open government, no earmarks and fiscal responsibility. So far no soap, he hasn't delivered anything close to what he promised.

The bail outs proved to be a farce,all they accomplished was a rip-off of the taxpayers money. We still didn't get any solution to the housing problem. How much longer will the American people tolerate this kind of leadership (or lack thereof). It's past time to rein in the Congress and the President, they have shown no indication of fiscal responsibility nor of any understanding of what is needed to grow the economy.

The problem is made worse when you consider how many jobs are being lost. The government cannot create jobs but can help the private sector do the creating. Tax cuts, or even better, enact a flat tax, and get out of the way. Watch the economy grow and see the deficits diminish. That would require real leadership, some thing our politicians seem to have lost. We can hope that we last until the mid-term elections and we can throw the bums out of congress. Remember this when you vote in November.

For now we can just pray that things don't get any worse.

Please pray for our brave heroes.
GOD Bless

Monday, February 1, 2010

Pop culture - continued, Part II

Hi

Today I am addressing the effect on pop culture of our so called "icons".

We can start with the entertainment industry, there are enough idols in that profession. Let me explain, I am not against the idols, but rather those of us who idolize these people. They are entertainers, good at what they do, but does being able to sing, dance or act make you a person who should be esteemed? Unfortunately too many of us do hold these people to a greater lever of adulation. Wrong. Why don't we idolize the carpenter or the plumber? The entertainment profession depends on publicity giving the entertainers a means to ask for high contracts. Hucksters, known as publicity men, cause this phony acclaim to exist. We would all be better served if the entertainers just entertained and didn't glow in the spotlight with an aura created by the publicity people. Where would we be if all professions hired publicity men to further their profession? We would not be ale to afford any artisan. Some mess that would be.

I ask the question, "Is Michael Jackson worth millions while Joe the Plumber (remember him) earns a "normal" income?" Multiply this inequity by almost all entertainers and you can see why the entertainment industry is one of the leading causes of the decline of pop culture.

We the people are the only ones who can correct this and I certainly hope that we do. The alternative is a further decline of our culture.

Now I ask for your prayers for our brave service people.
GOD Bless