On January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court passed down a decision that has affected mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and virtually every living or potentially living human being in this country. This particular decision allows a woman to "abort" or "terminate" a pregnancy "up until such time as the fetus is viable".
What does that mean? What is a "viable fetus", anyway? Ask our current Commander in Chief and he would answer "....that's above my pay grade.".
Suffice to say that there isn't a person walking the face of the earth that hasn't been affected by the abortion issue. You may know someone who has decided to have one (an acquaintance, friend or loved one). You absolutely know someone who has decided not to have one (if no one else, your own mother made that "choice"). Regardless your personal thoughts on the subject, it has become a political lightning rod over the course of the last 38 years.
If you don't believe me, just bring it up the next time you're in a social setting.
I, like many others have my own thoughts on the subject, based on my personal experiences. I am pro-life (primarily because my mother was for the 9 months prior to my birth - it kinda stuck with me, I guess).
Setting the abortion debate aside, I would like to call to your attention a severely under-reported story playing out in real time in Pennsylvania.
You see, in the name of "reproductive rights", "privacy", and "choice", a certain abortionist named Kermit Gosnell has operated for the last 30 years, pretty much without regard to any regulatory restrictions whatsoever. Things like the "Born Alive Infant Protection Act", counseling requirements and sterilization of surgical tools didn't hinder this butcher whatsoever. This man's market was minority and poverty-stricken women that nobody would really pay attention to, but a money-making market, none the less.
First, the fact that this story is not plastered all over the front pages of the newspapers or the lead story for your nightly prime time news show is very telling. Anything that paints "reproductive choice" in a bad light needs to be swept under the rug, post-haste.
Second, I thought Roe Vs. Wade was supposed to put an end to the "coat-hanger abortions" that were happening prior to 1973. If you follow the links below, I think you'll find that that is certainly not the case. This man has been indicted for the murder of 2 women, and 7 "viable fetuses". God knows how many more victims he has left in his wake. Even more troubling is the complicity of the state agencies that have allowed this horror show to play out for the last 30 years unchecked.
I have one thing to add before I list the links - a content warning, especially if you read part or all of the grand jury indictment (there are pictures included in this 287-page report). This stuff belongs in a horror movie, not the real deal, and certainly not in America. I have spent most of the day wondering how many more clinics exist like the "Women's Medical Society". One is one too many.
Follow the links at your own risk:
Philadelphia Horror
Grand Jury Indictment
The next time you get a chance, call you Mom and thank her.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
What the President Didn't Say Last Night
Obviously, I disagree with our Commander in Chief on just about everything. While I try to give credit where credit is due (allowing the Navy Seal Snipers to knock off those Somali pirates comes to mind), finding an opportunity to do such is rare.
Last night's Iraq war "victory" speech was no exception. In the 19 minute speech, President Obama missed several opportunities to look and sound presidential. He missed the boat, big time.
Here are three points that are unmistakably apparent:
1. He looks extremely uncomfortable in the Oval Office.
I have watched two speeches made by President Obama, delivered from the Oval Office. Just imagine: you are the most powerful man in the entire world, speaking to the most powerful nation on the planet, from the most prominent stage known to man - the Oval Office. Great leaders have said amazing and historic things from this podium. It strikes me that President Obama looks like a scared little boy in a grown-up's suit from that chair. I don't think he even likes being in the room at all.
2. The "great orator" sure does struggle to be perfectly clear.
I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard what a great speaker President Obama is. You would think that a Harvard professor, surrounded by countless wizards of smart writing speeches for him would be crystal clear. You would think that even someone with my limited education would walk away knowing exactly what was said and why. For some reason, the more this man speaks, the less I know what he is talking about. How does a speech on the withdrawal of combat troops morph into a speech about the economy, education reform and energy policy?
3. President Obama sees the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as a nuisance.
It is painfully obvious to me that President Obama would really rather not deal with these two wars. They take away precious time and resources he would rather spend on his domestic agenda (the ultimate socialization of this country). I think he believes that arbitrarily laying down withdrawal dates will just make this "nasty war business" go away. Then he is free to go back to the business of taking over banks, car companies, and the health and energy industries.
In closing, President Obama missed several opportunities last night. He could have claimed victory in Iraq, and boosted America's confidence regarding victory in Afghanistan. He did not. He is not comfortable with the word "victory". He could have been a man and expressed his regret for opposing the surge. He did not. He could have given a little credit to President George W. Bush for withstanding the opposition, and making the right decision, ultimately leading to victory in Iraq. He did not.
The fact is, our President neither looked nor sounded very presidential at all.
Last night's Iraq war "victory" speech was no exception. In the 19 minute speech, President Obama missed several opportunities to look and sound presidential. He missed the boat, big time.
Here are three points that are unmistakably apparent:
1. He looks extremely uncomfortable in the Oval Office.
I have watched two speeches made by President Obama, delivered from the Oval Office. Just imagine: you are the most powerful man in the entire world, speaking to the most powerful nation on the planet, from the most prominent stage known to man - the Oval Office. Great leaders have said amazing and historic things from this podium. It strikes me that President Obama looks like a scared little boy in a grown-up's suit from that chair. I don't think he even likes being in the room at all.
2. The "great orator" sure does struggle to be perfectly clear.
I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard what a great speaker President Obama is. You would think that a Harvard professor, surrounded by countless wizards of smart writing speeches for him would be crystal clear. You would think that even someone with my limited education would walk away knowing exactly what was said and why. For some reason, the more this man speaks, the less I know what he is talking about. How does a speech on the withdrawal of combat troops morph into a speech about the economy, education reform and energy policy?
3. President Obama sees the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as a nuisance.
It is painfully obvious to me that President Obama would really rather not deal with these two wars. They take away precious time and resources he would rather spend on his domestic agenda (the ultimate socialization of this country). I think he believes that arbitrarily laying down withdrawal dates will just make this "nasty war business" go away. Then he is free to go back to the business of taking over banks, car companies, and the health and energy industries.
In closing, President Obama missed several opportunities last night. He could have claimed victory in Iraq, and boosted America's confidence regarding victory in Afghanistan. He did not. He is not comfortable with the word "victory". He could have been a man and expressed his regret for opposing the surge. He did not. He could have given a little credit to President George W. Bush for withstanding the opposition, and making the right decision, ultimately leading to victory in Iraq. He did not.
The fact is, our President neither looked nor sounded very presidential at all.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Falling Down the Rabbit Hole
It's been a while since I've written, and to tell the truth, it's hard to know where to even start.
My head is spinning.
Let's have a brief recap, shall we?
There is no way to address the above-mentioned issues in one post. Please check back throughout the upcoming days for detailed analysis on these topics and more.
This is getting ridiculous. Our national security, financial stability, health care choices and individual freedom are teetering on the brink.
I feel like Alice tumbling down the rabbit hole.
Or maybe Neo, having just ingested the red pill.
Whatever it is, I want off this ride. This is a bad trip if I've ever had one, and I want off.
My head is spinning.
Let's have a brief recap, shall we?
- House passes H.R. 3962: 'To provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes. ' For a recap of this monstrocity, and (if you have an ivy league education) a link to the actual text, click here.
- Senate is preparing to pass their own version of the same nonsense, H.R. 3590: 'Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act' (a devious and misleading name for a bill if I've ever heard one). You can read all 2,074 pages here.
- Fourteen of our brave soldiers were murdered in cold blood, and thirty one others were injured on the largest military base in the United States by a radical Islamic jihadist (for those of you wondering, the fourteenth victim was the unborn child of a female soldier killed that day). No, the terrorist did not bypass security in the conventional sense of the word, he was a Major and a psychiatrist. Yep, Major Nadal Malik Hasan was in charge of treating our soldiers with post traumatic stress disorder upon their return from active combat duty in Afghanistan and Iraq.
- Our Attorney General, Eric Holder has displayed his brilliance in announcing a criminal trial in New York, of all places, for Khaleid Sheik Mohamad and for other co-conspiritors in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and The Pentagon (of course a fourth plane was brought down by brave Americans in an empty field in Pennsylvania). KSM has already pleaded guilty and requested to be put to death.
- President Obama has cancelled the promised missile defense systems in Poland and the Czech Republic: He has jaunted off to Copenhagen on a failed bid for the 2016 Olympics to be held in Chicago, Illinois (on our dime, by the way): He refused to attend the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall: And he has recently traveled to Asia, another apology tour in which he broke protocall again, bowing to Japanese Emperor Akihito.
- Unemployment escalates to 10.2 percent (actual figure hovers around 17 percent), in spite of the Generational Theft Act ™ ($787 billion "Stimulus Package"), that was supposed to keep unemployment below 8 percent.
- While lecturing the United States about fiscal restraint and the dangers of escalating budget deficits, the Obama Administration has set a new record: The budget deficit has topped 2 trillion dollars for the fiscal year of 2009. Let me write that out: $2,000,000,000,000.00. I repeat, that's the deficit for this year alone. I don't even own a calculator that can handle that many zeros.
There is no way to address the above-mentioned issues in one post. Please check back throughout the upcoming days for detailed analysis on these topics and more.
This is getting ridiculous. Our national security, financial stability, health care choices and individual freedom are teetering on the brink.
I feel like Alice tumbling down the rabbit hole.
Or maybe Neo, having just ingested the red pill.
Whatever it is, I want off this ride. This is a bad trip if I've ever had one, and I want off.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
David Lee Pruim
In honor of those who lost, risked and sacrificed their lives on September 11th, 2001, I am foregoing the usual political commentary to pay tribute to Mr. David Lee Pruim.
David Lee Pruim: March 24, 1948 - September 11, 2001
David Le Pruim. If you do a Google or Bing search, you will find his name many times. He was one of the innocent victims of the senseless terrorist attacks perpetrated by Islamic terrorists on September 11, 2001. Clicking on one of the results, you would find that David's name is located between "Carrie Beth Progen" and "Richard Prunty" (or Sarah Prothero Redheffer and Richard Prunty, depending on the site). I am here to tell you he was so much more than that to his family and friends.
David was born on March 24, 1948. He served as Senior Vice President of Risk Services for a rather large company called Aon Corp.
David married his soulmate Kate in 1973. After 18 years (a period of time she refers to as "an 18 year honeymoon"), David and Kate gave birth to Carrington. She was 10 years old on 9/11/01.
"We had an 18- year honeymoon and then our daughter was born and then more joy came into our lives," she said. "We just thought it would go on for another 28 years."
My note: It's almost impossible to pay proper tribute to a man I didn't even know, but have learned so much about in the last month. I will not even try. I am going to let his family and friends speak.
"He was the kindest, nicest, most gentle 6-foot-4 person there ever was.", Mrs. Pruim said. "He made everyone he came into contact with feel good about himself, from children to adults."
The two were from Michigan, and were introduced by friends, Mrs. Pruim recalled. "I just liked his personality, and he was gorgeous," she said, with a full-throated laugh. They enjoyed being together, even just sitting next to each other, reading.
(New York Times: Sunday, October 7, 2001)
My note: Sounds like my wife and I.
Here are some kind words by people that were blessed to know David and Kate:
September 12, 2007
David Lee Pruim: March 24, 1948 - September 11, 2001
David Le Pruim. If you do a Google or Bing search, you will find his name many times. He was one of the innocent victims of the senseless terrorist attacks perpetrated by Islamic terrorists on September 11, 2001. Clicking on one of the results, you would find that David's name is located between "Carrie Beth Progen" and "Richard Prunty" (or Sarah Prothero Redheffer and Richard Prunty, depending on the site). I am here to tell you he was so much more than that to his family and friends.
David was born on March 24, 1948. He served as Senior Vice President of Risk Services for a rather large company called Aon Corp.
David married his soulmate Kate in 1973. After 18 years (a period of time she refers to as "an 18 year honeymoon"), David and Kate gave birth to Carrington. She was 10 years old on 9/11/01.
"We had an 18- year honeymoon and then our daughter was born and then more joy came into our lives," she said. "We just thought it would go on for another 28 years."
My note: It's almost impossible to pay proper tribute to a man I didn't even know, but have learned so much about in the last month. I will not even try. I am going to let his family and friends speak.
"He was the kindest, nicest, most gentle 6-foot-4 person there ever was.", Mrs. Pruim said. "He made everyone he came into contact with feel good about himself, from children to adults."
The two were from Michigan, and were introduced by friends, Mrs. Pruim recalled. "I just liked his personality, and he was gorgeous," she said, with a full-throated laugh. They enjoyed being together, even just sitting next to each other, reading.
(New York Times: Sunday, October 7, 2001)
My note: Sounds like my wife and I.
Here are some kind words by people that were blessed to know David and Kate:
September 12, 2007
I thought of your family yesterday as the nation paused to remember the tradgedy of 9/11. I went to Hope College with Dave and Kate and they were wonderful people. Your family is thought of often and I pray for you daily. May God continue to bless your family.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
And the March to Tyranny Goes On.....
The week of June 22nd was a busy one, especially in the halls of Congress. "Busier than a one-armed paper-hanger in a wind storm."
I was saddened by the deaths of Ed Macman and Farah Faucet.
Ed lived a full life, was a decorated soldier, and was down-right funny when on the set with Johnny Carson.
I had the hots for Farah Faucet when I was younger. I rarely missed an episode of Charlies Angel's. She however, had been battling a nasty case of cancer, and is in a much better place.
Truth be told, I could care less about the "loss" of Micheal Jackson. The media (including Fox) seems to think differently. The gross over coverage of his death has been disgusting, to say the least. Micheal Jackson had become a freak, not the talented role model as the media is painting him. More than one bout with molestation lawsuits, dangling his baby over a balcony, and more plastic surgery than you could shake a stick at, his eccentricities disqualified him from role-model status long ago in my book.
As I said, it was a busy week for Congress. Not one, not two, but three major bills were submitted:
1) Health Care Reform
2) Immigration Reform
3) The American Clean Energy and Security Act
I would like to focus on #3 - A.K.A "The Cap and Trade Bill". When this bill was submitted (by Rep's Waxman and Markey), it was 900+ pages long. Not a really good chance that any member of the House could actually read and understand it, given the limited amount of time they had. Aparently, this just wasn't enough for 'ole Waxman, so he submitted a 309 page amendment at 3:00 a.m. Friday morning. You guessed it, the vote was to take place on Friday. How convenient. Here is an awesome video of Representative John Boehner's smack down on Waxman. That is what leadership looks like. Unfortunately for the American people, it was too little, too late.
This monstrosity passed: 219 - 212. In all, there were 44 Democrats who felt that they would not get re-elected if they voted "aye". There were 8 Republicans who said "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn". The final roll call for this Cap-and-Tax bill can be found here. If you find your representative in the "aye" column, I recommend calling him and giving notice that he is fired.
What is in this "harmless little bill" passed by the House of Representatives? If you read the name, you would think "clean energy" and "security". It contains nothing of the sort. This bill, if passed by the Senate, will be the largest single tax increase on consumers in American history. Here is an excerpt from the Heritage Foundation:
"Most problematic is the CBO's complete omission of the economic damage resulting from restricted energy use. As footnote 3 on page 4 of the CBO analysis reads, "The resource cost does not indicate the potential decrease in gross domestic product (GDP) that could result from the cap. The reduction in GDP would also include indirect general equilibrium effects, such as changes in the labor supply resulting from reductions in real wages and potential reductions in the productivity of capital and labor." In The Heritage Foundation's analysis of the Waxman-Markey climate change legislation, the GDP hit in 2020 was $161 billion (2009 dollars). For a family of four, that translates into $1,870--a pretty big chunk of change that the CBO is ignoring.
It is also worth noting that, of the 24 years analyzed by The Heritage Foundation's Center for Data Analysis (CDA), 2020 had the second lowest GDP loss. Furthermore, the CDA found that for all years the average GDP loss was $393 billion, or over double the 2020 hit. In 2035 (the last year analyzed by Heritage) the inflation adjusted GDP loss works out to $6,790 per family of four--and that is before they pay their $4,600 share of the carbon taxes. The negative economic impacts accumulate, and the national debt is no exception. The increase in family-of-four debt, solely because of Waxman-Markey, hits an astounding $114,915 by 2035."
You can read The Heritage Foundation's report here.
The most troubling thing of all is the fact that Congress has grown punch-drunk on power. Did you try to call Capitol Hill on Friday? I did. The lines were busy. Entire email accounts were shut down, and I dare say it wasn't in support of the cap and tax bill. It has become painfully obvious that our representatives are just not listening to us.
Psst: Hey Congress. I hate to break it to you, but you work for US!
Not to mention the fact that the entire premise of this legislation is based on a hoax perpetrated by Algore and his global warming entrepreneurs (I mean experts). "The sky is falling, but before it does, we can make a whole bunch of money!"
Here is what our Apologizer-in-Chief had to say regarding cap and trade: "Electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket".
You know, I am getting pretty sick and tired of being ignored by the very people who work for me. If I had an employee that continually disregarded my orders, I would fire them. How is it different when Congress does it?
Some say that Cap-and-Tax has no chance of passing the Senate. I hope that is the case. My question is this: why is it even a thought? How did it get this far, when so many Americans opposed it? Why leave the heavy lifting to the Senate? These are questions not very likely to get answered.
Congress is now on their 4th of July recess (they sure take a lot of those, don't they?). The coming weeks would be a great time to call and put them on notice. YOU are paying their payroll. Is this what you wanted in an employee? If you were cutting a weekly payroll check, would you continue to do so with this kind of insubordination? Not me, no way, no how.
I leave you with a link to an awesome video. Watch it. Think about it. The longer we put up with this crap, the worse it is going to get. The American people have been asleep for far too long.
Time to wake up.
I was saddened by the deaths of Ed Macman and Farah Faucet.
Ed lived a full life, was a decorated soldier, and was down-right funny when on the set with Johnny Carson.
I had the hots for Farah Faucet when I was younger. I rarely missed an episode of Charlies Angel's. She however, had been battling a nasty case of cancer, and is in a much better place.
Truth be told, I could care less about the "loss" of Micheal Jackson. The media (including Fox) seems to think differently. The gross over coverage of his death has been disgusting, to say the least. Micheal Jackson had become a freak, not the talented role model as the media is painting him. More than one bout with molestation lawsuits, dangling his baby over a balcony, and more plastic surgery than you could shake a stick at, his eccentricities disqualified him from role-model status long ago in my book.
As I said, it was a busy week for Congress. Not one, not two, but three major bills were submitted:
1) Health Care Reform
2) Immigration Reform
3) The American Clean Energy and Security Act
I would like to focus on #3 - A.K.A "The Cap and Trade Bill". When this bill was submitted (by Rep's Waxman and Markey), it was 900+ pages long. Not a really good chance that any member of the House could actually read and understand it, given the limited amount of time they had. Aparently, this just wasn't enough for 'ole Waxman, so he submitted a 309 page amendment at 3:00 a.m. Friday morning. You guessed it, the vote was to take place on Friday. How convenient. Here is an awesome video of Representative John Boehner's smack down on Waxman. That is what leadership looks like. Unfortunately for the American people, it was too little, too late.
This monstrosity passed: 219 - 212. In all, there were 44 Democrats who felt that they would not get re-elected if they voted "aye". There were 8 Republicans who said "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn". The final roll call for this Cap-and-Tax bill can be found here. If you find your representative in the "aye" column, I recommend calling him and giving notice that he is fired.
What is in this "harmless little bill" passed by the House of Representatives? If you read the name, you would think "clean energy" and "security". It contains nothing of the sort. This bill, if passed by the Senate, will be the largest single tax increase on consumers in American history. Here is an excerpt from the Heritage Foundation:
"Most problematic is the CBO's complete omission of the economic damage resulting from restricted energy use. As footnote 3 on page 4 of the CBO analysis reads, "The resource cost does not indicate the potential decrease in gross domestic product (GDP) that could result from the cap. The reduction in GDP would also include indirect general equilibrium effects, such as changes in the labor supply resulting from reductions in real wages and potential reductions in the productivity of capital and labor." In The Heritage Foundation's analysis of the Waxman-Markey climate change legislation, the GDP hit in 2020 was $161 billion (2009 dollars). For a family of four, that translates into $1,870--a pretty big chunk of change that the CBO is ignoring.
It is also worth noting that, of the 24 years analyzed by The Heritage Foundation's Center for Data Analysis (CDA), 2020 had the second lowest GDP loss. Furthermore, the CDA found that for all years the average GDP loss was $393 billion, or over double the 2020 hit. In 2035 (the last year analyzed by Heritage) the inflation adjusted GDP loss works out to $6,790 per family of four--and that is before they pay their $4,600 share of the carbon taxes. The negative economic impacts accumulate, and the national debt is no exception. The increase in family-of-four debt, solely because of Waxman-Markey, hits an astounding $114,915 by 2035."
You can read The Heritage Foundation's report here.
The most troubling thing of all is the fact that Congress has grown punch-drunk on power. Did you try to call Capitol Hill on Friday? I did. The lines were busy. Entire email accounts were shut down, and I dare say it wasn't in support of the cap and tax bill. It has become painfully obvious that our representatives are just not listening to us.
Psst: Hey Congress. I hate to break it to you, but you work for US!
Not to mention the fact that the entire premise of this legislation is based on a hoax perpetrated by Algore and his global warming entrepreneurs (I mean experts). "The sky is falling, but before it does, we can make a whole bunch of money!"
Here is what our Apologizer-in-Chief had to say regarding cap and trade: "Electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket".
You know, I am getting pretty sick and tired of being ignored by the very people who work for me. If I had an employee that continually disregarded my orders, I would fire them. How is it different when Congress does it?
Some say that Cap-and-Tax has no chance of passing the Senate. I hope that is the case. My question is this: why is it even a thought? How did it get this far, when so many Americans opposed it? Why leave the heavy lifting to the Senate? These are questions not very likely to get answered.
Congress is now on their 4th of July recess (they sure take a lot of those, don't they?). The coming weeks would be a great time to call and put them on notice. YOU are paying their payroll. Is this what you wanted in an employee? If you were cutting a weekly payroll check, would you continue to do so with this kind of insubordination? Not me, no way, no how.
I leave you with a link to an awesome video. Watch it. Think about it. The longer we put up with this crap, the worse it is going to get. The American people have been asleep for far too long.
Time to wake up.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
The Swine Flu Diversion
It dawned on me last night that there was something very fishy about this whole swine flu panic. I woke up thinking about it this morning, so I took about 5 minutes on the CDC website and did a little research on the subject. What I found out was very enlightening.
Got about 5 minutes? The website is here: CDC Flu Cases
Basically, from December 30, 2007 through May 17, 2008 there were almost 40,000 cases of influenza confirmed (over 225,000 were tested) worldwide. Of that number, 407 were confirmed to be H1N1. I don't recall hearing anything about it at the time, do you?
Did you know that almost 4,000 people died from influenza during that time frame? The most vulnerable were the very young and the very old.
My question is this: Why all the panic now?
It slipped under the radar a bit, but true to form, Obama procured $1.5 billion in funding to track (yes, track) the swine flu. Why is that? Judging by the CDC website, they seem very well funded already. All kinds of graphs, statistics, more graphs and charts. They seem to have a lot of extra time on their hands.
Another curious event coinciding with this mass panic (perpetrated by our Fear-monger in Chief) was the confirmation of Kathleeen Sebelius as Health and Human Services Secretary. Formerly the Governor of Kansas, Sebelius has one of the most radical pro-abortion voting records (second only to Obama, of course) ever. Of course, it would not be an Obama nomination without a little tax trouble, and there was an issue of conflict regarding campaign donations she received from George "Tiller the Killer". Nice. Apparently, she "forgot" about $38,000 her campaign received from this monster. In the midst of a "pandemic", Sebelius was confirmed.
It is reminiscent of Geithner's confirmation (you know, the guy that failed to pay $58,000 in back taxes, but was the only one that understood TARP) as Treasury Secretary. Now, the very same man, Turbo Tax Tim is vowing to close tax loopholes for companies that operate overseas. Just so everyone pays their fair share, don't ya know.
Maybe Sebillius is the only one that understands swine flu.
I would pay very close attention to what's going on behind the scenes. Obama's budget has passed (adding $3.5 trillion) to our national debt, not counting interest. Cap and (tax) trade is next, along with (sociallized) universal healthcare, and the "Employee Free Choice Act".
Can I fill you in on the healthcare issue? The Senate Majority leader, Harry Reid has vowed to move forward in a "bipartisan manner" (read: Republicans, agree with us or we'll call you obstructionists). He did say, however that "reconcilliation" may be used if they could not pass the bill. Reconcilliation is a provision that allows legislation to pass with a simple majority, rather than the usual required 60 votes. Historically, the provision was used to reduce budget spending. My how things change.
I am starting to regret casting my vote for Obama.....
/sarc off
Got about 5 minutes? The website is here: CDC Flu Cases
Basically, from December 30, 2007 through May 17, 2008 there were almost 40,000 cases of influenza confirmed (over 225,000 were tested) worldwide. Of that number, 407 were confirmed to be H1N1. I don't recall hearing anything about it at the time, do you?
Did you know that almost 4,000 people died from influenza during that time frame? The most vulnerable were the very young and the very old.
My question is this: Why all the panic now?
It slipped under the radar a bit, but true to form, Obama procured $1.5 billion in funding to track (yes, track) the swine flu. Why is that? Judging by the CDC website, they seem very well funded already. All kinds of graphs, statistics, more graphs and charts. They seem to have a lot of extra time on their hands.
Another curious event coinciding with this mass panic (perpetrated by our Fear-monger in Chief) was the confirmation of Kathleeen Sebelius as Health and Human Services Secretary. Formerly the Governor of Kansas, Sebelius has one of the most radical pro-abortion voting records (second only to Obama, of course) ever. Of course, it would not be an Obama nomination without a little tax trouble, and there was an issue of conflict regarding campaign donations she received from George "Tiller the Killer". Nice. Apparently, she "forgot" about $38,000 her campaign received from this monster. In the midst of a "pandemic", Sebelius was confirmed.
It is reminiscent of Geithner's confirmation (you know, the guy that failed to pay $58,000 in back taxes, but was the only one that understood TARP) as Treasury Secretary. Now, the very same man, Turbo Tax Tim is vowing to close tax loopholes for companies that operate overseas. Just so everyone pays their fair share, don't ya know.
Maybe Sebillius is the only one that understands swine flu.
I would pay very close attention to what's going on behind the scenes. Obama's budget has passed (adding $3.5 trillion) to our national debt, not counting interest. Cap and (tax) trade is next, along with (sociallized) universal healthcare, and the "Employee Free Choice Act".
Can I fill you in on the healthcare issue? The Senate Majority leader, Harry Reid has vowed to move forward in a "bipartisan manner" (read: Republicans, agree with us or we'll call you obstructionists). He did say, however that "reconcilliation" may be used if they could not pass the bill. Reconcilliation is a provision that allows legislation to pass with a simple majority, rather than the usual required 60 votes. Historically, the provision was used to reduce budget spending. My how things change.
I am starting to regret casting my vote for Obama.....
/sarc off
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Taxed Enough Already
April 15th, 2009 was a historical day. The numbers are not in yet, but I suspect that the Tea Party protests drew the largest conservative-based crowd in history. Conservative estimates put attendance at 250,000 people at over 800 rallies nationwide. Not quite the "million man march" (that really wasn't a million men) put on by Luis Farakhan a few years ago, but WOW!
I attended the protest at Jones Plaza in downtown Houston. Early estimates say there were about 4,000 freedom-loving, hard working Americans there. There were also "satellite protests" in the suburbs. All in all, I would guess that 6-7,000 people are fed up enough to take time out of their busy day to protest, in the Houston area alone. What were we protesting? Don't expect to get a clear answer from the main-stream media. Still hopelessly in love with Obama and the purveyors of his radical adgenda, they got it all wrong. Sad, but not surprising. Keith Olberman had some choice words (as usual-the man is a joke) on what he called "teabagging". I won't define it here, but feel free to look it up. The term is pretty disgusting in itself, but that wasn't enough for 'ole Keith. About 15 minutes into his ridiculous rant, I turned him off. He was waaaaay too turned on about the prospect of "teabagging", and made over 15 comments filled with innuendo and sexual connotations. I concluded (not for the first time) that this man is a total putz! Not surprising, PMS-NBC allowed this lunatic rant. Whatever. I pay no attention to complete idiots that refuse to face reallity.
Here's my take on the deal. I have never been to a protest of any kind, but I have seen several on TV. The one I attended yesterday didn't look like a protest to me. Nobody was burning flags. I didn't see one flag of any nationality other than the American flag. Nobody shouted "Obama is the devil" or "Kill Obama". I have never seen ANY protest started with the Pledge of Allegiance (led by 4th-graders) and a prayer. The protesters were polite, respectful and peaceful. There were several messages that were easy to understand. Try to get that from your typical "save the earth" or "civil rights" protest.
The message was: Stop spending us into oblivion. Lower taxes. No more bailouts. Term limits. Read and follow the Constitution. Stop trashing America. The message was simple, concise and non-violent.
A lot of you may be asking, "What's the use?": "What good does all of this do?": Congress and The President don't care.", etc. That's just not true. Try as they may, they cannot ignore us. As a Japanese commander said after the bombing of Pearl Harbor: "I fear we have awaken a sleeping giant." Fits the situation perfectly. Besides, this general lack of interest in policy is exactly what got us into the mess we are in. Our government is supposed to be "by the people, for the people". If you are not telling your government how to represent you, what do you expect? Squeeky wheels get greased.
I don't mean to complain, but bear with me a bit. I have a hard time believing that only 6,000 citizens out of over 4 million are fed up right now. I heard "I don't think I can make it" or "I've got something else going": sometimes I just heard crickets chirping. No problem, I understand. Wednesday, April 15th in downtown Houston can be pretty difficult to make. Parking is a bugger-bear, and most people fed up right now are actually working to pay their bills rather than waiting around for a hand-out. No harm, no foul. The next one is Saturday, July 4th. Start planning to attend now. This is important.
I would like to talk about taxes a little if I could. Try this exercise: Take a look at your paycheck next week. Not your take-home, but look closely. Tabulate the amount of money located in the "FICA", "Social Security" and "Medicare" columns. Then, multiply this by 52. Depending on your income, this could be a pretty hefty amount. Now, I want you to imagine a beautiful spring day in April. After hours of calculations, and / or possibly hundreds of dollars in accounting fees, imagine breaking out the old check book and writing a check made payable to the IRS for the ENTIRE AMOUNT. We are not done yet. I want you to imagine the final destination of that money. Picture if you will, the "green jobs" that this will fund. Think of all the wellfare recipients that will be so grateful for your hard-earned money. Think AIG: Think of all the members of the UAW that can continue to work at a company under whose leadership would not normally survive the free market that our system is based on. Worse yet, think about the raise that Pelosi, Reid and 533 other members of your Congress just gave themselves. Then I want you to remember all those years of hard work. Think about your Social Security contributions (yes, go ahead and read that stupid "account balance" they send you every year). I know it's a stretch, but imagine turning 73 (or whatever the retirement age will be when we get there) and finally becoming elligible to start getting your own money back. Oops! It's not there. What do "they" do then? Sorry Mr. Smith, but you are only elligible for $250 per month for the next 40 years. I don't know about you, but this gets my blood boiling.
What's the solution? I SAY THE FAIR TAX! Please do some research on it. Let your voice be heard. In a nutshell:
1. 23% national sales tax to replace FICA, Social Security and Medicare (after 2 to 3 years this would probably be reduced to about 17%).
2. No more withholding - NONE. Go back to my suggestion above. Can you imagine not
having to write that check to the IRS? What would you do if you had 25-35% of
your income IN YOUR HANDS?
3. People below the "poverty level" still won't pay taxes.
4. No more 60,000 page tax code.
5. Tax imposed on new goods only. No "re-sales" tax when re-selling cars, houses,
etc.
6. Taxed on what you spend, not what you make. This includes drug-dealers, cash-
businesses, illegal immigrants. Everyone.
7. No more IRS. It is none of their business what we make, anyway.
Those are just a few benefits of a national sales tax, or "Fair Tax". There are many more benefits: check them out at http://www.fairtax.org/
Some people suggest a flat tax, where there are no deductions, just a simple flat rate for different levels of income. This is still progressive, punishes success, promotes class warfare and lets a government entity snoop into your personal affairs way more than should be allowed.
Here's the bottom line: Hard-working, freedom-loving Americans are sick and tired of footing the bill for corruption, special interest groups and total losers that have become dependant on government support. The Tea Parties told a little bit of the story, but not the whole story. If you haven't already, get involved. Tell your elected officials that they will be out of work if they do not represent you the way you want to be represented. If they fail, vote them out. Eventually, we will have a congressional cleansing, and this great country can go back to, well, being great.
I'm TEA'd off. How about you?
UPDATE: Over 8,500 people signed in at the Houston Tea Party. Many, many more weren't allowed to enter, or refused to sign up. New estimate - over 10,000 in attendance, not counting the satellite protests. PHENOMENAL!
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