Econo-ignorance

Happy Friday! So, I have been thinking over the past week or so, that the real crisis America currently faces is not just about terrorists or Socialists disguised as members of the Democrat Party like Obama and Clinton and Dean and UGH Pelosi. Added to that is the growing number of Americans who just have no knowledge and background in basic economic principles.

You see, it is the combination of our Constitution and our Economics that have made America great. And, contrary to what to all the Libs and leftist media want you to believe, America is great. We should not feel bad about that, and we absolutely must not apologize for it. Yes, we are in a different time today than we were 200+ years ago when the Constitution was drafted. Those founding principles however, are as valid today as they were then.

The point of today's entry, however, is economics. Shocking, frightening, appalling, sad, depressing....those are the words that come to mind when I talk with random people about this year's election, when I hear callers to talk radio, when I watch tv, read the news, listen to Barack and Hillary stump etc.

For as great as America still is, one of our greatest challenges is that there is an ever growing base of the populous that frankly, is econo-ignorant. I struggle to understand what it is that makes people believe that the economics of Obama or Clinton are in the best interest of keeping America great and making America even greater. I get that the "average" person looks at the price of oil and food sees those prices rocketing upward....but I also think the "average" person doesn't really understand why that is happening. It is my belief that too many people get their news from outlets with Liberal agendas, and that a large portion of the population has been brainwashed by the media into believing that things are incredibly bad right now.

As a Conservative, I believe that, if I want to better my plot in life, it is up to me and that I am ultimately and solely responsible to make it happen. That is the very essence of the American Spirit. That we live in a country that allows us such amazing opportunity to do and be who and what we strive to be. Yet, we have candidates who think that the failed ideologies of Socialist and Communist regimes is the way to go forward. Don't you think there are reasons why the U.S.S.R. ceases to exist? Don't you think there are reasons that we, in America, enjoy the greatest standard of living on Earth?

America was built and became great because people did not wait for and rely on the government to save them. Yet, in Obama and Clinton, we have people that espouse a philosophy of taking from the people that do, to give to the people that don't. I don't know about you, but it scares the lights out of me to think that an Obama led administration will try to take profits away from companies to create more welfare programs for the lazy. That is the EXACT OPPOSITE approach from what has and will work. Let's let it be known I am no fan of some things the Bush Admnistration and the Democrat led Congress have done this year. By bailing out people who bought more home than they could afford and by bailing out banks and financial institutions we rewarded irresponsible behaviors and have sent the message that, don't worry, the government will bail you out and take care of you. We should have forced these people and companies to accept responsibility for what they did and dig themselves out of their own holes.

If we provided all of our citizens with sound economic education, a) our nominees for President would be vastly different and b) we would not be subjected to all of this Robin Hood-ish grandstanding for votes. We would have candidates that stand before us and tell us that the right way for America to stay great and become greater is to:
1. Reduce the size of Government - At all levels, every government program and department should be put under the microscope. We waste so much money, because 95% of everything government touches it screws up.
2. By reducing the size of government, we will lower taxes for individuals AND companies. So let's see, if an individual pays less tax, they can save more (reducing social security crisis and invest in companies more, driving markets forward) and spend more (further moving the economy ahead). If a corporation pays less tax, it has the capital needed to expand, which means more jobs and more profits, which in turns helps individuals by getting more people working AND doubly by increasing the value of individuals investments because the companies perform better.
3. Eliminate the "Entitlement Mentality". Face it, people who want bigger government and think the way to help people is by creating government programs to "help" the needy, only espouse that philosophy as a way to gain votes, or to somehow make them feel less guilty about their own success. In prior posts, I have told you of my 3 yr plan to eliminate welfare as we know it. It is possible and it is doable.

It is my belief that the only reason you would, in a time like this, vote for Clinton or Obama, is because you have not been educated on economics. Simply, when people and companies pay less in tax, they spend more (in buying stuff, in creating jobs, in saving, in making retirement plans more profitable). When people and companies spend more, the economy grows. Yes, there will always be cyclical economic ups and downs. But even today, with gas at $3.75 a gallon, and when a fill up at this time last year (15 gallons at $2.75) cost $41.25, and it now costs $56.25.....would you even care about it if the 28% tax bracket became the 20% tax bracket?

Let's do that math. Let's say your household income is $100,000 and you are in, hypothetically, the 28% tax bracket. That's a $28,000 tax liability. What if, by reducing the size and scope of government, you suddenly had a 20% tax liability. That equates to $20,000. That's $8,000 per year in your pocket of real money. If you fill up your tank once a week at an extra $15 per fill up (times 52 weeks) that equals $780. Folks, there are two things there. First, the exorbitant cost of gas to fill your vehicle is going to cost you around $800 more this year than last. Shoot, most people blow $800 a MONTH on stuff and have no idea they do it. Second, by doing the right thing and lowering taxes, you'd be $7, 120 on the plus side!!!!!! Factor that out over 20 years....
and that is over $140,000.....if you invested that money, it would double roughly 1.5 times and your $140,000 would become an additional $350,000 in your retirement account.

You tell me......how on earth can you walk into a voting booth this November and vote for anyone other than someone who pledges to reduce government and taxes?

The only possible way, is because you are econo-ignorant.

We must force our schools, public and private, as well as our colleges and universities, to teach a balanced economic curriculum, without bias. We must elect people who are dedicated and committed to reducing the size of government and lowering taxes. We must find and elect people who understand these basic economic principles and fight to uphold them at all costs.

Sometime near the end of 2008 I hope to launch a non-profit organization dedicated to constructing a Conservative Curriculum and having as it's focus total and complete adoption of that curriculum by every public and private high school in America. We must teach our children, and ourselves, these principles and then use them to make decisions about who we want to lead America.

It's time to end the "Age of Econo-ignorance".

If you read this blog, please help me by sending the link to 5 people, and asking them to read my blog and then do the same and send it to 5, and so on and so on. I don't have all the answers, but the things I speak of are things that resonate with a lot of people. When I talk with neighbors and co-workers and people I meet on the street....this stuff makes sense. Because in many ways, it is common sense and it is the root thread that binds us Americans.

Thank you as always for reading, and thank you in advance for helping advance this cause.

Scott