From today's New Your Times....
“Our goal is not to further burden the struggling American auto industry,” he said, but rather to make a major step toward addressing global warming by cleaning up the American transportation fleet. - Direct quotation taken from President Obama after he signed an order telling the EPA to mandate that car makers increase fuel efficiency by 40%.
So, all of you who like to drive the size and kind of car YOU want.....your freedom was taken away just a little bit more today. The Obama administration, in a step by step manner, is setting out and executing on items that will make being American more like being the citizen of some socialist country like France (and while the French can really cook, and they get the concept of nuclear power being THE way to power the planet, do you really want to live in France....I think NOT).
Elections have consequences. Electing Obama has already begun to impune us with more and more regulations to limit our freedom of choice in what we think, what our kids are taught, where we can eat, what car we can drive........and what I am going to call the "Un-great Expansion of Government" is now upon us....in full swing by the leftist Liberals.....led by a guy with little to no experience in much of anything.
God Bless America.....we need it now more than ever!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Conservativism is the ONLY solution!
Poor corporate earnings reports, financial system still in a credit "gridlock";
government officials printing money like there is no tomorrow and devaluing the dollar further;
the new President promised during the campaign that he would be the one to fix the recession quickly and now that he is in office, it is now going be a long slow process to get the economy growing again.....
Lies upon lies upon lies.
We have a situation in which the American public has been lied to, believing that there is no regulation or not enough regulation, when in fact, the problem is lack of enforcement of the existing regulations. Why have existing regulations not been enforced? The answer is shocking, quite frankly. Government agencies spend more time fighting over who should regulate whom and as a result get stuck in regulatory turf wars....and while they are fighting over who should enforce regulations, no one enforces the regulations.
And let's be honest about government. There is NOTHING that government does that can not be done better by the private sector. It's called capitalism. It is called free enterprise. It is called the American Dream.
The private sector is blanketed in incentives. Whether incentives be bonuses, promotions, stock options, expense accounts, or other perks that people can get as they work hard and move up in private businesses. These incentives, rewards for doing more with less. just do not exist in government. How else can you explain that while successful companies like Caterpillar and Home Depot are announcing layoffs, the government is GROWING??????!!!!!!!!?????
Shouldn't NOW be the time when government contracts faster and deeper than the private sector? Isn't NOW the time when those that run the most successful businesses in America should be in Washington, digging in and directing our government in the proper ways for our country to get our of the recession???!!!!???
The bottom line is Conservatism MUST be the thought process followed....now and forever.
NOW is the time to dramatically shrink government at EVERY LEVEL. Now is the time to dramatically reduce taxes on individuals and corporations alike. We need to reduce taxes on companies so that they can be more profitable, keep people working, and employ more people. We need to reduce taxes on individuals so that those in trouble have more money to pay their bills and the rest can have more money to spend, buying the products that drives the economy from the bottom up.
Let's face it, consumer spending is important to economic growth. But so are corporate earnings. When companies pay lower taxes they have more money. More money for a company means higher earnings which results in higher stock prices. Higher stock prices are needed to help the millions and millions of Americans that are in or nearing retirement. More money for a company means the ability to invest in themselves, to continue to invent and reinvent and stay competitive in the world marketplace. More money means growth, which means that more employees are needed.
More employees means lower unemployment. Lower unemployment means more people working and paying taxes. It also means more people spending more money each day/week/month/quarter which means companies sell more and make more. It means more people able to make their mortgage payments which means fewer foreclosures which means more stability in the banking sector which means more willingness by the banks to lend.
Conservatism tells us that government which governs least, governs best. It tells us that smaller government means less government interference in private lives of citizens. Smaller government also means a government more able to focus on the really important things that governments do.....national security, secure borders, protection and enforcement of the Constitution.
Now, more than ever before, we must realize that being Conservative and forcing our government to uphold our Conservative ideals IS what America has ALWAYS been about.....Conservatism IS what makes America, America. Our greatness and leadership in the world is the result of our Conservative heritage.
And, the further we move back to our Conservative roots, the more effective we will be in solving all of the other issues of our time.
We DO need to address our energy issues. But not from an environmental perspective, but from the viewpoints of national security and economic security. That is not to say we ignore the environment. Rather, Conservative has as its root, the word conserve. As Conservatives we understand our duties to protect the environment within the context of national and economic security.
We need to address health care and retirement security. If anyone needs to be regulated, it is the government. We have allowed government corruption to jeopardize our retirement security system (Social Security). Government corruption has allowed our health care system to be run by wealthy and powerful lobbyists and PACs working on behalf of the innsurance companies and special interests who put their own financial gains outweigh the common good.
We can fix all of our problems. And we can fix them quickly and effectively. However, to do so will result in sacrifice. We must, just like our parents, grandparents and great grandparents beofre us, be willing to sacrifice in the short term in order to ensure that in the long term our American way of life is protected, preserved and empowered.
What's right is not always easy, and it is not always popular, but right is always right.
government officials printing money like there is no tomorrow and devaluing the dollar further;
the new President promised during the campaign that he would be the one to fix the recession quickly and now that he is in office, it is now going be a long slow process to get the economy growing again.....
Lies upon lies upon lies.
We have a situation in which the American public has been lied to, believing that there is no regulation or not enough regulation, when in fact, the problem is lack of enforcement of the existing regulations. Why have existing regulations not been enforced? The answer is shocking, quite frankly. Government agencies spend more time fighting over who should regulate whom and as a result get stuck in regulatory turf wars....and while they are fighting over who should enforce regulations, no one enforces the regulations.
And let's be honest about government. There is NOTHING that government does that can not be done better by the private sector. It's called capitalism. It is called free enterprise. It is called the American Dream.
The private sector is blanketed in incentives. Whether incentives be bonuses, promotions, stock options, expense accounts, or other perks that people can get as they work hard and move up in private businesses. These incentives, rewards for doing more with less. just do not exist in government. How else can you explain that while successful companies like Caterpillar and Home Depot are announcing layoffs, the government is GROWING??????!!!!!!!!?????
Shouldn't NOW be the time when government contracts faster and deeper than the private sector? Isn't NOW the time when those that run the most successful businesses in America should be in Washington, digging in and directing our government in the proper ways for our country to get our of the recession???!!!!???
The bottom line is Conservatism MUST be the thought process followed....now and forever.
NOW is the time to dramatically shrink government at EVERY LEVEL. Now is the time to dramatically reduce taxes on individuals and corporations alike. We need to reduce taxes on companies so that they can be more profitable, keep people working, and employ more people. We need to reduce taxes on individuals so that those in trouble have more money to pay their bills and the rest can have more money to spend, buying the products that drives the economy from the bottom up.
Let's face it, consumer spending is important to economic growth. But so are corporate earnings. When companies pay lower taxes they have more money. More money for a company means higher earnings which results in higher stock prices. Higher stock prices are needed to help the millions and millions of Americans that are in or nearing retirement. More money for a company means the ability to invest in themselves, to continue to invent and reinvent and stay competitive in the world marketplace. More money means growth, which means that more employees are needed.
More employees means lower unemployment. Lower unemployment means more people working and paying taxes. It also means more people spending more money each day/week/month/quarter which means companies sell more and make more. It means more people able to make their mortgage payments which means fewer foreclosures which means more stability in the banking sector which means more willingness by the banks to lend.
Conservatism tells us that government which governs least, governs best. It tells us that smaller government means less government interference in private lives of citizens. Smaller government also means a government more able to focus on the really important things that governments do.....national security, secure borders, protection and enforcement of the Constitution.
Now, more than ever before, we must realize that being Conservative and forcing our government to uphold our Conservative ideals IS what America has ALWAYS been about.....Conservatism IS what makes America, America. Our greatness and leadership in the world is the result of our Conservative heritage.
And, the further we move back to our Conservative roots, the more effective we will be in solving all of the other issues of our time.
We DO need to address our energy issues. But not from an environmental perspective, but from the viewpoints of national security and economic security. That is not to say we ignore the environment. Rather, Conservative has as its root, the word conserve. As Conservatives we understand our duties to protect the environment within the context of national and economic security.
We need to address health care and retirement security. If anyone needs to be regulated, it is the government. We have allowed government corruption to jeopardize our retirement security system (Social Security). Government corruption has allowed our health care system to be run by wealthy and powerful lobbyists and PACs working on behalf of the innsurance companies and special interests who put their own financial gains outweigh the common good.
We can fix all of our problems. And we can fix them quickly and effectively. However, to do so will result in sacrifice. We must, just like our parents, grandparents and great grandparents beofre us, be willing to sacrifice in the short term in order to ensure that in the long term our American way of life is protected, preserved and empowered.
What's right is not always easy, and it is not always popular, but right is always right.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
The Banking "Crisis"
Dear President Obama,
Here's a novel concept. Require any bank that has taken, or will take, TARP money to refinance the loans of all homeowners currently in foreclosure.
Oh wait, that would mean that banks would have to operate like responsible businesses that give a damn about something other than their own executive bonuses. Wow! What a concept that would be......
Yours truly,
Scott
Here's a novel concept. Require any bank that has taken, or will take, TARP money to refinance the loans of all homeowners currently in foreclosure.
Oh wait, that would mean that banks would have to operate like responsible businesses that give a damn about something other than their own executive bonuses. Wow! What a concept that would be......
Yours truly,
Scott
Monday, January 19, 2009
Goodbye W........Hello....Obama.....
Well it is January 19th, the final day of the "W" Presidency. In reflection, could we have had a better President after being attacked on 9/11? I think not. And like or dislike "W"'s tenure, there are some things we must admire and respect and be thankful for as the sun sets on his terms in office.
1. We have not been attacked since 9-11. The fact remains that President Clinton did a lot of damage to our intelligence capabilities, and that attitude weakened us to the point of being attacked on our own soil. That is not to say that we would not have been attacked during the Bush years, but we should be thankful "W" was the guy in charge on that horrific day.
2. We pay less in taxes today than we did 8 years ago. We have President Bush to thank for that, and it is an accomplishment we are likely, in the next 4 years, to realize the true impact of on our lives.
3. "W" stood on his principles and never wavered. Agree or disagree with his principles, you can not find fault in a man believing what he thinks is right and standing up for those beliefs. Obama has already shown he not the man "W" is, having already gone back on campaign promises, before he has even taken the oath of office!
However, "W" had a Republican led Congress from 2000 - 2006 and all he managed to do was prove himself, and the rest of those in Congress, to be fiscal Liberals, spending our country into an enormous debt burden AND turning a blind or ignorant eye to what Congress and the Liberals were doing with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The hard fact of the matter is, the government has no right owning and running what could and should be private companies. EVERYTHING else the government touches gets screwed up.....why would we want them dealing in mortgages?
So, "W" will be remembered as the President who was in office when the fiscal crisis started. He will be remembered for keeping us safe from attack, no matter what else happened. And the what else is a recession.
Which brings us to the impending Obama presidency. Barack Obama is about to become my President. And when he does the right thing, he will have my support. When he does the wrong thing, I will turn on him faster than the American public turned on President Bush.
Mr. Obama is faced with challenges. But every President is, that's part of the gig! Don't be misled by him or the media and all of the doom and gloom they report, trying to make you feel even worse so that they increase the chances of Obama looking like the savior and rescuing us all from the big bad conservatives.
The facts are, our best chance is for President Obama to act like a fiscal conservative. Saying no to the cronies in the Democrat party who are licking their chops as they get ready to call in ALL of the favors they have done for our new President.
Mr. Obama needs to, and there are rumblings he just might:
1. Lower taxes. EVEN for businesses!!!!! Lower taxes always have been and always will be a key cog in economic growth.
2. Force government to do more with less. None among us wants to see our fellow Americans suffer. But things like extended unemployment benefits must be met with even greater spending cuts in other areas.
3. Forego this infrastructure building plan. All economists know and understand that moving money from business, where permanent and sustainable job creation happens, to government programs where the jobs last only as long as it takes to build the bridge or pave the road, is purely a redistribution of wealth from the private sector (business) to the public sector (government).
Government CAN NOT do for us what we must do for ourselves. Until we come to that realization, we are in for tougher times and less prosperity than what we have known heretofore. We must, on the eve of this most amazing events in American history (and you had better believe I am proud that this country, MY America, has looked beyond the color of a man's skin to elect him to be our leader), remember that our government is not what has made our country great. Our LACK of government interference and our insistence on personal responsibility, capitalism, free enterprise, and our amazing and uniquely American qualities are what makes America the envy of the world.
So on this January day, with kudos and criticism I bid farewell to President George W Bush, and with cautios trepidation I welcome as my new President, OUR new President, Barack Obama. Mr. Obama, good luck, conservative principles, and Godspeed.
1. We have not been attacked since 9-11. The fact remains that President Clinton did a lot of damage to our intelligence capabilities, and that attitude weakened us to the point of being attacked on our own soil. That is not to say that we would not have been attacked during the Bush years, but we should be thankful "W" was the guy in charge on that horrific day.
2. We pay less in taxes today than we did 8 years ago. We have President Bush to thank for that, and it is an accomplishment we are likely, in the next 4 years, to realize the true impact of on our lives.
3. "W" stood on his principles and never wavered. Agree or disagree with his principles, you can not find fault in a man believing what he thinks is right and standing up for those beliefs. Obama has already shown he not the man "W" is, having already gone back on campaign promises, before he has even taken the oath of office!
However, "W" had a Republican led Congress from 2000 - 2006 and all he managed to do was prove himself, and the rest of those in Congress, to be fiscal Liberals, spending our country into an enormous debt burden AND turning a blind or ignorant eye to what Congress and the Liberals were doing with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The hard fact of the matter is, the government has no right owning and running what could and should be private companies. EVERYTHING else the government touches gets screwed up.....why would we want them dealing in mortgages?
So, "W" will be remembered as the President who was in office when the fiscal crisis started. He will be remembered for keeping us safe from attack, no matter what else happened. And the what else is a recession.
Which brings us to the impending Obama presidency. Barack Obama is about to become my President. And when he does the right thing, he will have my support. When he does the wrong thing, I will turn on him faster than the American public turned on President Bush.
Mr. Obama is faced with challenges. But every President is, that's part of the gig! Don't be misled by him or the media and all of the doom and gloom they report, trying to make you feel even worse so that they increase the chances of Obama looking like the savior and rescuing us all from the big bad conservatives.
The facts are, our best chance is for President Obama to act like a fiscal conservative. Saying no to the cronies in the Democrat party who are licking their chops as they get ready to call in ALL of the favors they have done for our new President.
Mr. Obama needs to, and there are rumblings he just might:
1. Lower taxes. EVEN for businesses!!!!! Lower taxes always have been and always will be a key cog in economic growth.
2. Force government to do more with less. None among us wants to see our fellow Americans suffer. But things like extended unemployment benefits must be met with even greater spending cuts in other areas.
3. Forego this infrastructure building plan. All economists know and understand that moving money from business, where permanent and sustainable job creation happens, to government programs where the jobs last only as long as it takes to build the bridge or pave the road, is purely a redistribution of wealth from the private sector (business) to the public sector (government).
Government CAN NOT do for us what we must do for ourselves. Until we come to that realization, we are in for tougher times and less prosperity than what we have known heretofore. We must, on the eve of this most amazing events in American history (and you had better believe I am proud that this country, MY America, has looked beyond the color of a man's skin to elect him to be our leader), remember that our government is not what has made our country great. Our LACK of government interference and our insistence on personal responsibility, capitalism, free enterprise, and our amazing and uniquely American qualities are what makes America the envy of the world.
So on this January day, with kudos and criticism I bid farewell to President George W Bush, and with cautios trepidation I welcome as my new President, OUR new President, Barack Obama. Mr. Obama, good luck, conservative principles, and Godspeed.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Faith, Hope and Gainesville State Prison......
While this is a decidedly political blog, every once in a while you come across a story that, no matter what your background or political views, you have to stop, digest and re-read because there is so much good that goes on in the world.....we just take it for granted and more often than not, we don't hear anything about it. So, here's something good for you to read and share with your friends and family this Christmas. Please go to this link and read the story, it's the kind of story we should write, tell and make happen every day.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?section=magazine&id=3789373
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?section=magazine&id=3789373
Friday, December 19, 2008
Is the Federal Reserve acting in our best interest?
As I have been doing more research into the Fed (Federal Reserve System) I am growing in the belief that it is time to make drastic changes in the Fed, if not do away with it altogether. The Fed was created as a result of the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 as the brainchild of the most powerful private bankers of the day. In short, it was created to ensure good fortune for said bankers.
The main problems with the Fed, and reasons why it needs changes, have recently been written about by one of the writers I follow closely, Jim Jubak. Please click on this link to see 5 reasons why Jim Jubak has big problems with the Fed as well. http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/JubaksJournal/5-reasons-the-fed-is-obsolete.aspx
I'm no expert on banking and the financial system, but I do posses common sense. My common sense tells me that when you print enormous sums of paper money, you dilute the value of all the money. Since the creation of the Fed, the US Dollar has lost over 90% of it's value. That is astounding....and absurd. My common sense tells me it is time take action to increase the value of the US Dollar. Perhaps, and this is a shocker, moving BACK to the method of backing every US Dollar with something real and valuable, like, say, GOLD!
We are a pivotal point in our history. If we continue down the path that all of these haughty "one worlders" want to take us on, we will see a continuing devaluation of the dollar, meteoric rises in inflation, and a US economy not the envy of the world, but a laughing stock. Remember, there are many countries around the world who wish us ill will and would love to see a collapse of the USA.
Or, we can come together, and say enough is enough. We can restore our financial integrity and strength in the world. But instead of relying purely on people who spend their lives studying what other studiers write, perhaps we ought to give good old common sense a try......
The main problems with the Fed, and reasons why it needs changes, have recently been written about by one of the writers I follow closely, Jim Jubak. Please click on this link to see 5 reasons why Jim Jubak has big problems with the Fed as well. http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/JubaksJournal/5-reasons-the-fed-is-obsolete.aspx
I'm no expert on banking and the financial system, but I do posses common sense. My common sense tells me that when you print enormous sums of paper money, you dilute the value of all the money. Since the creation of the Fed, the US Dollar has lost over 90% of it's value. That is astounding....and absurd. My common sense tells me it is time take action to increase the value of the US Dollar. Perhaps, and this is a shocker, moving BACK to the method of backing every US Dollar with something real and valuable, like, say, GOLD!
We are a pivotal point in our history. If we continue down the path that all of these haughty "one worlders" want to take us on, we will see a continuing devaluation of the dollar, meteoric rises in inflation, and a US economy not the envy of the world, but a laughing stock. Remember, there are many countries around the world who wish us ill will and would love to see a collapse of the USA.
Or, we can come together, and say enough is enough. We can restore our financial integrity and strength in the world. But instead of relying purely on people who spend their lives studying what other studiers write, perhaps we ought to give good old common sense a try......
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
A time for real leadership......
American icons of business on the brink of ruin.....
CEO's groveling at the feet of politicians.....
Wealthy people duped in Ponzi schemes.....
Federal Reserve and Treasury reeking of desperation....
Governor of Illinois engulfed in scandal.....
and the President Elect.....suddenly, strangely, nowhere to be found....
What has happened to Leadership in America? Where have the leaders gone? What is leadership?
The last question is the easiest to answer. Leadership, at least my definition, is a set of traits that allow a person to stand up, tell the truth - share a vision - outline a plan of action that will result in the realization of the vision. Leadership is also courage to tell people things they may not like to hear and to not back down in the face of adversity.
As we create the largest sub-prime mortgage ever (the mortgaging of the future of America to bail out companies and failure to hold companies accountable for their failures) and give hundreds of billions of dollars to companies who have truly only earned the right to go bankrupt and/or out of business we are witnessing a truly amazing lack of leadership in America.
We should be ashamed. Our elected leaders should be ashamed. We must rally together around a sensible and coherent vision and message. The time has come for us to come together as Americans and swallow the bitter pills in the short term so that our economy, our future, our country can not only be stable, but truly flourish in the future.
Continuing to bail out every company that "needs" taxpayer money to make up for poor management is not the kind of leadership we need today. Listening to highly unqualified people like Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and the like telling career business people how they must operate and what products they must produce to get help is ridiculous. Almost as ridiculous as the CEO's of the Big Three automakers thinking they should get taxpayer money!
How about Bankruptcy???? Bankruptcy laws are on the books to protect businesses and allow them to reorganize so that they can emerge from bankruptcy able to compete and succeed. Is bankruptcy tough? YES. Chrysler has filed bankruptcy before, and they survived. Fact is, the Big Three should file for bankruptcy, bust the UAW and RESPONSIBLY right size the wages paid to workers and right size the benefit packages for retirees.
Giving the Big Three $15 Billion will only put off the inevitable for 2, 3, maybe 4 months. Let's bite the bullet now, take the medicine we should have taken 5, 10, 20 years ago and hold people and companies responsible for their actions.
A real leader would stand up, tell us that doing the right thing today, no matter how difficult, is the right thing to do.
Today, we have VERY few people standing up to fight for us. Take Back The Republican Party.org is going to help solve that problem. We are making progress and the site looks like it will be launched in January. The new logo will be ready by the end of December and I will share it with you once it is done.
Thank you for reading, and get ready to contribute to our cause in the weeks, months and years to come. We'll be asking you to contribute time, money, ideas......all in the name of electing people who will support our ideals, fixing the way our children are taught about government/politics/economics, and establishing a scholarship fund to send low and middle income kids to schools that teach in the Conservative tradition.
The next few years are going to be exciting, and we ARE going to make a difference!
CEO's groveling at the feet of politicians.....
Wealthy people duped in Ponzi schemes.....
Federal Reserve and Treasury reeking of desperation....
Governor of Illinois engulfed in scandal.....
and the President Elect.....suddenly, strangely, nowhere to be found....
What has happened to Leadership in America? Where have the leaders gone? What is leadership?
The last question is the easiest to answer. Leadership, at least my definition, is a set of traits that allow a person to stand up, tell the truth - share a vision - outline a plan of action that will result in the realization of the vision. Leadership is also courage to tell people things they may not like to hear and to not back down in the face of adversity.
As we create the largest sub-prime mortgage ever (the mortgaging of the future of America to bail out companies and failure to hold companies accountable for their failures) and give hundreds of billions of dollars to companies who have truly only earned the right to go bankrupt and/or out of business we are witnessing a truly amazing lack of leadership in America.
We should be ashamed. Our elected leaders should be ashamed. We must rally together around a sensible and coherent vision and message. The time has come for us to come together as Americans and swallow the bitter pills in the short term so that our economy, our future, our country can not only be stable, but truly flourish in the future.
Continuing to bail out every company that "needs" taxpayer money to make up for poor management is not the kind of leadership we need today. Listening to highly unqualified people like Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and the like telling career business people how they must operate and what products they must produce to get help is ridiculous. Almost as ridiculous as the CEO's of the Big Three automakers thinking they should get taxpayer money!
How about Bankruptcy???? Bankruptcy laws are on the books to protect businesses and allow them to reorganize so that they can emerge from bankruptcy able to compete and succeed. Is bankruptcy tough? YES. Chrysler has filed bankruptcy before, and they survived. Fact is, the Big Three should file for bankruptcy, bust the UAW and RESPONSIBLY right size the wages paid to workers and right size the benefit packages for retirees.
Giving the Big Three $15 Billion will only put off the inevitable for 2, 3, maybe 4 months. Let's bite the bullet now, take the medicine we should have taken 5, 10, 20 years ago and hold people and companies responsible for their actions.
A real leader would stand up, tell us that doing the right thing today, no matter how difficult, is the right thing to do.
Today, we have VERY few people standing up to fight for us. Take Back The Republican Party.org is going to help solve that problem. We are making progress and the site looks like it will be launched in January. The new logo will be ready by the end of December and I will share it with you once it is done.
Thank you for reading, and get ready to contribute to our cause in the weeks, months and years to come. We'll be asking you to contribute time, money, ideas......all in the name of electing people who will support our ideals, fixing the way our children are taught about government/politics/economics, and establishing a scholarship fund to send low and middle income kids to schools that teach in the Conservative tradition.
The next few years are going to be exciting, and we ARE going to make a difference!
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