Too many pundits and politicians are totally clueless about business, profits, taxes, entitlements, and jobs.
The Founding Fathers denied the federal government any authority to tax Citizens because politicians can't be trusted with that authority. Our current crop of corruption in DC is excellent proof.
We now have one of the most business and economics-ignorant presidents in our long history. We are straddled with an incompetent, corrupt, and incorrigible Congress that has no interest beyond misappropriating as much wealth for their individual members as possible. Both moronic groups think they can confiscate all private wealth and miraculously expand it to do the impossible as public wealth (while first taking their generous cut of course).
Government is incapable of creating worthwhile jobs because all such spending will be directed to the personal interests of the most powerful decision-makers. Government can only establish an environment where meaningful private sector jobs can be created. However, in order to do so they must give up power and control, which those in government will almost never willingly do.
The US in the 1950s and 1960s when so much of our existing infrastructure was built was a much different land than now. We dominated global manufacturing without real competition; meaning we had excellent high paying jobs generating taxes that could fund internal improvements. That US no longer exists and will never return.
Insatiably greedy politicians; and industry-destroying unions have seen to that. Socialist programs and Political Correctness (Affirmative Action, Minority set-asides, high minimum wage, Welfare, never-ending industrial and agricultural subsidies, protected classes etc) have driven competition and excellence out of our industries, our schools, our businesses and our government.
When the Interstate highway system was originally built, every penny came back in to the US economy to spur growth in support and service industries. Today, whatever we spend to restore our infrastructure, more than 50% will leave America as immigrant laborers send their wages home. No new labor pool will be trained because itinerant illegals (most with forged documents) will be around only as long as the job lasts.
Deficits must first be eliminated before there can be jobs. Entitlements don’t create jobs or employment, they destroy them. Every dollar confiscated by the government is a dollar that will never see productive use. Government jobs can’t create revenue, they can only consume revenue.
As we look at public sector employment that pays 40% more than the private sector; as we look at federal employment that pays 75% more than the private sector we see a real problem: how can the private sector, the only source of revenue, possibly pay more for government employment than they pay for their own employment? Can the allowance you pay your children be more than you make?
Only unfettered competition is capable of continuous quality improvement and cost reduction. Government can’t because corrupt politicians always take their cut first, and distribute the rest to keep themselves in power: they have no motivation to innovate or improve productivity. When was the last time a government job or program was eliminated as unnecessary or ineffective?
The so-called Stimulus program did nothing beyond continue to fund government jobs (federal, State, and local) in the absence of tax revenue that evaporated with the brutal contraction in the private sector (caused entirely by government interference in the free market). This creates a situation where we are paying a 40%~75% premium to maintain revenue-consuming jobs at the complete expense of restoring revenue-generating jobs.
Government can’t create “green jobs”. Only market demand can create any real jobs. When the government manipulates the allocation of resources by adding non-value-added expenses like Cap and Trade taxes (or any tax), EPA restrictions and regulations, forced unionization (which are always non-value-added) it serves only to drive innovation and the jobs thus created elsewhere. We certainly have ample proof of that.
FDR didn’t bring America out of the Depression, the explosive industrial expansion required to support World War II did that. With industrial capacity destroyed by the war everywhere but America; and with America having fine-tuned manufacturing proficiency by the war effort it is no wonder that we had unimaginable prosperity for the 20 years following WWII. Those days are gone and will never return. The free spending and outrageous social spending that enabled is equally gone, not to return.
If America is to survive, it will only be with a massive reduction in government and government spending. Unfortunately we have a president who is too dumb to understand that; too arrogant to learn it; and a Congress too corrupt to allow it.
Reagan was right: Government isn’t the solution, it’s the problem!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Barack Obama is No Friend of America
Those who fail to learn from history are destined to repeat it.
President Obama is a self-proclaimed proponent of Lincoln and has gone out of his way in an attempt to establish parallels between himself and Lincoln. Maybe we should have paid more attention to that affinity and what it may mean.
160 years ago America faced a Constitutional crisis. New England, the section that most benefited from the trade in slaves; and in the tax revenue derived from their labor (federal revenue was limited to the duties on exports-predominantly cotton) became a hot bed of Abolitionism, campaigning vociferously for the immediate end of slavery.
There is no benefit to address the morality of slavery. It is a vile institution that existed from the beginning of time and persists even today in many countries governed and predominated by people of color. According to the Constitution however, slavery was a protected institution that existed in every colony at the time of adoption of the COTUS.
The Constitution establishes the federal government and dictates that all government spending bills originate in the House. The representation in the House is based on population. The influx of immigrant population, especially from 1850 concentrated in the North because immigrants knew that they couldn’t compete with slave labor for jobs.
This population shift favoring the North resulted in a continuously diminishing voice of the South in the House; and subsequently in the allocation of government spending. 85% of the federal revenue came from the export of cotton from the South but all the spending was going to the North. For the South it was “Taxation without Representation” all over again.
Lincoln’s War, erroneously but commonly referred to as the Civil War (which it was not) was the result of oppressive taxation of the South; uncontrolled non-productive government spending for infrastructure in the North; and un-Constitutional restriction on slavery and it’s expansion into opening territories that denied Southern interests any hope of restoring voice for their interests in the House.
Lincoln freely admitted that even if he had an interest in ending slavery (which he denied), he had no Constitutional authority to do so. While proclaiming his interest in avoiding war, Lincoln deceitfully prepared to resupply Ft Sumter (a Tax Office, not a Slave Market) knowing that doing so would force the South to fire the first shot and thereby fallaciously give the North the ‘moral high-ground’ in the war of his making.
Lincoln went to war to preserve the taxes that were essential for his support of “internal improvements” (government spending programs). Lincoln violated the COTUS repeatedly; jailed over 3000 newspaper editors and owners for the crime of disagreeing with his war policies; suspended habeas corpus; issued the Emancipation Proclamation as a War Powers Act in hopes of fomenting revolt of slaves against the women and children left on the farm (it failed); he directed his battle-hardened armies to make war on Southern civilians; among many other un-Constitutional acts. He did not do these in support of his Constitutional responsibilities, he did them to advance his personal agenda that even he understood would not pass Constitutional muster. He put preservation of “Union” above Constitutional government despite that there is no Constitutional justification for doing so. In other words, Lincoln blatantly and illegally placed himself and his administration above the Constitution in order to accomplish his agenda: he fundamentally transformed the USA at a cost of 600,000 killed and more than 1,000,000 wounded in the bloodiest war in US history. As a result, Lincoln is rightfully considered the father of oppressive federal government.
Barack Obama has promised to ‘fundamentally transform the USA’ and Lincoln is his model. He has already established government control over major financial institutions, two thirds of the American auto industry; forced banks to invest in worthless Treasuries to finance his ever increasing debt; and now at least temporarily, taken control over the insurance industry essentially giving him complete control over health care that represents over 16% of the US economy. In the same act he has taken control of college loan processes that enable 35% of all US college students to fund their education.
Obama has issued executive orders that suborn US Sovereignty to the World Court; exempted Interpol from public accountability and from compliance with Constitutional protections of US Citizen rights. Obama has insulted our staunchest allies even as he has prostrated himself to foreign despots. He has put people in critical policy positions that undermine everything that a Constitutional America holds sacred.
Obama has long-established connections with ACORN and with SEIU: ACORN has a well-earned reputation for fraudulent voter registration and misuse of government funding while SEIU succors dues from millions of (mostly government) union members to fund political contributions and provide election manpower both widely used to determine the outcome of elections in America.
Obama has publically stated that he has no appreciation for the restrictions placed on the federal government by the COTUS; he has publically suborned the laws that he is sworn to assure are faithfully executed; he has nominated a Supreme Court Justice with a proven record of racism and sexism; he has appointed self-proclaimed Marxists and Maoists to the highest levels of government; he has publically embraced despots and snubbed republicans.
He has repeatedly gone behind the backs of the Congress and the American people to forged deals in darkness counter to the best interests of America and Americans. Clearly he is not to be trusted.
It is long past the point that Barack Obama be given any benefit of the doubt. He is a self-proclaimed threat to the American way of life. He must be treated accordingly; by responsibly questioning his every statement; investigating his every action; elucidating his every relationship; and most of all by holding him accountable to the COTUS and his sworn responsibilities.
Barack Obama is no friend of America or the American people. The sooner we remove him from office, the better it will be for freedom, liberty, and prosperity for all Americans.
President Obama is a self-proclaimed proponent of Lincoln and has gone out of his way in an attempt to establish parallels between himself and Lincoln. Maybe we should have paid more attention to that affinity and what it may mean.
160 years ago America faced a Constitutional crisis. New England, the section that most benefited from the trade in slaves; and in the tax revenue derived from their labor (federal revenue was limited to the duties on exports-predominantly cotton) became a hot bed of Abolitionism, campaigning vociferously for the immediate end of slavery.
There is no benefit to address the morality of slavery. It is a vile institution that existed from the beginning of time and persists even today in many countries governed and predominated by people of color. According to the Constitution however, slavery was a protected institution that existed in every colony at the time of adoption of the COTUS.
The Constitution establishes the federal government and dictates that all government spending bills originate in the House. The representation in the House is based on population. The influx of immigrant population, especially from 1850 concentrated in the North because immigrants knew that they couldn’t compete with slave labor for jobs.
This population shift favoring the North resulted in a continuously diminishing voice of the South in the House; and subsequently in the allocation of government spending. 85% of the federal revenue came from the export of cotton from the South but all the spending was going to the North. For the South it was “Taxation without Representation” all over again.
Lincoln’s War, erroneously but commonly referred to as the Civil War (which it was not) was the result of oppressive taxation of the South; uncontrolled non-productive government spending for infrastructure in the North; and un-Constitutional restriction on slavery and it’s expansion into opening territories that denied Southern interests any hope of restoring voice for their interests in the House.
Lincoln freely admitted that even if he had an interest in ending slavery (which he denied), he had no Constitutional authority to do so. While proclaiming his interest in avoiding war, Lincoln deceitfully prepared to resupply Ft Sumter (a Tax Office, not a Slave Market) knowing that doing so would force the South to fire the first shot and thereby fallaciously give the North the ‘moral high-ground’ in the war of his making.
Lincoln went to war to preserve the taxes that were essential for his support of “internal improvements” (government spending programs). Lincoln violated the COTUS repeatedly; jailed over 3000 newspaper editors and owners for the crime of disagreeing with his war policies; suspended habeas corpus; issued the Emancipation Proclamation as a War Powers Act in hopes of fomenting revolt of slaves against the women and children left on the farm (it failed); he directed his battle-hardened armies to make war on Southern civilians; among many other un-Constitutional acts. He did not do these in support of his Constitutional responsibilities, he did them to advance his personal agenda that even he understood would not pass Constitutional muster. He put preservation of “Union” above Constitutional government despite that there is no Constitutional justification for doing so. In other words, Lincoln blatantly and illegally placed himself and his administration above the Constitution in order to accomplish his agenda: he fundamentally transformed the USA at a cost of 600,000 killed and more than 1,000,000 wounded in the bloodiest war in US history. As a result, Lincoln is rightfully considered the father of oppressive federal government.
Barack Obama has promised to ‘fundamentally transform the USA’ and Lincoln is his model. He has already established government control over major financial institutions, two thirds of the American auto industry; forced banks to invest in worthless Treasuries to finance his ever increasing debt; and now at least temporarily, taken control over the insurance industry essentially giving him complete control over health care that represents over 16% of the US economy. In the same act he has taken control of college loan processes that enable 35% of all US college students to fund their education.
Obama has issued executive orders that suborn US Sovereignty to the World Court; exempted Interpol from public accountability and from compliance with Constitutional protections of US Citizen rights. Obama has insulted our staunchest allies even as he has prostrated himself to foreign despots. He has put people in critical policy positions that undermine everything that a Constitutional America holds sacred.
Obama has long-established connections with ACORN and with SEIU: ACORN has a well-earned reputation for fraudulent voter registration and misuse of government funding while SEIU succors dues from millions of (mostly government) union members to fund political contributions and provide election manpower both widely used to determine the outcome of elections in America.
Obama has publically stated that he has no appreciation for the restrictions placed on the federal government by the COTUS; he has publically suborned the laws that he is sworn to assure are faithfully executed; he has nominated a Supreme Court Justice with a proven record of racism and sexism; he has appointed self-proclaimed Marxists and Maoists to the highest levels of government; he has publically embraced despots and snubbed republicans.
He has repeatedly gone behind the backs of the Congress and the American people to forged deals in darkness counter to the best interests of America and Americans. Clearly he is not to be trusted.
It is long past the point that Barack Obama be given any benefit of the doubt. He is a self-proclaimed threat to the American way of life. He must be treated accordingly; by responsibly questioning his every statement; investigating his every action; elucidating his every relationship; and most of all by holding him accountable to the COTUS and his sworn responsibilities.
Barack Obama is no friend of America or the American people. The sooner we remove him from office, the better it will be for freedom, liberty, and prosperity for all Americans.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Obama fiddles; America burns
At a time when many Americans are worried about keeping their jobs, their homes, and putting food on their table, the federal government has just voted to confiscate up to an additional 20% of their income to pay for health care insurance under threat of prison. ObamaCare does nothing to add health care providers to handle the increased demand, but it does add 16,000 IRS agents to make sure that everyone buys health care insurance: a fact that speaks volumes about the true purpose of this legislation!
Those who are clueless about economics proclaim this as a victory of monumental proportions, but it is quite the opposite. In Massachusetts, RomneyCare promised all the glowing benefits of ObamaCare. Rather than reducing the cost of health care, MA now has the highest insurance premiums in the nation, exceeding the national average by a whopping 27% even as they continue to increase at 10% per year. But even that isn’t enough as they are now asking for $1.5 Billion in federal subsidies to keep RomneyCare solvent for another year. 50% of the physicians in MA are no longer accepting new patients, making actual health care unavailable for most, and those who can get in to see a doctor wait an average of 44 days. This of course drives sick people to the emergency room with more than 50% of services provided there now consumed in non-emergency services. In anticipation of reduced demand, reimbursement payments to hospitals for uninsured patient services have been reduced (even as actual demand has increased) driving many MA hospitals into bankruptcy.
The icing on the cake in MA is that new business starts are down 16% since the implementation of RomneyCare as entrepreneurs choose New Hampshire instead of MA for their new enterprises. With the implementation of ObamaCare, moving jobs to a different state is no longer an option so they will move off-shore.
All of the ‘blue-sky’ benefits promised by proponents of government health care insurance have proven to be the opposite of the realities.
The New England Journal of Medicine recently reported that 46% of primary care physicians claim that they will leave patient practice on the passage of ObamaCare; a number comparable to what has been experienced in MA.
Of much greater concern, passage of ObamaCare forces citizens to purchase a service, from the government, equal to up to 20% of their income, or face possible fines or imprisonment. Obviously not all citizens are going to be able to afford health care insurance, so they will have to be subsidized by those who can meaning that some citizens will be unequally taxed; a violation of Article I, Section 8 of the COTUS.
Fines for employers whose employees fail to purchase the required government insurance range from $695 to $3000 per year depending on the income of the employee. Is there a rational mind anywhere that cannot understand how this will reduce employability of those on the lowest rungs of the employment ladder? Is there a rational mind anywhere that cannot understand that adding such costs to the price of products and services of a business will make them non-competitive; thus threatening the continued existence of those jobs?
ObamaCare is the product of irrational wishful thinking by those who believe that they are entitled to something for nothing. The proponents proclaim this legislation to be the equal of Social Security and Medicare without noting that Congress has stolen from Social Security every cent contributed over the past 70 years and replaced it with a Ponzi Scheme that now represents a non-funded liability in 2009 of approximately $18 Trillion (yes that’s a “T”). Medicare, including Parts A, B, & D represents in 2009 an unfunded liability of $89 Trillion (yep, another “T”). How is this anything but a disaster?
Proponents claim that health care insurance is a right. Ben Franklin invented insurance in 1752: how can it be a right? Government has no authority to grant us new rights. The federal government was created solely to protect the inalienable rights that come from our Creator and nothing more: as the Constitution makes patently clear.
Proponents claim that federally mandated health care insurance frees people from linking health care insurance and employment, but it actually enslaves them. No business starts without sacrifice and privation. America already had the second highest taxes in the Western World; adding the 20% required by this health care insurance mandate not only enslaves all Americans, but it robs them of the revenue usually employed to create and expand new business opportunities.
This president and this Congress clearly fail to understand that all government jobs are revenue-consuming; funded solely by taxes on private sector employment. Every dollar diverted from the private sector to fund government employment and entitlements is a dollar denied to the private sector to create and sustain actual revenue generating employment. Every dollar of mandatory entitlement increases the cost of private sector products and services, making them less competitive against global competitors. Prepare to see even more jobs leave our shores in search of lower costs for survival.
The dancing of proponents will soon end as it comes time to pay the Piper. The federal government has operated on debt for so many years, but now those who have been buying our debt (our enemies in China and the Mid-East, and our friends in Japan) have stopped doing so. As a result the Fed is printing worthless script that the federal government is lending to banks for free and demanding that they use to buy Treasury debt at the exclusion of providing survival cash-flow loans to the small businesses that drive our economy. Not only will these higher taxes kill our businesses, but inflation will destroy our dollar even as the Baby Boomers move to fixed income status.
This mandated federal health care insurance legislation is no different than Nero’s fiddling even as Rome was burning. Rather than concentrating on reducing taxes to fund real job growth; and reducing debt to shore-up the strength of the dollar, this government foolishly and recklessly expands unfunded entitlements. Those who fail to learn from history are destined to repeat it. Fasten your seat belts, it’s going to be a bumpy ride!
Those who are clueless about economics proclaim this as a victory of monumental proportions, but it is quite the opposite. In Massachusetts, RomneyCare promised all the glowing benefits of ObamaCare. Rather than reducing the cost of health care, MA now has the highest insurance premiums in the nation, exceeding the national average by a whopping 27% even as they continue to increase at 10% per year. But even that isn’t enough as they are now asking for $1.5 Billion in federal subsidies to keep RomneyCare solvent for another year. 50% of the physicians in MA are no longer accepting new patients, making actual health care unavailable for most, and those who can get in to see a doctor wait an average of 44 days. This of course drives sick people to the emergency room with more than 50% of services provided there now consumed in non-emergency services. In anticipation of reduced demand, reimbursement payments to hospitals for uninsured patient services have been reduced (even as actual demand has increased) driving many MA hospitals into bankruptcy.
The icing on the cake in MA is that new business starts are down 16% since the implementation of RomneyCare as entrepreneurs choose New Hampshire instead of MA for their new enterprises. With the implementation of ObamaCare, moving jobs to a different state is no longer an option so they will move off-shore.
All of the ‘blue-sky’ benefits promised by proponents of government health care insurance have proven to be the opposite of the realities.
The New England Journal of Medicine recently reported that 46% of primary care physicians claim that they will leave patient practice on the passage of ObamaCare; a number comparable to what has been experienced in MA.
Of much greater concern, passage of ObamaCare forces citizens to purchase a service, from the government, equal to up to 20% of their income, or face possible fines or imprisonment. Obviously not all citizens are going to be able to afford health care insurance, so they will have to be subsidized by those who can meaning that some citizens will be unequally taxed; a violation of Article I, Section 8 of the COTUS.
Fines for employers whose employees fail to purchase the required government insurance range from $695 to $3000 per year depending on the income of the employee. Is there a rational mind anywhere that cannot understand how this will reduce employability of those on the lowest rungs of the employment ladder? Is there a rational mind anywhere that cannot understand that adding such costs to the price of products and services of a business will make them non-competitive; thus threatening the continued existence of those jobs?
ObamaCare is the product of irrational wishful thinking by those who believe that they are entitled to something for nothing. The proponents proclaim this legislation to be the equal of Social Security and Medicare without noting that Congress has stolen from Social Security every cent contributed over the past 70 years and replaced it with a Ponzi Scheme that now represents a non-funded liability in 2009 of approximately $18 Trillion (yes that’s a “T”). Medicare, including Parts A, B, & D represents in 2009 an unfunded liability of $89 Trillion (yep, another “T”). How is this anything but a disaster?
Proponents claim that health care insurance is a right. Ben Franklin invented insurance in 1752: how can it be a right? Government has no authority to grant us new rights. The federal government was created solely to protect the inalienable rights that come from our Creator and nothing more: as the Constitution makes patently clear.
Proponents claim that federally mandated health care insurance frees people from linking health care insurance and employment, but it actually enslaves them. No business starts without sacrifice and privation. America already had the second highest taxes in the Western World; adding the 20% required by this health care insurance mandate not only enslaves all Americans, but it robs them of the revenue usually employed to create and expand new business opportunities.
This president and this Congress clearly fail to understand that all government jobs are revenue-consuming; funded solely by taxes on private sector employment. Every dollar diverted from the private sector to fund government employment and entitlements is a dollar denied to the private sector to create and sustain actual revenue generating employment. Every dollar of mandatory entitlement increases the cost of private sector products and services, making them less competitive against global competitors. Prepare to see even more jobs leave our shores in search of lower costs for survival.
The dancing of proponents will soon end as it comes time to pay the Piper. The federal government has operated on debt for so many years, but now those who have been buying our debt (our enemies in China and the Mid-East, and our friends in Japan) have stopped doing so. As a result the Fed is printing worthless script that the federal government is lending to banks for free and demanding that they use to buy Treasury debt at the exclusion of providing survival cash-flow loans to the small businesses that drive our economy. Not only will these higher taxes kill our businesses, but inflation will destroy our dollar even as the Baby Boomers move to fixed income status.
This mandated federal health care insurance legislation is no different than Nero’s fiddling even as Rome was burning. Rather than concentrating on reducing taxes to fund real job growth; and reducing debt to shore-up the strength of the dollar, this government foolishly and recklessly expands unfunded entitlements. Those who fail to learn from history are destined to repeat it. Fasten your seat belts, it’s going to be a bumpy ride!
Friday, March 19, 2010
Who favors Government health care?
Who supports government run health care? There are four groups.
1. Those who believe that they are entitled to get something for nothing.
2. Those who believe that the government has financial resources other than what they take from taxpayers at the point of a gun.
3. Elected representatives who purchase votes with taxpayer dollars
4. Health care providers (doctors, hospitals, pharmaceutical manufacturers, insurance companies, etc.) who have grown rich through buying favorable laws, mandates, exceptions and exclusions with campaign contributions and other graft through our elected representatives.
Obviously this is not a pretty picture.
1. Those who scream the loudest about unaffordable health care are not clamoring to be able to buy health care for someone else out of their own pocket; they are expecting someone else to pay for health care for them.
2. The incredibly bogus accounting being used by ObamaCare proponents caters to those who appear to believe that the government has some magical power to create funding sources that don’t impact taxpayers; or impact the competitiveness of our businesses.
What is incomprehensible is how those in this category are able to totally disregard the absolute lack of any evidence that the federal government can manage any activity effectively, efficiently, competitively, economically, or productively. There is not a single example, in the history of the federal government of any government run program providing cost-effective products or services. None!
These citizens are apparently incapable of understanding that every dollar the government spends comes out of a citizen pocket; and every dollar wasted by the government is a dollar that the citizen is unable to put into productive use.
Some might argue that, as the Fed is now doing, the government can simply print more currency. In fact, currency created without backing by something of value creates inflation (decrease in the value of each unit of currency) which effectively takes money out of the pocket of every citizen.
3. The great crime committed by our elected representatives with such impunity is the purchase of votes by disbursement of tax dollars. The representative has two clients: social programs appeal directly to citizens who fall into either of the first two categories above; and the second are special interests who through political contributions or other graft, induce the representative to grant them special non-competitive access to taxpayer dollars.
4. The most direct path to understand motivation for any action by any entity is to “follow the money”. Once we understand who benefits financially it is easy to understand who is ‘calling the shots’.
President Obama and his administration make endless public protestations against “fat cats” be they bankers, industrialists, Wall Street financiers, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, etc. However, none of these “villains” does anything without prior government sanctions to do so. See Group 3 above.
No insurance group sets rates or policy restrictions (denying pre-existing conditions, 35% rate hikes, etc.) without prior government approval. No health care provider sets prices without prior government approval of treatment protocols; allowable tests, etc. to assure that Medicare or Medicaid will pay the price. No financial manipulator creates worthless mortgages or exotic investment schemes without prior government approval (re; Chris Dodd and Barnie Frank); no financial institutions set extreme bonus programs without prior government approval (Tim Geithner, Larry Summers). No pharmaceutical company sets drug prices without assurance that government will pay them (White House, back-room, closed-door agreements with Big Pharma).
P.T. Barnum is credited with saying that “…there is a sucker born every minute…” but it becomes frightful when combined with “never underestimate the power of idiots in large numbers”.
One seriously dangerous outcome is government run (sic) health care (sic).
1. Those who believe that they are entitled to get something for nothing.
2. Those who believe that the government has financial resources other than what they take from taxpayers at the point of a gun.
3. Elected representatives who purchase votes with taxpayer dollars
4. Health care providers (doctors, hospitals, pharmaceutical manufacturers, insurance companies, etc.) who have grown rich through buying favorable laws, mandates, exceptions and exclusions with campaign contributions and other graft through our elected representatives.
Obviously this is not a pretty picture.
1. Those who scream the loudest about unaffordable health care are not clamoring to be able to buy health care for someone else out of their own pocket; they are expecting someone else to pay for health care for them.
2. The incredibly bogus accounting being used by ObamaCare proponents caters to those who appear to believe that the government has some magical power to create funding sources that don’t impact taxpayers; or impact the competitiveness of our businesses.
What is incomprehensible is how those in this category are able to totally disregard the absolute lack of any evidence that the federal government can manage any activity effectively, efficiently, competitively, economically, or productively. There is not a single example, in the history of the federal government of any government run program providing cost-effective products or services. None!
These citizens are apparently incapable of understanding that every dollar the government spends comes out of a citizen pocket; and every dollar wasted by the government is a dollar that the citizen is unable to put into productive use.
Some might argue that, as the Fed is now doing, the government can simply print more currency. In fact, currency created without backing by something of value creates inflation (decrease in the value of each unit of currency) which effectively takes money out of the pocket of every citizen.
3. The great crime committed by our elected representatives with such impunity is the purchase of votes by disbursement of tax dollars. The representative has two clients: social programs appeal directly to citizens who fall into either of the first two categories above; and the second are special interests who through political contributions or other graft, induce the representative to grant them special non-competitive access to taxpayer dollars.
4. The most direct path to understand motivation for any action by any entity is to “follow the money”. Once we understand who benefits financially it is easy to understand who is ‘calling the shots’.
President Obama and his administration make endless public protestations against “fat cats” be they bankers, industrialists, Wall Street financiers, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, etc. However, none of these “villains” does anything without prior government sanctions to do so. See Group 3 above.
No insurance group sets rates or policy restrictions (denying pre-existing conditions, 35% rate hikes, etc.) without prior government approval. No health care provider sets prices without prior government approval of treatment protocols; allowable tests, etc. to assure that Medicare or Medicaid will pay the price. No financial manipulator creates worthless mortgages or exotic investment schemes without prior government approval (re; Chris Dodd and Barnie Frank); no financial institutions set extreme bonus programs without prior government approval (Tim Geithner, Larry Summers). No pharmaceutical company sets drug prices without assurance that government will pay them (White House, back-room, closed-door agreements with Big Pharma).
P.T. Barnum is credited with saying that “…there is a sucker born every minute…” but it becomes frightful when combined with “never underestimate the power of idiots in large numbers”.
One seriously dangerous outcome is government run (sic) health care (sic).
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Lessons learned from Health care reform
Health Care Reform?
What have we learned from this debacle laughingly referred to as health care reform?
We learned that the Obama administration wants the federal government to control health care.
The 2330+ pages of the ObamaCare bill are mostly devoted to increased control and administration of the process. It creates more than 100 new bureaucracies; it gives health care administrators access to every citizen’s tax returns; it gives DC control over what medical procedures will be approved; it gives DC absolute control over health insurance policies in content, cost, and availability.
This bill threatens citizens who fail to get health insurance with fines of up to $250,000 and up to 5 years in prison; but it subsidizes health insurance for illegal aliens.
ObamaCare will destroy employment opportunities for those on the low end of the employment ladder. Employees who earn enough to purchase insurance (15%~20% of gross is considered acceptable by ObamaCare) who fail to do so will subject their employer to a fine of $3000. Employees who don’t earn enough to purchase insurance will be subsidized by the federal government and the employer will be fined $750 per employee. How many employers will risk such fines versus how many will change full-time employment to part time, or eliminate non-essential jobs altogether to eliminate health care insurance liability?
We already knew that our elected representatives and their minions were liars, but ObamaCare has taken that to an entirely new level.
1. We’re adding an alleged 30 Million to the insured rolls, but it won’t over-tax existing medical resources or cause rationing of care. According to a just released survey by the New England Journal of Medicine, over 46% of primary care physicians said that if ObamaCare passes they will leave patient practice! Imagine what that will do in the face of 30 Million additional clients!
2. ObamaCare dramatically increases the minimum coverage required of policies but it “will reduce costs”. The CBO reported that the average policy premium increase will be 13%~20%: however because of the increase in mandated minimum coverage actual premiums in many states are expected to increase more than 75%.
3. Economic justification of cost savings is based on a 22% reduction in what doctors are paid for Medicare and Medicaid services ($500 Billion) but Congress has NEVER actually made such a dramatic reductions. Amazingly Congress passed a separate bill authorizing continued existing level payments so that it wouldn’t be included in the cost of ObamaCare as if it was an actual cost reduction because they move it to a separate bill.
Many health care providers already exclude Medicare and Medicaid patients because the fee schedule does not cover their expenses. The Mayo Clinic (which Obama has touted as one of the most innovative, best quality, low cost medical services providers) announced that 3000 of their Medicare clients would either have to find care elsewhere or pay out-of-pocket because they will no longer accept Medicare reimbursement.
In addition, taxation for ObamaCare starts immediately but benefits are delayed for an additional 4 years: 10 years of revenue covering 6 years of benefits to make it appear that there is a cost savings. No other fiction writer would attempt such a blatant ruse as this!
We learned that our government isn’t interested in efficient health care options. In Massachusetts, RomneyCare is virtually identical to ObamaCare so it is a reasonable example of what we can expect with ObamaCare. MA needs $1.5 Billion in federal subsidies this year to stay solvent; MA has the highest medical insurance premiums in America: premiums continue to increase at more than 10% a year; and mandatory insurance has reduced uninsured by less than 3%. Most alarmingly, new business starts in MA are down 16% since RomneyCare was implemented, with New Hampshire being the beneficiary as new businesses went there.
By contrast, the Indiana State government offered it’s employees a package of High Deductable Health Insurance combined with a Health Savings Account (HDHP+HSA). Each employee is given a $2750 annual subsidy to pay for insurance and out-of-pocket expenses (HSA). Any un-spent subsidy remains in their personal HSA to fund future expenses, motivating each employee to manage their health care expenses. After 3 years the State has saved over $20 Million while a comparable amount has accrued in the individual HSA’s. Over 70% of Indiana State employees have opted for this program and fewer than 3% have opted out after having entered the program. It is successful for the individual, their health care; and for the State.
In the case of MA, the government is in control and health care expenses are out of control. In the case of IN, the individuals are in control and so are health care expenses. If in fact the federal government were actually concerned about quality care and reasonable cost, the appropriate option is obvious.
4. The ObamaCare advocates proclaim that the American people demand their solution in the face of every independent poll that demonstrates that far more than half of all Americans already reject ObamaCare and the number increases daily. Clear evidence of this is that even with a Senate filibuster-proof majority of 60, ObamaCare could not be passed. In addition, recent elections in Virginia, New Jersey, and Massachusetts went to opponents of ObamaCare further reflecting rejection of this false benefit.
Even with substantial majorities in the House and Senate, the Democrat party remains unable to garner enough votes to pass ObamaCare on it’s own merit (sic); and this has led to outrageous abuses of the legislative process that is making even more enemies for ObamaCare.
To buy support votes, Harry Reid made special deals for Louisiana, Nebraska, Florida, Wyoming, Montana and others excluding Medicare tax liabilities on these States to be borne by the remaining States. This of course is a violation of the COTUS Article I, Section 8 requiring that all taxes be uniform throughout the US.
The next abusive ploy was to exempt Union workers from the “Cadillac Tax” of 40% on comprehensive employer-provided health insurance that was intended to help pay for ObamaCare. This is an obvious concession to the extensive Union financial and manpower support (SEIU et al) provided to Democrat candidates each election; leaving non-Union taxpayers to bear the burden.
5. Speaker Pelosi had the unmitigated gall to tell Congress that they needed to pass the ObamaCare bill to find out what was in it. The fact that this absurdity did not result in violence against the House is both remarkable and discouraging that the American people would tolerate such hubris in an elected leader.
We have learned that our elected officials, in pursuit of an unsupportable plan, will stoop to any means possible to impose their will against the will of the Sovereign Citizens. Because they lack sufficient support to risk a direct vote, ObamaCare supporters are now looking for every obtuse parliamentary procedure possible in an effort to ludicrously mask responsibility for Representatives’ votes in support of ObamaCare.
This ploy should cause Citizens the greatest concern. According to the COTUS we elect a federal government to exercise their clearly delineated Constitutional responsibilities, within clearly defined and limited authorities; and to preserve, protect, and defend the COTUS. What we now see is a Congress and a president who refuse to be bound by the COTUS; who are attempting to usurp powers never granted in an effort to grossly expand the power of government over those who give government it’s rightful authority.
President Obama disingenuously claims that “health care is complicated” but that is just one more lie from the prevaricator-in-chief. Health care is simple; just as the State of Indiana has demonstrated: it is instituting government dominance of heath care that gets complicated because of the hydra-like machinations required to subjugate unwilling Sovereigns to the capricious will of government.
It is time that the Sovereign Citizens call all recalcitrant elected representatives to account; and to remove from office all who are found guilty of attempting to usurp authorities never granted to them by the COTUS. The survival of the American Constitutional Republic demands it!
What have we learned from this debacle laughingly referred to as health care reform?
We learned that the Obama administration wants the federal government to control health care.
The 2330+ pages of the ObamaCare bill are mostly devoted to increased control and administration of the process. It creates more than 100 new bureaucracies; it gives health care administrators access to every citizen’s tax returns; it gives DC control over what medical procedures will be approved; it gives DC absolute control over health insurance policies in content, cost, and availability.
This bill threatens citizens who fail to get health insurance with fines of up to $250,000 and up to 5 years in prison; but it subsidizes health insurance for illegal aliens.
ObamaCare will destroy employment opportunities for those on the low end of the employment ladder. Employees who earn enough to purchase insurance (15%~20% of gross is considered acceptable by ObamaCare) who fail to do so will subject their employer to a fine of $3000. Employees who don’t earn enough to purchase insurance will be subsidized by the federal government and the employer will be fined $750 per employee. How many employers will risk such fines versus how many will change full-time employment to part time, or eliminate non-essential jobs altogether to eliminate health care insurance liability?
We already knew that our elected representatives and their minions were liars, but ObamaCare has taken that to an entirely new level.
1. We’re adding an alleged 30 Million to the insured rolls, but it won’t over-tax existing medical resources or cause rationing of care. According to a just released survey by the New England Journal of Medicine, over 46% of primary care physicians said that if ObamaCare passes they will leave patient practice! Imagine what that will do in the face of 30 Million additional clients!
2. ObamaCare dramatically increases the minimum coverage required of policies but it “will reduce costs”. The CBO reported that the average policy premium increase will be 13%~20%: however because of the increase in mandated minimum coverage actual premiums in many states are expected to increase more than 75%.
3. Economic justification of cost savings is based on a 22% reduction in what doctors are paid for Medicare and Medicaid services ($500 Billion) but Congress has NEVER actually made such a dramatic reductions. Amazingly Congress passed a separate bill authorizing continued existing level payments so that it wouldn’t be included in the cost of ObamaCare as if it was an actual cost reduction because they move it to a separate bill.
Many health care providers already exclude Medicare and Medicaid patients because the fee schedule does not cover their expenses. The Mayo Clinic (which Obama has touted as one of the most innovative, best quality, low cost medical services providers) announced that 3000 of their Medicare clients would either have to find care elsewhere or pay out-of-pocket because they will no longer accept Medicare reimbursement.
In addition, taxation for ObamaCare starts immediately but benefits are delayed for an additional 4 years: 10 years of revenue covering 6 years of benefits to make it appear that there is a cost savings. No other fiction writer would attempt such a blatant ruse as this!
We learned that our government isn’t interested in efficient health care options. In Massachusetts, RomneyCare is virtually identical to ObamaCare so it is a reasonable example of what we can expect with ObamaCare. MA needs $1.5 Billion in federal subsidies this year to stay solvent; MA has the highest medical insurance premiums in America: premiums continue to increase at more than 10% a year; and mandatory insurance has reduced uninsured by less than 3%. Most alarmingly, new business starts in MA are down 16% since RomneyCare was implemented, with New Hampshire being the beneficiary as new businesses went there.
By contrast, the Indiana State government offered it’s employees a package of High Deductable Health Insurance combined with a Health Savings Account (HDHP+HSA). Each employee is given a $2750 annual subsidy to pay for insurance and out-of-pocket expenses (HSA). Any un-spent subsidy remains in their personal HSA to fund future expenses, motivating each employee to manage their health care expenses. After 3 years the State has saved over $20 Million while a comparable amount has accrued in the individual HSA’s. Over 70% of Indiana State employees have opted for this program and fewer than 3% have opted out after having entered the program. It is successful for the individual, their health care; and for the State.
In the case of MA, the government is in control and health care expenses are out of control. In the case of IN, the individuals are in control and so are health care expenses. If in fact the federal government were actually concerned about quality care and reasonable cost, the appropriate option is obvious.
4. The ObamaCare advocates proclaim that the American people demand their solution in the face of every independent poll that demonstrates that far more than half of all Americans already reject ObamaCare and the number increases daily. Clear evidence of this is that even with a Senate filibuster-proof majority of 60, ObamaCare could not be passed. In addition, recent elections in Virginia, New Jersey, and Massachusetts went to opponents of ObamaCare further reflecting rejection of this false benefit.
Even with substantial majorities in the House and Senate, the Democrat party remains unable to garner enough votes to pass ObamaCare on it’s own merit (sic); and this has led to outrageous abuses of the legislative process that is making even more enemies for ObamaCare.
To buy support votes, Harry Reid made special deals for Louisiana, Nebraska, Florida, Wyoming, Montana and others excluding Medicare tax liabilities on these States to be borne by the remaining States. This of course is a violation of the COTUS Article I, Section 8 requiring that all taxes be uniform throughout the US.
The next abusive ploy was to exempt Union workers from the “Cadillac Tax” of 40% on comprehensive employer-provided health insurance that was intended to help pay for ObamaCare. This is an obvious concession to the extensive Union financial and manpower support (SEIU et al) provided to Democrat candidates each election; leaving non-Union taxpayers to bear the burden.
5. Speaker Pelosi had the unmitigated gall to tell Congress that they needed to pass the ObamaCare bill to find out what was in it. The fact that this absurdity did not result in violence against the House is both remarkable and discouraging that the American people would tolerate such hubris in an elected leader.
We have learned that our elected officials, in pursuit of an unsupportable plan, will stoop to any means possible to impose their will against the will of the Sovereign Citizens. Because they lack sufficient support to risk a direct vote, ObamaCare supporters are now looking for every obtuse parliamentary procedure possible in an effort to ludicrously mask responsibility for Representatives’ votes in support of ObamaCare.
This ploy should cause Citizens the greatest concern. According to the COTUS we elect a federal government to exercise their clearly delineated Constitutional responsibilities, within clearly defined and limited authorities; and to preserve, protect, and defend the COTUS. What we now see is a Congress and a president who refuse to be bound by the COTUS; who are attempting to usurp powers never granted in an effort to grossly expand the power of government over those who give government it’s rightful authority.
President Obama disingenuously claims that “health care is complicated” but that is just one more lie from the prevaricator-in-chief. Health care is simple; just as the State of Indiana has demonstrated: it is instituting government dominance of heath care that gets complicated because of the hydra-like machinations required to subjugate unwilling Sovereigns to the capricious will of government.
It is time that the Sovereign Citizens call all recalcitrant elected representatives to account; and to remove from office all who are found guilty of attempting to usurp authorities never granted to them by the COTUS. The survival of the American Constitutional Republic demands it!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
It's time for Citizens to reclaim America
To All 535 voting members of the Congress: When you vote for legislation without reading or understanding it you demonstrate an incompetence that is unacceptable. When you tolerate and follow leadership that tells you to vote for legislation so you can find out what is in it after you vote; you violate the public trust. Let’s face it, the Congressional record on managing the public resources is not good:
The U.S. Post Service was established in 1775. You have had 235 years to get it right and it is broke.
Social Security was established in 1935. You have had 75 years to get it right and it is broke.
Fannie Mae was established in 1938. You have had 72 years to get it right and it is broke.
War on Poverty started in 1964. You have had 46 years to get it right; $1 trillion of our money is confiscated each year and transferred to "the poor" and they only want more.
Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965. You have had 45 years to get it right and they are broke.
Freddie Mac was established in 1970. You have had 40 years to get it right and it is broke.
The Department of Energy was created in 1977 to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. It has ballooned to 16,000 direct employees (plus 100,000 contract employees) with a budget of $24 billion a year and we import more oil than ever before. You had 33 years to get it right and it is an abysmal failure.
The Department of Education was created in 1979. You have had 31 years to get it right but education in America gets worse every year.
You have FAILED in every "government service" you have shoved down our throats while overspending our tax dollars
AND NOW YOU WANT AMERICANS TO BELIEVE YOU CAN BE TRUSTED WITH A GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM?
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE NEED FOR GOOD HEALTH CARE, IT'S ABOUT TRUSTING THE GOVERNMENT TO RUN IT.
T-shirt on a Senior Citizen: “Jam it down our throat in 2009…We’ll stick it up your (butt) in 2010”
The above message came with the suggestion that every incumbent be turned out of office in 2010; but I’m against a wholesale turnout of incumbents for a number of reasons.
First, it is a mindless action that doesn’t consider facts and is driven only by emotion: that’s what Liberals do so I’m not going to do it.
Second, it tells elected representatives (including potential representatives) that no matter that they do good or evil, they will suffer the same fate.
Third, we need to retain (and elect) only those who love and honor the Constitution and who are willing to restore the COTUS by repealing the un-Constitutional laws passed over the past 80 years.
Fourth, we need to identify those who have used public office to enrich themselves and hold them criminally responsible: for those found guilty they need to be impeached, removed from office, excluded from ever holding public office again, and then be tried in criminal court to imprison them and in civil court to recover their ill-gotten gains.
There is no avoiding the fact that according to the COTUS, there is no entity as a “political mandate” or a “social mandate”; there is no authority for anyone in the federal government to “fundamentally transform the USA”. We elect a federal government only to exercise their Constitutionally-delineated responsibilities, within their Constitutionally- defined limitations; and to ‘preserve, protect, and defend the COTUS’: only that and nothing more.
The COTUS established a government that did not interfere with the imagination, innovation, ingenuity, dedication or achievement of sovereign citizens, enabling them to create the greatest, most inclusive, most generous, most productive, most innovative, and most compassionate society in the history of man. Government intrusion over the past 150 years has cumulatively expanded to the point that it now threatens the survival of that remarkable experiment in self-rule.
Americans now find themselves in the grasp of an administration hell-bent on destroying all that made America great in an effort to enslave sovereign citizens under the oppressive thumb of tyrannical government. This cannot be allowed to happen.
It is the responsibility of citizens to force the federal government, created for their convenience, to comply with the clearly delineated responsibilities and authorities defined by the COTUS. To restore American greatness; restore the COTUS. Now is the time we must act!
The U.S. Post Service was established in 1775. You have had 235 years to get it right and it is broke.
Social Security was established in 1935. You have had 75 years to get it right and it is broke.
Fannie Mae was established in 1938. You have had 72 years to get it right and it is broke.
War on Poverty started in 1964. You have had 46 years to get it right; $1 trillion of our money is confiscated each year and transferred to "the poor" and they only want more.
Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965. You have had 45 years to get it right and they are broke.
Freddie Mac was established in 1970. You have had 40 years to get it right and it is broke.
The Department of Energy was created in 1977 to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. It has ballooned to 16,000 direct employees (plus 100,000 contract employees) with a budget of $24 billion a year and we import more oil than ever before. You had 33 years to get it right and it is an abysmal failure.
The Department of Education was created in 1979. You have had 31 years to get it right but education in America gets worse every year.
You have FAILED in every "government service" you have shoved down our throats while overspending our tax dollars
AND NOW YOU WANT AMERICANS TO BELIEVE YOU CAN BE TRUSTED WITH A GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM?
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE NEED FOR GOOD HEALTH CARE, IT'S ABOUT TRUSTING THE GOVERNMENT TO RUN IT.
T-shirt on a Senior Citizen: “Jam it down our throat in 2009…We’ll stick it up your (butt) in 2010”
The above message came with the suggestion that every incumbent be turned out of office in 2010; but I’m against a wholesale turnout of incumbents for a number of reasons.
First, it is a mindless action that doesn’t consider facts and is driven only by emotion: that’s what Liberals do so I’m not going to do it.
Second, it tells elected representatives (including potential representatives) that no matter that they do good or evil, they will suffer the same fate.
Third, we need to retain (and elect) only those who love and honor the Constitution and who are willing to restore the COTUS by repealing the un-Constitutional laws passed over the past 80 years.
Fourth, we need to identify those who have used public office to enrich themselves and hold them criminally responsible: for those found guilty they need to be impeached, removed from office, excluded from ever holding public office again, and then be tried in criminal court to imprison them and in civil court to recover their ill-gotten gains.
There is no avoiding the fact that according to the COTUS, there is no entity as a “political mandate” or a “social mandate”; there is no authority for anyone in the federal government to “fundamentally transform the USA”. We elect a federal government only to exercise their Constitutionally-delineated responsibilities, within their Constitutionally- defined limitations; and to ‘preserve, protect, and defend the COTUS’: only that and nothing more.
The COTUS established a government that did not interfere with the imagination, innovation, ingenuity, dedication or achievement of sovereign citizens, enabling them to create the greatest, most inclusive, most generous, most productive, most innovative, and most compassionate society in the history of man. Government intrusion over the past 150 years has cumulatively expanded to the point that it now threatens the survival of that remarkable experiment in self-rule.
Americans now find themselves in the grasp of an administration hell-bent on destroying all that made America great in an effort to enslave sovereign citizens under the oppressive thumb of tyrannical government. This cannot be allowed to happen.
It is the responsibility of citizens to force the federal government, created for their convenience, to comply with the clearly delineated responsibilities and authorities defined by the COTUS. To restore American greatness; restore the COTUS. Now is the time we must act!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Corrupt Government, Not Big Business, Is The Problem
http://www.detnews.com/article/20100310/OPINION03/3100317/1008/opinion01/Tea-Party-protesters-pick-wrong-target
James Hoffa wants me to believe that it is big business that is the bogey man, not big government. Now there is a real surprise. Next he’ll tell me that the solution is organized labor.
Mr. Hoffa, where do you think major corporations get their ‘unrestrained power’? How do you think they get the laws that enable them to charge outrageous credit card interest rates; how do you think insurance companies get the power to limit competition in their markets; who do you think is pressuring big banks to lend to the government rather than to business?
In a free market, no business, no enterprise, no commercial venture is too big to fail; nor is any too small to succeed. It is only when some outside force interferes that the free market is thwarted. And guess who that outside force is? It is the government.
Our Founding Fathers were smart enough to understand that whenever authority is delegated to a third party, that authority will be abused. It is never a question of “if”; the only questions are “how soon; how much; how long”?
The COTUS is the contract that created the federal government and defined it’s delegated responsibilities and authorities. Our Founding Fathers went to great lengths to attempt to make it as difficult as possible for the government to abuse it’s delegated powers. In the first 8 Amendments of the Bill of Rights, they listed a number of inalienable rights over which the federal government was specifically denied any authority. In the 9th and 10th Amendments they specifically denied to the federal government any authorities not specifically delineated in the COTUS.
The other remarkable safeguard that the Founders included was to deny the federal government a source of funding that penalized the people, by limiting their revenue to the duty on exports. Unfortunately this safeguard was destroyed by the 16th Amendment that directly contradicted a restriction of the COTUS that the people could not be taxed directly. The 17th Amendment also corrupted the safeguards of the COTUS by changing the method for selecting Senators from appointment by State legislatures to popular vote.
The 16th Amendment has given Congress way too much revenue that they can redistribute, providing Congressmen with a revenue source for selling access to those funds. The other major source of corruption for Congressmen is the selling of favors in the form of exclusions from regulations; exemptions from competition; imposition of mandates or protocols. Every government decision is subject to prior sale to the highest bidder. Unfortunately that tends to exclude the average citizen and favor the special interest group with the money to buy key votes.
The Tea Party Movement is the reaction by citizens to the excesses of government in violation of their Constitutional authorities in general; and to unrestrained deficit spending in particular. To suggest that the TPM is under the direction of big business is a fallacy of the first order. To suggest that the TPM favors one political party or another is equally absurd. Any candidate who promises to abide by the Constitution and has the experience to demonstrate that is likely to get the support of the TPM regardless of their political party affiliation.
It is never the American consumer that determines an enterprise is “too big to fail” as the demise of GM and Chrysler clearly indicates. These companies lost the favor of customers when they failed to provide sufficient or competitive value. It was the government that decided that these failed enterprises were too big to fail. It was the government that unilaterally confiscated these companies from their rightful owners and gave them to foreign companies and labor unions (in violation of the 5th Amendment).
The beauty of the free market is that the people can decide when an enterprise no longer deserves to exist. That the federal government opted to override the decision of the people is regrettable.
The lobbyists and cronies of the large investment banks purchased reckless right of way from their supposed watchdogs in Congress to enable them to pursue financial speculation that any reasonable person would reject. When the stupidity of those financial speculations came to fruition; threatening the survival of these previously bottomless sources of campaign contributions once again the government stepped in to protect their chosen contributors using taxpayer funds. To add insult to injury, Goldman Sachs alumni in the government included active Goldman Sachs employees into the decision making process to determine who would survive and who would fail. This is an outrage of Olympic proportions and reflects a government no longer bound by decency or reason.
It is just and reasonable that the people should rise-up against such a tyrannical government and force it back into compliance with the contract that gives it existence. Hopefully the TPM is the first sign of a resurgent citizenry prepared to force the federal government back into compliance.
No, Mr. Hoffa, big business isn’t the problem. Rather it is corrupt big government that must be reigned in to fix the many problems facing America today. To restore America, restore the COTUS.
James Hoffa wants me to believe that it is big business that is the bogey man, not big government. Now there is a real surprise. Next he’ll tell me that the solution is organized labor.
Mr. Hoffa, where do you think major corporations get their ‘unrestrained power’? How do you think they get the laws that enable them to charge outrageous credit card interest rates; how do you think insurance companies get the power to limit competition in their markets; who do you think is pressuring big banks to lend to the government rather than to business?
In a free market, no business, no enterprise, no commercial venture is too big to fail; nor is any too small to succeed. It is only when some outside force interferes that the free market is thwarted. And guess who that outside force is? It is the government.
Our Founding Fathers were smart enough to understand that whenever authority is delegated to a third party, that authority will be abused. It is never a question of “if”; the only questions are “how soon; how much; how long”?
The COTUS is the contract that created the federal government and defined it’s delegated responsibilities and authorities. Our Founding Fathers went to great lengths to attempt to make it as difficult as possible for the government to abuse it’s delegated powers. In the first 8 Amendments of the Bill of Rights, they listed a number of inalienable rights over which the federal government was specifically denied any authority. In the 9th and 10th Amendments they specifically denied to the federal government any authorities not specifically delineated in the COTUS.
The other remarkable safeguard that the Founders included was to deny the federal government a source of funding that penalized the people, by limiting their revenue to the duty on exports. Unfortunately this safeguard was destroyed by the 16th Amendment that directly contradicted a restriction of the COTUS that the people could not be taxed directly. The 17th Amendment also corrupted the safeguards of the COTUS by changing the method for selecting Senators from appointment by State legislatures to popular vote.
The 16th Amendment has given Congress way too much revenue that they can redistribute, providing Congressmen with a revenue source for selling access to those funds. The other major source of corruption for Congressmen is the selling of favors in the form of exclusions from regulations; exemptions from competition; imposition of mandates or protocols. Every government decision is subject to prior sale to the highest bidder. Unfortunately that tends to exclude the average citizen and favor the special interest group with the money to buy key votes.
The Tea Party Movement is the reaction by citizens to the excesses of government in violation of their Constitutional authorities in general; and to unrestrained deficit spending in particular. To suggest that the TPM is under the direction of big business is a fallacy of the first order. To suggest that the TPM favors one political party or another is equally absurd. Any candidate who promises to abide by the Constitution and has the experience to demonstrate that is likely to get the support of the TPM regardless of their political party affiliation.
It is never the American consumer that determines an enterprise is “too big to fail” as the demise of GM and Chrysler clearly indicates. These companies lost the favor of customers when they failed to provide sufficient or competitive value. It was the government that decided that these failed enterprises were too big to fail. It was the government that unilaterally confiscated these companies from their rightful owners and gave them to foreign companies and labor unions (in violation of the 5th Amendment).
The beauty of the free market is that the people can decide when an enterprise no longer deserves to exist. That the federal government opted to override the decision of the people is regrettable.
The lobbyists and cronies of the large investment banks purchased reckless right of way from their supposed watchdogs in Congress to enable them to pursue financial speculation that any reasonable person would reject. When the stupidity of those financial speculations came to fruition; threatening the survival of these previously bottomless sources of campaign contributions once again the government stepped in to protect their chosen contributors using taxpayer funds. To add insult to injury, Goldman Sachs alumni in the government included active Goldman Sachs employees into the decision making process to determine who would survive and who would fail. This is an outrage of Olympic proportions and reflects a government no longer bound by decency or reason.
It is just and reasonable that the people should rise-up against such a tyrannical government and force it back into compliance with the contract that gives it existence. Hopefully the TPM is the first sign of a resurgent citizenry prepared to force the federal government back into compliance.
No, Mr. Hoffa, big business isn’t the problem. Rather it is corrupt big government that must be reigned in to fix the many problems facing America today. To restore America, restore the COTUS.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
False promises, false recovery
The Obama administration keeps saying that the economy is better; that they are losing fewer and fewer jobs every month. My father in law quips that if you get a terminal cut it will eventually stop bleeding: Seems that we may be at that point with jobs too.
The Stimulus that they like to tout has done nothing positive for the private sector. All it does is preserve local, state, and federal government jobs;. Congress is passing ‘emergency’ unemployment for up to 72 months and the Lame Stream media says nothing. These folks are not going to be filing any “first time unemployment” claims again anytime soon, so I guess the jobs situation must be as good as Harry Reid says it is. Bunk!
What is happening is that every level of government is experiencing absolutely brutal loss of tax revenue from every source imaginable. The state of Georgia has announced 20 consecutive months of ever-expanding declining revenue: projecting revenue shortfalls 7%, 11%, and 21% for last year, this year, and next. It would be worse if not for the artificial relief due to Stimulus payments that keep paychecks coming to government employees even as tax revenue evaporates. Local governments are in even worse shape than state governments since they are unable to mitigate losses over a larger, economically diverse geography. The fact is, these chickens are going to come home to roost sooner rather than later.
To add insult to injury, the Stimulus is not even being funded with borrowed money; it is being funded by monetized debt. The Fed prints worthless script which it “lends” to the banks at 0% interest; that in turn “buy” Treasury Bills (to avoid federal penalties for ‘risky’ lending [to small business for operating loans for example]). This artificially simulates that there still is acceptance of US debt in the money markets. Not only does this deny operating capital to the rapidly diminishing private sector, but it will create crippling inflation as the money supply more than doubles.
As the private sector continues to dwindle, tax revenues continue to evaporate while the capital that might help grow the private sector is consumed maintaining the appearance of stabilization of the economy by unsustainably propping up government jobs.
Not only are the policies of this administration not restoring the economy, they are destroying the foundation on which it might be reconstructed as they continue to spend for programs and entitlements that we neither need nor can afford
The Stimulus that they like to tout has done nothing positive for the private sector. All it does is preserve local, state, and federal government jobs;. Congress is passing ‘emergency’ unemployment for up to 72 months and the Lame Stream media says nothing. These folks are not going to be filing any “first time unemployment” claims again anytime soon, so I guess the jobs situation must be as good as Harry Reid says it is. Bunk!
What is happening is that every level of government is experiencing absolutely brutal loss of tax revenue from every source imaginable. The state of Georgia has announced 20 consecutive months of ever-expanding declining revenue: projecting revenue shortfalls 7%, 11%, and 21% for last year, this year, and next. It would be worse if not for the artificial relief due to Stimulus payments that keep paychecks coming to government employees even as tax revenue evaporates. Local governments are in even worse shape than state governments since they are unable to mitigate losses over a larger, economically diverse geography. The fact is, these chickens are going to come home to roost sooner rather than later.
To add insult to injury, the Stimulus is not even being funded with borrowed money; it is being funded by monetized debt. The Fed prints worthless script which it “lends” to the banks at 0% interest; that in turn “buy” Treasury Bills (to avoid federal penalties for ‘risky’ lending [to small business for operating loans for example]). This artificially simulates that there still is acceptance of US debt in the money markets. Not only does this deny operating capital to the rapidly diminishing private sector, but it will create crippling inflation as the money supply more than doubles.
As the private sector continues to dwindle, tax revenues continue to evaporate while the capital that might help grow the private sector is consumed maintaining the appearance of stabilization of the economy by unsustainably propping up government jobs.
Not only are the policies of this administration not restoring the economy, they are destroying the foundation on which it might be reconstructed as they continue to spend for programs and entitlements that we neither need nor can afford
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Health care reform is much easier than Obamacare
There is so much empty talk about health care reform and how difficult it is: but that is Bunk! As with any reform the process is simple:
1. Define the goal
2. Identify obstructions to achieving the goal
3. Identify how to eliminate the obstructions
4. Eliminate the obstructions.
5. Adjust and Repeat the process until satisfied.
The real problems occur when the goal is not related to the process being reformed.
With Obamacare, the objective has never been to actually reform health care; the objective has been only to reform the health care process to put the federal government in complete control. Proponents argue otherwise, but the abominations that came out of the House and Senate unmistakably reflect that purpose:
How many pages are dedicated to specifics to improve the quality and accessibility of health care; and how many pages are dedicated to defining government controls?
As Forrest Gump so aptly noted: “Stupid is as stupid does”.
This is such a simple process if we simply focus on de-bottlenecking health care insurance and delivery. We have the Tale of Two States (with apologies to Dickens) demonstrating alternatives at each end of the choice spectrum.
Indiana offers their employees an option that includes High Deductable Health Plans to take care of catastrophic health care needs; and Health Savings Accounts to take care of routine medical expenses with unused funds accruing in the individual employees’ account to offset future costs. 70% of their government employees now choose this option and the savings to the state and to the employees are already in the millions of dollars per year; and participant satisfaction with the health care results are impressive. This is a solution that puts the patient in charge and uses free market solutions.
Massachusetts offers a plan that reflects the essence of Obamacare: mandatory insurance, government control. It now requires federal subsidies approaching $1.5 Billion; medical insurance costs are now the highest in America and continue increasing at 10% a year since the plan was initiated, and most alarmingly, new business starts in the State have dropped 16% since the program began as potential new businesses choose nearby states for their businesses instead.
Given these two examples, which appears to approach the goal of improved health care? Is it understandable why someone would choose the Indiana option over the Massachusetts option? Break their hearts, Estelle: just say No to Obamacare.
1. Define the goal
2. Identify obstructions to achieving the goal
3. Identify how to eliminate the obstructions
4. Eliminate the obstructions.
5. Adjust and Repeat the process until satisfied.
The real problems occur when the goal is not related to the process being reformed.
With Obamacare, the objective has never been to actually reform health care; the objective has been only to reform the health care process to put the federal government in complete control. Proponents argue otherwise, but the abominations that came out of the House and Senate unmistakably reflect that purpose:
How many pages are dedicated to specifics to improve the quality and accessibility of health care; and how many pages are dedicated to defining government controls?
As Forrest Gump so aptly noted: “Stupid is as stupid does”.
This is such a simple process if we simply focus on de-bottlenecking health care insurance and delivery. We have the Tale of Two States (with apologies to Dickens) demonstrating alternatives at each end of the choice spectrum.
Indiana offers their employees an option that includes High Deductable Health Plans to take care of catastrophic health care needs; and Health Savings Accounts to take care of routine medical expenses with unused funds accruing in the individual employees’ account to offset future costs. 70% of their government employees now choose this option and the savings to the state and to the employees are already in the millions of dollars per year; and participant satisfaction with the health care results are impressive. This is a solution that puts the patient in charge and uses free market solutions.
Massachusetts offers a plan that reflects the essence of Obamacare: mandatory insurance, government control. It now requires federal subsidies approaching $1.5 Billion; medical insurance costs are now the highest in America and continue increasing at 10% a year since the plan was initiated, and most alarmingly, new business starts in the State have dropped 16% since the program began as potential new businesses choose nearby states for their businesses instead.
Given these two examples, which appears to approach the goal of improved health care? Is it understandable why someone would choose the Indiana option over the Massachusetts option? Break their hearts, Estelle: just say No to Obamacare.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Barack Obama commits treason
On December 16th, 2009 president Barack Obama committed treason.
Treason is defined as disloyalty or treachery to one's country or its government; any attempt to overthrow the government or impair the well-being of a state to which one owes allegiance; the crime of giving aid or comfort to the enemies of one's government.
When his issued the following Amendment to Executive Order 12425:
EXECUTIVE ORDER
- - - - - - -
AMENDING EXECUTIVE ORDER 12425 DESIGNATING INTERPOL
AS A PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION ENTITLED TO
ENJOY CERTAIN PRIVILEGES, EXEMPTIONS, AND IMMUNITIES
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 1 of the International Organizations Immunities Act (22 U.S.C. 288), and in order to extend the appropriate privileges, exemptions, and immunities to the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), it is hereby ordered that Executive Order 12425 of June 16, 1983, as amended, is further amended by deleting from the first sentence the words "except those provided by Section 2(c), Section 3, Section 4, Section 5, and Section 6 of that Act" and the semicolon that immediately precedes them.
BARACK OBAMA
THE WHITE HOUSE,
December 16, 2009.
Explanation of the effect of this amendment:
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/Obama-gives-Interpol-free-hand-in-U_S_-8697583-80291137.html
First, Obama has granted Interpol the ability to operate within the territorial limits of the United States without being subject to the same constitutional restraints that apply to all domestic law enforcement agencies such as the FBI. Second, Obama has exempted Interpol's domestic facilities -- including its office within the U.S. Department of Justice -- from search and seizure by U.S. authorities and from disclosure of archived documents in response to Freedom of Information Act requests filed by U.S. citizens. Think very carefully about what you just read: Obama has given an international law enforcement organization that is accountable to no other national authority the ability to operate as it pleases within our own borders, and he has freed it from the most basic measure of official transparency and accountability, the FOIA
Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/Obama-gives-Interpol-free-hand-in-U_S_-8697583-80291137.html#ixzz0h7Ou06DT
I am asking each of you, and anyone you care to forward this to, to write your Representatives, Senators and Congressman to demand that the Obama Amendment to Executive Order 12425 be repealed by Congress.
To find your Representative’s e-mail address: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
To find your Senators’ addresses, simply Google their name and go to “Contact Me” for Georgia:
http://chambliss.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Email
http://isakson.senate.gov/contact.cfm
Here is a copy of the letter that I have sent to my elected Representatives:
Honorable____________
President Obama's amendment of Executive Order 12425 is a violation of his Constitutional oath of office and a usurpation of authorities not delegated. It is imperative that the Congress act without further delay to repeal the Obama Amendments to EO 12425.
Every federal officer is required to take a solemn oath to 'preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. In addition, the president is tasked by the Constitution to "take care that the laws of the United States are faithfully executed".
Clearly president Obama has violated both the spirit and the letter of these sacred responsibilities by granting foreign powers unbounded authority over Sovereign US Citizens; and by granting foreign powers unbounded immunity from compliance with the most fundamental Constitutional protections for Sovereign US Citizens by issuing his amendment to EO 12425.
Clearly the Obama amendment to Executive Order 12425 exceeds appropriate constitutional or statutory authority, and should not have the force and effect of law.
Whereas Executive Orders usually pertain specifically to government agencies and officials, the Obama Amendment to EO 12425 is specifically designated to nullify fundamental Constitutional protections of inalienable rights of all citizens over which the federal government has been specifically denied any authority by the COTUS.
The Obama Amendment to EO 12425 is not pursuant to an express or implied authorization of Congress.
The president has no authority, Constitutional, legislative, or by precedent to nullify the fundament Constitutional protections of any inalienable rights of man.
The COTUS specifically denies the federal government any authority to negate the Constitutional protections destroyed by the Obama Amendment to EO 12425.
It is frightful that the Congress has failed to act immediately on the president’s blatant and illegal attack on the fundamental rights of Sovereign US Citizens represented by his amendment to EO 12425 issued on 12/16/09.
Continued inaction by the Congress to redress this treasonous act by the president is unconscionable.
As my elected representative I am advising you that I believe you have a moral and legal obligation to initiate actions in the Congress necessary to repeal the Obama Amendment to Executive Order 12425 issued by the president on 12/16/2009 without further delay.
Respectfully
Treason is defined as disloyalty or treachery to one's country or its government; any attempt to overthrow the government or impair the well-being of a state to which one owes allegiance; the crime of giving aid or comfort to the enemies of one's government.
When his issued the following Amendment to Executive Order 12425:
EXECUTIVE ORDER
- - - - - - -
AMENDING EXECUTIVE ORDER 12425 DESIGNATING INTERPOL
AS A PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION ENTITLED TO
ENJOY CERTAIN PRIVILEGES, EXEMPTIONS, AND IMMUNITIES
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 1 of the International Organizations Immunities Act (22 U.S.C. 288), and in order to extend the appropriate privileges, exemptions, and immunities to the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), it is hereby ordered that Executive Order 12425 of June 16, 1983, as amended, is further amended by deleting from the first sentence the words "except those provided by Section 2(c), Section 3, Section 4, Section 5, and Section 6 of that Act" and the semicolon that immediately precedes them.
BARACK OBAMA
THE WHITE HOUSE,
December 16, 2009.
Explanation of the effect of this amendment:
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/Obama-gives-Interpol-free-hand-in-U_S_-8697583-80291137.html
First, Obama has granted Interpol the ability to operate within the territorial limits of the United States without being subject to the same constitutional restraints that apply to all domestic law enforcement agencies such as the FBI. Second, Obama has exempted Interpol's domestic facilities -- including its office within the U.S. Department of Justice -- from search and seizure by U.S. authorities and from disclosure of archived documents in response to Freedom of Information Act requests filed by U.S. citizens. Think very carefully about what you just read: Obama has given an international law enforcement organization that is accountable to no other national authority the ability to operate as it pleases within our own borders, and he has freed it from the most basic measure of official transparency and accountability, the FOIA
Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/Obama-gives-Interpol-free-hand-in-U_S_-8697583-80291137.html#ixzz0h7Ou06DT
I am asking each of you, and anyone you care to forward this to, to write your Representatives, Senators and Congressman to demand that the Obama Amendment to Executive Order 12425 be repealed by Congress.
To find your Representative’s e-mail address: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
To find your Senators’ addresses, simply Google their name and go to “Contact Me” for Georgia:
http://chambliss.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Email
http://isakson.senate.gov/contact.cfm
Here is a copy of the letter that I have sent to my elected Representatives:
Honorable____________
President Obama's amendment of Executive Order 12425 is a violation of his Constitutional oath of office and a usurpation of authorities not delegated. It is imperative that the Congress act without further delay to repeal the Obama Amendments to EO 12425.
Every federal officer is required to take a solemn oath to 'preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. In addition, the president is tasked by the Constitution to "take care that the laws of the United States are faithfully executed".
Clearly president Obama has violated both the spirit and the letter of these sacred responsibilities by granting foreign powers unbounded authority over Sovereign US Citizens; and by granting foreign powers unbounded immunity from compliance with the most fundamental Constitutional protections for Sovereign US Citizens by issuing his amendment to EO 12425.
Clearly the Obama amendment to Executive Order 12425 exceeds appropriate constitutional or statutory authority, and should not have the force and effect of law.
Whereas Executive Orders usually pertain specifically to government agencies and officials, the Obama Amendment to EO 12425 is specifically designated to nullify fundamental Constitutional protections of inalienable rights of all citizens over which the federal government has been specifically denied any authority by the COTUS.
The Obama Amendment to EO 12425 is not pursuant to an express or implied authorization of Congress.
The president has no authority, Constitutional, legislative, or by precedent to nullify the fundament Constitutional protections of any inalienable rights of man.
The COTUS specifically denies the federal government any authority to negate the Constitutional protections destroyed by the Obama Amendment to EO 12425.
It is frightful that the Congress has failed to act immediately on the president’s blatant and illegal attack on the fundamental rights of Sovereign US Citizens represented by his amendment to EO 12425 issued on 12/16/09.
Continued inaction by the Congress to redress this treasonous act by the president is unconscionable.
As my elected representative I am advising you that I believe you have a moral and legal obligation to initiate actions in the Congress necessary to repeal the Obama Amendment to Executive Order 12425 issued by the president on 12/16/2009 without further delay.
Respectfully
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