The Constitution Forbids It…

The Constitution is clear where legislation must be proposed; the House of congress. Article I section VII and VIII make clear that the responsibility for legislation at the federal level is the responsibility of the House. The idea that federal bureaucracies can make “rules” that become laws that include punishment for breaking such laws, is unconstitutional. The EPA, FCC, FAA, and every one of the other thousand agencies have no authority to set laws for the states.


Let’s take for instance the EPA that has bankrupted farmers in California to “save” a small fish that finds its way into the irrigation system or the recent FCC ruling to start regulating the internet. Federal agencies have taken the legitimate role of oversight to the unconstitutional role of creating rules and laws that have squashed businesses creativity and ability to expand operations.

Some may argue that the congress has already legislated the rules and the bureaucracies are just enforcing the laws they have created but this is simply not true. The federal bureaucracies have been expanding their roles and creating what is ultimately legislation by implementing processes that end run the congress and the legitimate creation of law...

Through intimidation, increasing barriers to entry into an industry, by using faulty science, regulatory bodies have become de facto legislators. These bureaucracies are unaccountable to the people and are a great excuse for legislators that agree with their leftist agenda to hide behind for political cover. It is rule by tyranny. They set the rules and we have to abide by them. But where is their authority coming from?

There are many levels to pick this apart but the first level is the constitutionality of any of these bureaucracies. Where in the constitution is the authority to meddle in the internal states affairs regarding the work rules (OSHA), irrigation and water to farm (EPA), and the free and open market on the internet (FCC). The commerce clause is the left’s answer but the abuse of the commerce clause must come to an end. Precedence be damned. We must take every case individually and apply it to the original intent of the constitution.

The commerce clause was created to make commerce regular among the states. When goods were traded and transported between and through states, it was determined by our founders that the confidence and stability of clear standards of conduct was beneficial to the economy of the United States. Making the rules regular would encourage commerce and break down trade barriers among the states and the countries the United States traded with. It was not intended to determine the hours of labor a man worked in a factory or on a farm in any particular state. Our founders understood the power that a strong and vibrant private sector was for the strength of our country. They were the biggest promoters of private business and trade. It seems our representatives are the biggest roadblock to private enterprise and free trade. How times have changed.

Even if you could make a constitutional argument that any of these regulatory bodies have a role in one of the federally enumerated powers, it is still unconstitutional for congressional representatives to pass on responsibility of creating rules that are truly laws to any other government body. If we follow this logic we would have no constitutional republic. For example, Congress could simply pass a law that said all legislative powers are herby handed over to the Department of Energy for the good of the country when the matter is energy policy. Would this be allowed if this was stated outright? There would be outrage, I would think. The people would no longer be in control of their government, bureaucrats would be in control.

We have too many federal bureaucrats with too much control of our lives at the federal level. We have failed to defend the constitution, and in particular the Tenth Amendment. We have for too long accepted the trampling of our rights by overzealous central planners who were the intended target of our founders in the Constitution. It is not surprising that the same people that defend central planning believe the Constitution is a “living” document that must be open to interpretation of the most current circumstances of the people. It is not surprising that these central planners would like nothing more than to continue to ignore the intentions of our founders and the new Tea Party movement.

The Tea Party is made up of people that believe that words mean things and our Constitution is our guiding law that was intended to keep control with the people and the states. The Tea Party is a movement to educate and protect the founding principles that encourage private business and limit government interference. The fact that we have allowed the Constitution to be ignored and federal bureaucracies to expand is not an excuse to throw constitutional government away.

The Constitution is there to be defended and used to bring this country back to the miracle it once was. It is not too late to defend it or enforce it. But we must understand it. Presidents have used uncertainty and hard times as an excuse to ignore the Constitution. We must use uncertainty and hard times to re-establish the foundational principles to return to greatness…

Live or Let Die?

Deciding what to do at the end of one’s life is not the decision of any government bureaucracy. It is an individual choice that is a painful and difficult decision for both the individual facing that decision and the family members of that individual that must live with the loss.

The fact is we are all going to die. Some of us will die unexpectedly, others will die naturally, and for some the end of life becomes so painful and agonizing decisions on how much longer they will live can be the catalyst for ethical and moral clashes. Some people that have been fighting cancer or other debilitating diseases are often in circumstances that become unbearable for that individual. Quietly they choose to move on to the next life and concede the battle. It is generally a peaceful process that is comforted with some of the wonderful drugs that have enabled us to ease the pain of our loved ones.

In some cases family members struggle to accept the inevitable process of dying and interject their own desire and selfishness to keep their loved one around through extra ordinary measures. Even when individual patients have DNR orders (Do Not Resuscitate) it is not unusual for family members to intercede and frantically request their love one be “saved”. This is not for the benefit of the patient but rather a guilt or unresolved issue with the family member. It is a very personal experience and every family works it out every day across this country. Rarely is the decision made based on money, it is usually the reality that the family member has made their peace with the world.

Healthcare and dying are personal. The dignity of patients and their families is paramount. There is no place in this decision for a federal government bureaucrat. But that is what is happening. Through the use of “incentives” for doctors to either be financially efficient or utilize specific programs that reduce the cost of maintaining the elderly, the federal government has worked their way into that very personal relationship between a patient, doctor, and family. The efforts of the federal government to influence a doctor’s decision on care, especially end of life care is not only unconstitutional it is morally appalling.

Healthcare has been hijacked by the government and insurance companies by creating a false marketplace that has no built in mechanisms to control itself. Just as it is a personal decision as to whether or not I purchase health insurance, it is a personal choice, and my individual right to liberty how I decide to manage the end of my life. I am not talking about promoting assisted suicide; I am promoting individual freedom and liberty. I don’t need the morality police or the federal bureaucrat deciding any aspect of my private care. I can choose to fight cancer with all of my power and resources or I can choose to save my resources and allow the natural outcome of my decision. Every individual should have that right. It may be uncomfortable for some but freedom is a very uncomfortable but undeniable right.

That is why I am vehemently against government in the healthcare industry. We need more private market incentives in the basics of healthcare allowing for a better market to develop for end of life care. We are all going to die whether we want to face it or not. But the federal government should not be impacting that aspect of our lives in any way. It is not only unconstitutional - it will end up being a criminal enterprise if allowed to continue. You mark my words…

A Simple Man…

I consider myself a simple man that sees the world from a very practical perspective. I don’t believe things ever have to be as hard as they seem. It is probably why I am a conservative that leans libertarian. It makes simple sense to me that when we respect the individual’s right to be free, everything else makes total sense.

I think the founders were simple men. They were simple which is what made them brilliant. By looking at the world through the eyes of the individual they were able to see the future clearly. They also had a profound interest and curiosity for history and invention. They spent much of their time creating things to advance the industry of the day. Whether it was a better way to run the farm or creating the first tool to copy written documents, the polygraph, it was their passion as individuals to help other individuals improve their lives. They had little interest in running the lives of others. They had been there done that and decided there was a better way.

As we look at the state of our country today it is clear we have lost the simple notion that we are better off when we allow each individual to learn how to fish rather than feed them the same. The evidence is clear and simple to understand. As we have gravitated away from protecting the individual liberty of our citizens and replaced it with a collective wisdom that we know what is best for others, we see the destruction that is left in the path of collectivism.

The Black community has been devastated by the collective notion that these individuals are incapable of helping themselves. It is simply discrimination in another form. We are robbing this community of their ability to find their own happiness and success in life. For the past 50 years we have been told that we are not doing enough for this community but the simple fact is we are doing too much. By undermining the individual spirit our founders treasured, we have begun a transformation back to a time where Kings and royalty decided what was best for the kingdom. We are headed back to the future to steal a popular movie series title.

The current efforts to regulate what our kids eat, who gets access to the internet, stealing the wealth of hard working individuals and giving it to others under the guise of fairness, we continue to destroy our foundational principle. It is not cold hearted to want people to succeed on their own; it is compassionate to do so. It is not selfish to want to keep what we earn for ourselves or future generations of our family; it is the source of compassion. When individuals are able to create excess wealth they tend to share that wealth with others that are less fortunate. Not through force but out of a compassionate heart for their neighbor. Taking by force through taxation causes resentment and the result is less compassion and giving. It is a simple truth if you just take a moment to think about it.

The end of what is happening in our country is simple to see if we just follow through to the logical conclusion. We have seen it before in our own history. Oppressive taxation and regulation, meddling in individuals private affairs, and ignoring the will of the people were the impetus to our first revolution. It is not a threat but simply a fact. At some point individuals will take back their rights as individuals to keep their wealth, freedom, and happiness from an over reaching government bureaucracy. We as Americans live by a simple creed which is live free or die. It is actually the state motto of New Hampshire but it resides in every American heart. From our military to our kitchen tables we will not allow the government to determine our fate without a fight.

The Tea Party of today has been awakened by the same emotions that were stirred in 1773. History is repeating itself right before our eyes if we simply think about the circumstances of today and at our founding. The pundits and media can’t see it because they are part of the collective wisdom that they know better than us what’s good for our country. They shutter at the word revolution but for individuals that care about our constitution and country the word gives them hope for a better future. It is not about violence. It is about a simple principle, we as Americans will never concede our right to be free to pursue happiness. It may be offensive to some that we wish for a simpler form of federal government but we don’t care about offending the elite. We relish in it.

The American Revolution was simple in concept. “When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another…” Our Declaration of Independence that embodied our spirit as individuals and a nation is as relevant today as it was in 1776.

It seems simple to me that we are at a point in our history where the Tea Party will spark another revolution that will again revive the spirit our founders so engrained through their simple wisdom and understanding of human nature. I do not know what it will look like this time around but there is no doubt in my mind that the country is ready to tell its government: “we simply can’t comply”…

A Perfect Example…

I recently learned the High School I graduated from in 1977; John F Kennedy in the Bronx has finally closed its doors. I say finally because it has taken an ugly journey all too common with government run programs.

I was in the second graduating class of JFK. I was one of only a few in my neighborhood that attended a public High School. Most of my friend’s parents paid for their kids to go to Catholic High Schools known for teaching and discipline that graduated students competent enough to get a job or go to college. Most public High Schools in NYC were incubators of failure. But JFK did not start that way. That is one of the reasons my parents risked sending their oldest son to the school.

The school was approved for funding based on promises made to the neighborhood residents that surrounded the campus. Our families were told that JFK would be different; if the school was built the neighborhood would be guaranteed a good education, and would not suffer the fate of most of the other public schools in the city. The school was built, and for the four years I attended, many of the promises were realized.

The first principal of JFK High School was impressive and he took a no nonsense approach to education. Show up or get thrown out. Teachers were encouraged to teach and supported in their efforts to do so. Security was heavy to ensure “kids” with ill intent were kept out of classrooms and not allowed on the school grounds. He kept some sense of order.

The kids from the neighborhood came from decent family backgrounds not typical of most students in the inner city. The advantage of having interested and engaged families that supported the principal’s goals was a good foundation for the school’s academic success. For a little while the school operated with relative success for a public High School in the Bronx.

Over the years the school exploded to house over 6000 students. It was built for approximately 4000. The neighborhood changed and the parental engagement was replaced with gang activity. Eventually this activity resulted in a student being murdered at the school. The school achieved the ranking of being the worst High School in New York City. An achievement that I am truly sad to report being an Alumnus. An attempt was made to take the school and divide it into 6 different schools with a focus on different disciplines. The attempt to salvage the school with this effort failed.

So the inner city is left with a building built with hope and promise sitting empty. The public school system has failed another generation of inner city kids that will have less opportunity than their peers. It is heartbreaking to watch. It is really personal for me having seen it first hand and knowing that the answer is to allow private institutions to teach these kids. The answer is not to keep rewarding public schools with our tax dollars. The answer is more complex than just poor schools but if we don’t change the schools we will never break the chain of hopelessness for these inner city kids. We will pay tenfold for the failures of these schools and government dependency.

When will enough be enough? I’m not talking about money because NYC public schools spend in the vicinity of $15,000 a year per student, well over the countries average. When will we face reality that we need a solution that does not count on government bureaucracy? When will we let educational entrepreneurs take a shot at educating these kids? What have we got to lose?

Government run schools and programs always start with good intentions. Government programs always deliver the same results; failure. The government has no soul and cares nothing about the lives they destroy as long as politicians and bureaucrats get paid and keep their jobs. Government has proven test after test that they don’t understand the material and will continue to fail no matter how you mix up the questions on the test. Government does not deserve our trust or the trust of these victims within our cities. They are the most vulnerable because they can’t pick up and go to a better school in a better neighborhood. We need to bring better schools to them through private organizations with a passion to teach.

Trying something new is the least we can do for these kids. As public schools become havens for gangs, drugs, and danger these kids are left to the squalor of government and politics. They deserve a better effort on our part and what is the worst that can happen? These kids get an education that can save them from a life of dependency on a government that has failed them for generations…

The Tenth Amendment Rendered Meaningless…

If the governors of these United States don’t start stepping up to the plate in a more aggressive manner, the Tenth Amendment to the United States will be rendered meaningless. The constitution is already on life support, and the Tenth Amendment is the critical arguing point in this battle between centralized tyranny and local independence.

I shudder when I hear governors groveling at the altar of the federal government as Governor Elect Nikki Haley of South Carolina recently did when she asked the president to “allow South Carolina to opt out” of the healthcare bill. This is not constitutional leadership. We need our governors to start studying the history of this nation and start employing the same arguments that were made then, resulting in the Bill of Rights including the Tenth Amendment.

I get perplexed when I read our history and compare the political fights we are having today. It is appalling how weak our state governments have become compared to their domination at the founding of our country. Where did we go wrong? I believe the first fundamental principle we have allowed to slip is our understanding of history and our founding. Along the way politics, civics, and history have taken a back seat to pragmatism, and a casual undermining of our true history.

We have allowed big government advocates to paint big government as a compassionate institution that is there to help people. We have allowed the constitution and its fundamental principles to be undermined by tortured arguments by Supreme Court justices and power hungry presidents, as they mangled the original intent without a true debate of the ramifications these changes would have for future generations. We have allowed blind emotion to drive decisions that have destroyed millions of American lives with government dependency, and the only result; a few liberals feel good about themselves. We have forgotten how to argue on principle and have accepted short term gratification over standing on principle to achieve more difficult but sounder and moral results.

The Supreme Court has been allowed to become too powerful when the founders intent for the court was simply to determine the constitutionality of laws created by congress. It was never intended to be a body that created laws for the nation. It is an equal branch of government that has been used too often to provide cover for weak kneed politicians that don’t want to do the hard work they are constitutionally required to do. The states have become too complacent to bad federal law and have relegated their responsibility to provide for the states, rendering the Tenth Amendment meaningless.

When coal mine expansion in the state of West Virginia is being held up by a federal bureaucracy that is protecting bugs over jobs, and governors accept this as normal, the Tenth Amendment is rendered meaningless. When the federal government believes that a smelt is more important than the farmer in California, and the governor accepts this as normal, the Tenth Amendment is rendered meaningless. When our government is passing bills to force our kids to eat certain foods, and the governors accept this as normal, the Tenth Amendment is rendered meaningless. When the federal government continues to make decisions affecting state budgets beyond the scope of its constitutional authority, and governors accept this as normal, the Tenth Amendment is rendered meaningless.

History proves that the Tenth Amendment was critical in the passing of the United States Constitution, and without it the states would have never ratified the document. The arguments for and against ratification were passionate and revolved around a desperate fear that a central government would one day dominate and limit the freedoms that individuals had sacrificed their lives to ensure. Today we have a central government that people fear is stealing their individual liberty and ability to pursue happiness. The Tenth Amendment is not meaningless, it is the pivotal amendment to return the federal government to a limited role and to protect the liberties our founders fought so hard to achieve…

The War on Wealth…

The left in this country, including this president have waged a final battle against the creation of wealth in this country. Since our founding, the American spirit has been driven by opportunity to better one’s circumstance through industrious labors. The people that came to this great land were lured by only one thing; opportunity to improve their lives through hard work and limited government intrusion.

The world was a different place before America, and opportunity to create wealth for your own consumption was a “foreign” concept. Most citizens of the day worked to improve the standing of the ruling class. There was little opportunity for individuals to prosper in the pre-America world. The world’s economic output was often incentivized through fear, coercion, and force. Not until the new American Experiment did the world have the chance to see how much more effective economic growth could be when put into the hands of the individual and the rewards of that labor left in the hands that created it.

The creation of wealth in America became the fuel that lifted millions of people around the world out of the most despicable circumstances through the generosity and ability created by individual ingenuity and wealth. When individuals are incentivized through private property and keeping the fruits of labor it is no mystery as to why wealth explodes and raises the circumstances of all within a society. It is simply the harnessing of human nature. Our instinct to provide for ourselves actually fuels our instincts to help our neighbor. The problem we have seen in America is that for too long the wealthy have been fueling compassion, and the recipients have forgotten where this charity comes from.

The tax system has become a mechanism to take one man’s fruits and distribute them to another for no sensible reason. We have seen generations of low income Americans become locked in a system that breeds dependency and steals the incentive to make it on their own. This system has become an industry with the captains of that industry being politicians. These politicians have a self interest in perpetuating poverty and dependency. They fund their “industry” by demonizing the wealth creators, creating envy, punishing wealth, and redistributing the wealth through punitive taxation. This war on wealth has created a class of people that now believe they are entitled to the wealth that is created by these individuals.

We are becoming morally bankrupt as a nation when we believe a person’s success should be a source of scorn and disgust. The question is never “when is enough, enough for the individual wealth creators”. The reality is the more wealth they create the more goes back into society in the form of jobs, investment, and charity. It is not the government’s role in America to decide that question. The government has become over reaching and must be returned to its constitutional role once again. These wealth creators should be celebrated as they were at the founding of this great republic. Without the incentives of individuals to keep the fruits of their labor we harvest less fruit. As the fruit diminishes the dependent class gets restless and demands more from the captains of their industry. The captains demand more from the wealth creators and we find ourselves back in a system where wealth creation is driven by fear, coercion, and force. The engine sputters to a halt and collapses on itself.

We are not far from this point right now. Our tax system must be utilized to provide only the services necessary to conduct a law abiding society. Individuals again must be incentivized through the rewards of their labor. Right now the wealth creators are slowing down their activity because they are being punished and demonized. The wealth creators have not received their rewards through any special circumstance but the industrious spirit they pursue. The envy, jealousy, and demonization of the wealthy is going to destroy the American Spirit. Wealth distribution has already destroyed the people dependent on others. If we don’t stop demonizing wealth we will have nothing to demonize in the very near future…

First Step is Read the Constitution’s; Tenth Amendment…

South Carolina Governor elect Nikki Haley had a few challenging questions for the President during her two day visit to the White House.

It was extremely discouraging in my opinion as I read the quotes attributed to her; “In an exchange recounted by Haley and confirmed by White House aides, Obama rejected Haley's request to repeal the health care bill - but said he'd consider letting states opt out of its mandates if they ran exchange programs, banned insurance firms from denying coverage of pre-existing conditions and enabled people to pool together for better rates.”

"I asked him if the state of South Carolina gave solutions, so we're not just saying no, would he allow us to opt out or allow any other state to opt out should they choose," Haley said. "He said that he would consider an opt-out provision if it contained three clauses."

News for both the president and governor elect; read the Tenth Amendment of the Constitution.
“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people”

And while you’re at it, find the enumeration that gives the Federal government the authority to force Americans to carry health insurance.

There is no need to ask the President to “allow” South Carolina to opt out of healthcare. Has he become King Obama? What is this? I had higher hopes for our new Tea Party candidates.
The Governor elect goes on to say:

"I think right now what's best for me is to go back to South Carolina, look at all three of these issues and then make a decision," Haley said. "I want to start to research on what it would take in order for us to do something to meet his provisions.”

"The goal is to make sure that we are giving choices to the people of our states and not mandating them."

Here is my advice; the first step in your research Governor is to read the Constitution and take particular notice of the Tenth Amendment.

My God what has happened to our country…

A Winning Message and Protecting Our Constitution…

As a constitutional conservative it is frustrating to watch the important arguments win on merit but lose in messaging. The GOP has to find a better message consultant and messenger. My choice for messenger would be Marco Rubio. He knows how to proudly speak for the ideals that have made this country great. He understands that the government is not the answer and is most often the problem. And he asks the important question that so many politicians ignore; does this (insert program or idea) belong at the federal level based on the constitution?

I am starting to wonder why politicians swear to uphold the constitution. Many of these same politicians support or promote programs that are unconstitutional. We are no longer running this republic under the guidelines of the constitution. Since 1932 or so, we have had an onslaught of politicians and judges ignoring the constitution or using tortured arguments to get unconstitutional arguments and legislation past the voters and into law.

I recently watched a Republican Congressman argue we need a constitutional amendment to allow states to opt out of federal programs. Excuse me; it’s called the Tenth Amendment! There is precedent for Nullification of federally mandated laws that states believe are unconstitutional. It is all right in front of us and them if we understand our history. We currently have anarchy when it comes to interpreting our history. Politicians and pundits are continually pontificating about how their idea is constitutional based on some hair brained argument. The public sits there and listens and believes them without doing any homework on the constitutional validity of their argument. Simply put, we have become lazy in thought and that allows these people to perpetuate false arguments and ideas.

If you listen closely to the current battles going on in Washington, Obama is winning. Every opportunity he gets he hammers home the idea of class warfare. Republicans and conservatives are against the middle class and for the rich and wealthy. The republicans want to take away the unemployment benefits of the working class for the sake of the richest and wealthiest Americans. The perception (messaging) is that republicans and conservatives don’t care about the “working” man. As if the rich and wealthy don’t work? They work more, that is why they are wealthy and rich.

The message must be rejected and reversed on Obama. The argument should be that Obama is a job killing president because he punishes the businesses that hire Americans. We do not have a revenue problem at the federal level of government - the democrats and the president have a spending addiction that is stealing our children’s American dream. America has been exceptional because we value the private entrepreneurs and job creators that have fueled economic growth. The businesses that create jobs that pay employees actually fuel the government. The government produces nothing. Every government job is the courtesy of small, medium, and large employers. We believe class warfare ended at the inception of America. We fought for our freedom so every individual had an opportunity to prosper. This administration is trying to bring back the caste system that keeps people in the classes they were born into through dependence on government programs. And the message goes on and on… You get the idea.

The message must be repeated constantly just like the left and liberals do. They say we are for the rich, we say we are for the employers who create the jobs and the people that want to work. They say we want tax cuts for the rich, we say we want tax cuts for every working American regardless of how much they earn, it’s their money. They say we want to increase deficits, we say we want spending caps and a balanced budget amendment. They say we want to cut programs, we say we want constitutional government. They say we don’t want to extend unemployment for working Americans, we say we want to end unemployment…

The media is biased and we must say it more often and louder than the left. But we need a message that resonates every time the left lies about our intent. We need a messenger that believes in our constitution and our exceptionalism. We need to know our history and we need to take the fight to the left and their sympathizers every hour of everyday at every opportunity…

Time to Move Past GOP…

We just handed a historical crushing electoral win to the Republican Party in November that came with a mandate to reduce and control the federal government. It was not because the republicans earned our votes; it just happens they are the only alternative to the insanity on the left. In the voting booth, many held their noses, many were proud to send Tea Party candidates, but all voters were putting politicians on notice that if you drift we will punish. I know Republicans don’t have the internal constitution to do what America needs; reduced constitutional government but what alternative did we have?

Yesterday the Republicans were touting how they have “compromised” a deal to extend the Bush tax rates for everyone. Extending the tax rates for everyone is good but if they didn’t get a deal done in the lame duck it would have happened in the new Congress. The “compromise” was extending unemployment that is now going on two years and the “Death” tax (estate tax). My question is why compromise anything?

Politics is in the state it is because of compromise. I and many others hired these people to stand on principle. Principles are not to be compromised. The death tax is immoral and all of the assets that are passed down in an estate have already been taxed or are being taxed. This class warfare against working Americans is a disgrace and those that participate in perpetuating the myth that these successful Americans have somehow received a special break is ignorance, and usually an argument used to benefit left leaning democrats for their left leaning constituency.

Why compromise the principles that hard work needs to be rewarded? Why extend unemployment benefits because of government incompetence? Unemployment insurance after the first extension is welfare. Those that are turning down work because it pays less than unemployment are choosing to be welfare recipients. Many two income families are taking any benefit that is given but have also reduced their efforts to find work as long as not working continues to pay. Are there people that need help? You bet. But unemployment benefits are not the mechanism. I have known a dozen people that have been laid off, and I know a dozen people that have found work. Not always the work they want, but work to keep paying the bills for now.

That is the American spirit and principle. These are the people that need to be rewarded by reducing government and increasing certainty so the private sector will invest and therefore create jobs.

The republican’s focus should not be unemployment extensions. The focus should be on why the job creation engine is not starting. And the answer is simple; too much government interference. The voters know it and it is why they sent a new congress to Washington. Instead of compromising on unemployment extensions the Republicans need to do what they were hire to do; reduce government.

So it begins. The Republicans have already prepared us for 2012. We need to find a new home for our hopes and dreams for America’s future. We need politicians grounded in constitutional government. We need to strengthen the Tea Party movement to prepare for the inevitable disappointment we are going to get from the Republican Party. They don’t get it. They are willing to compromise at a time when they have the country with them like no other time in history.

If the GOP will not stand on principle now; they will never do it…

Net Neutrality Isn’t Neutral at All…

People are being hoodwinked into thinking that the government getting involved regulating the internet is a good thing. Who could be so gullible? People that read headlines instead of analyzing what the consequences will be once government gets involved; less access, more expense, and intrusion into the free market and best frontier for small businesses to compete. That’s right, the same people the advocates are pretending to protect (the small business and individual) is the same person that will be crushed by the FCC. The law of unintended consequences will rear its ugly head.

The reason people are concerned stems from concerns of bandwidth usage by content providers like Netflix. This type of content gobbles up bandwidth and impacts the performance of ISP’s, and has forced ISP’s to consider charging their customers more for this bandwidth service or not offering these services at all. Either choice for the ISP will be an issue for their business. But to have the federal government get involved is the wrong answer.

There is a red herring argument as well being used that large companies will dominate and control the information people seek on the internet. For example, large ISP’s could restrict other ISP’s services or access to them. Here’s the rub; they haven’t so far because they know if they do customers will flee to another provider. The market has worked and all of these people using the class warfare and evil corporation arguments are speculating and underestimating the power of the market to control itself. The same people that don’t think individuals can take care of themselves are the same people pushing net neutrality. All of the most liberal organizations are supporting this hand over of control from private companies to the FCC to our peril.

What if all the ISP’s and large players on the web got together and decided to block usage of one particular service? That is already protected under monopoly laws. We have seen a similar fight in the browser markets already. We have seen no evidence to date that we need the FCC getting involved. The free market will reward and punish the behavior it (the market/me and you) deem inappropriate.

People that are supporting the government’s intrusion say it is not “fair” for them to pay more for higher usage. And the providers of this content like Netflix say it is not “fair” that they will not have access to these ISP customers. It sounds like a perfect opportunity for another player in the market to compete. Asking the federal government to “solve” a market issue is dangerous, and is a great opportunity for the camel’s nose (FCC) to get under the tent.

The government at every level, local, state, and federal is trying to get its nose into the pockets of every aspect of the internet. The reason the internet has boomed is because there is little current regulation. The market has prevailed to keep entry costs low and competition fierce. That will change with net “neutrality”. Besides ISP’s either raising prices on everyone or getting out of the market, the regulation of content and taxation of individual websites and Blogs is high on the FCC’s priority list.

The federal government is also trying to introduce a version of the “Fairness Doctrine” on news outlets they don’t like; like everything conservative. Conservative news outlets and Blogs have exploded in popularity on the web because the market has chosen to subscribe, read, and listen to these outlets. The left hates the fact they can’t compete in the arena of ideas, and the only way to “compete” is to limit your access or shut down the outlets by forcing these outlets to provide an opposing view to their views. Huh! There are a billion opposing views on the internet and to force a conservative or liberal outlet to give their competitor a voice is already happening.

It is a guise to ruin the most popular networks like the “evil” Fox News, Drudge, and so many others that have outlets on the web... It made for really bad radio until Ronald Reagan ended it, and it will crush free speech on the web if the feds get their way with net “neutrality.”

There is nothing neutral about this really bad idea. Congress has defeated the bill but the FCC is going to move forward without authority. This is lawlessness by the FCC to move forward without the vote from congress. These unelected bureaucrats are changing rules against the will of the people. I can’t believe most thinking Americans can support this effort.

When people see the facts my guess is the will not…

Broad Brush = Broad Failure

The federal government approaches everything they do with the “broad brush” approach. It is one of the reasons the founding fathers were so against a large centralized government. They knew from history, experience, and facts that the larger the central government the more likelihood of a broad brush approach, and eventually tyranny and failure.

It is the reason for the tenth amendment and the Bill of Rights. The focus of our republic is on the individual’s rights, and state’s rights that encourage different approaches to government to better serve the people. It is why Madison stated “the powers of the federal government are few and defined”. Madison knew a central government would be inefficient in serving the people. It is too far removed from the individual and state’s needs. It was seen as better to rely on individual ingenuity. The common defense, common laws on the transport and taxation of commerce, were an example of where they saw a relevant need for the federal government.

Our founding fathers were prophetic. But anyone with a sense of history, human nature, and a grasp of reality knows that their prophesies were not as magical as they appear. Why? Because they are based on the principles of human nature and natural law. The more things change, the more they stay the same. The only reason we keep going back to these failed “communal” and centralized planning policies is because there are always humans that believe they are the chosen ones to make it work “this time.”

The egotists of the world always believe that the utopian policies have just not been implemented and communicated properly. We are seeing it again in full force with the current president. The constitution and the tenth amendment were written specifically to keep a man like him in check. But keeping him in check takes effort from we the people. We can’t count on a piece of paper, no matter how miraculous and prophetic to enforce itself. It takes us to enforce our rights.

The broad brush approach to welfare has given us dependency and has stolen the dreams of generations of black Americans. The broad brush approach to education has given us a morally and financially bankrupt system that no longer educates but indoctrinates our children. The broad brush approach to healthcare is destroying the most innovative and effective healthcare system ever seen on this planet. The broad brush approach to a retirement “supplement”, Social Security is threatening to bankrupt the nation and every child’s ability to live in a free and prosperous nation.

The constitution is our answer to every issue we face. The tenth amendment is the battleground where this war against an out of control federal government must be waged. We must fight against the broad brush approach before the entire republic is brought to its knees.

Get to know your constitution and be prepared to resurrect the tenth amendment…

Curious…

Tax Cuts:

Why is it the only time democratic politicians get exercised and concerned about costs is “the “costs” of tax cuts”! Tax cuts don’t cost the government a thing. It is the people that earn the money who should determine how much they are willing to be taxed to pay for government services. Every time we cut taxes on the earners in this nation revenues to the government go up. This is a fact so if the government wants more money to operate it makes sense to cut more taxes for the people that work and pay them (EIC need not apply)…

Bi-partisanship:

It is interesting for the past two years there was no talk of bi-partisanship while democrats dominated all three branches of government. They shoved their agenda down the throats of America and were punished accordingly at the ballot box. The republicans have been mandated to reverse and repeal the past two years of policy. Even in the lame duck session there is little effort to engage the republicans. Now that the house will be in full control of the republicans there is a loud outcry to “work together”, “get things done for the American people”. The republicans would be well served if they heed the call to get things done for Americans but that does not have to include their democratic colleagues in the house. Elections have consequences and sometimes working for the American people means ignoring the democratic politicians…

Shopping for a Soul…

I find it interesting and disturbing how some people are obsessed with shopping for stuff. Don’t get me wrong, I like stuff but what is the real joy of the Christmas season that starts Thanksgiving weekend? It is a question I keep asking myself and I keep coming back to counting my blessings for my health, the health of my family, and my circumstances that I have spent a lifetime creating.

Over the past couple of years, Americans have paid down $150 billion in debt. This is a really good thing for individuals but problematic for an economy driven by retail sales. I believe we are in a re-adjustment period regarding spending habits. I don’t believe we are going to see the next generation with a closet full of shoes. I believe the next generation has all the stuff they need and more. Most of that stuff has been given to them by well intentioned parents. Even though as parents we may feel good about being able to give our kids a “comfortable” life, the kids are finding stuff “empty.”

Again, don’t get me wrong, they appreciate the stuff and the comforts of life but just like us, the next generation will find their own way to define themselves. I am not sure the trend is apparent yet, but I believe they will be more likely to want a simpler life, whatever that means. They see their parents working their tails off and living a very hectic life. I think they are going to search for more rewarding careers and be more community focused. Just look at all of the communities they already subscribe to on the internet.

I only hope they get off the internet and get into live forums where they can engage in real human activity. I think they are doing some of that but I think the internet and texting is stealing some of the childhood memories that normally come from exploring a park, hiking, or playing games on the streets of our cities and towns.

If you ask teens what they want for Christmas many of them are not sure because they already have too much. It seems to me the best gift we can give them is a family vacation, a personal note of why we love them, or simply our time. I am not sure that waiting in a “Black Friday” line to buy more stuff is going to be an activity future generations will be taking part in. We can only hope that the “stuff” life is made of will again take precedence in our next generation. Hugs anyone?

“Whatever it takes”…

I have been watching the news and cringe at the interviews where a reporter is standing in a terminal interviewing a traveler regarding security procedures. These words have become all too common and frankly scare me, “whatever it takes” to keep us safe. OK, let’s explore that sentiment.

The government creates a new security force that is assigned to do “whatever it takes” to keep us safe. A knock comes on your door and it is one of these agents that want to search your home just to make sure you are not a terrorist. You have nothing to hide so you let them in because they are doing “whatever it takes” to keep you safe.

The same government agents stop you as your walking into your favorite restaurant and ask you to empty your pockets and put your hands on the wall so they can frisk you. You have nothing to hide so you submit to the intrusion because we need to do “whatever it takes” to be safe.

Random searches, invasion of privacy into our homes, the right to assemble when we choose, and the right to travel without being harassed are basic constitutional rights. Plane travel is no different from entering any place of residence, commercial establishment, car, bus, or train. Terrorists can attack anywhere there are people, and when we surrender our rights the terrorists have won. “Whatever it takes” to keep us safe is something we cannot allow to happen.

The next step is the confiscation of our right to bear arms under the guise of “whatever it takes”. Instead of encouraging gun ownership, the people currently serving in this government believe gun ownership is a safety problem. And I would agree if they thought it was a safety problem for the criminals and terrorists. You see, an armed citizenry is the best protection of our rights as individuals. “Whatever it takes” is a very dangerous position to take.

Americans have become very easy to intimidate and scare into giving up basic rights. The left wing radicals know this and that is why they thrive on chaos. They leverage a “post 9/11 world” to justify trampling our constitutional rights. Americans need to start thinking in terms of the “slippery slope”. Once you allow invasions based on airline travel, what happens when a terrorist attacks another form of transportation or restaurant?

We need to be diligent in knowing the people around us and be prepared to inform police in local communities of these suspicious behaviors. If you go to any local community you will find that the people in those communities often know who the problem is. Law enforcement needs to start profiling and monitoring activity that is suspicious and utilize it to keep us safe.

Most of the people going through the airports are not a threat but they are the ones being investigated. The last few terrorists all had a few things in common, their sex, religion, and travel that included terrorist nations. The Christmas and Time Square bombers both fit the MO. We need to look at people that fit that MO and do “whatever it takes” to investigate their intentions and behavior.

But instead we harass our grandparents, kids, and wives while we ignore the fundamental problem of terrorism. It is fueled by a religion that is bent on dominating the world. We should do “whatever it takes” to get the facts out about the real threat to our safety…

Why Government and Insurance Companies are Bad for our Health…

Health Insurers need to make profits and the Government has been proven to be inefficient, unqualified, and subject to corruption through the political process. It is that simple.

Health Insurance companies that are either for profit or non profit at the end of the day have to ration care based on how much revenue they collect through premiums. The system of health insurance breaks down when the outlays for medical payments exceeds the amount of premiums brought in. So in order to survive, the insurance company must limit the amount they pay out. The only way to do that is to ration what services they will pay with the insurance premiums collected by their customers.

What health insurance premiums cover is a major part of the problem and fixing this is one of the keys to the solution of making healthcare more affordable and accessible. Insurance is for things that are unexpected and can’t be planned for like a house fire, hurricane, car accident, heart attack or appendix bursting. Insurance is not for paying to change the oil in your car, water your lawn, paint the family room or get a check up for your kids to join the High School swim team. Those expenses can be planned for, shopped around, and do not warrant a need for insurance.

The “market” for healthcare is so regulated it actually doesn’t exist in any real sense of the definition of market. Insurance companies and government welfare plans determine where, when, what, and how much they will pay for medical care. Shoppers and competitive principles need not apply. If consumers were paying for basic medical services, quality would rise, prices would fall, demand would stabilize, and the real market value would become apparent for the American consumer. It would also increase the ability for insurance companies to issue policies to cover catastrophic or highly cost intensive procedures (what they are best at doing). If all people carried a reasonable catastrophic policy, the true reason for insurance could be realized without impacting basic care. Large pools of people paying and less payouts based on the actuarial tables for the most costly and specialized procedures. (Two other side notes; tort reform, and clinics designed to handle basic and repeatable services removing the need for a doctor. These basic, common and repeatable services would be handled by certified healthcare professionals.)

The federal government has no authority to be in the healthcare business. That being said, the current Medicare and Medicaid systems are littered with fraud, inefficiency, and political and corporate corruption. To believe the government is a better administrator of any program is delusional. Those that believe corporations and insurance companies are corrupt often place their confidence in government bureaucracies they believe “protect” the people. I will not go deep here but the corruption of bureaucrats is so far greater than corporate corruption and the facts don’t support their misplaced trust. Government healthcare is already proven to be all of the things above, inefficient and corrupt. It will get worse as private insurance options are reduced due to the new regulations in the Obama healthcare bill and even more reliance falls to the government. Medicare and Medicaid are bankrupt and Medicaid is a disgrace. To invest more trust in these bankrupt systems is again delusional.

The answer is to get both insurance companies and the government out of basic decisions on healthcare and put them back into the hands of doctors and patients. After all, who cares about your health, you and your doctor or some bureaucrat or insurance adjuster? I think the answer is obvious.

Governments only role here is to provide for the truly needy, not the needy they create through dependence. But we have seen what the outcome is of placing welfare in the hands of government; more welfare and dependency. This dependency has come at a cost of tens of trillions of dollars and dashed dreams of generations of Americans. It is also destroying the market of healthcare. The waste and inefficiency of government is undermining the ability of a real health market to exist. The result of government care will be less access, poorer quality, shortages of doctors and nurses, and a revival of two types of healthcare; one for the people that can pay and one where people are dying while they wait in lines to see a doctor.

The way we currently pay for healthcare is the real problem. As consumers we shop for a car, a house, clothes, etc…, and based on quality, price, and our income we buy the things we can afford. I buy a Camry, my neighbor buys a Mercedes and we both buy based on our wants, needs, and abilities. We weigh the costs and benefits and buy what we can afford. When is the last time you asked a doctor how much it will cost you for a physical? When is the last time you “shopped” directly for any medical service? Exactly, you don’t. People are paying in excess of $300 a month for cell phone and cable but we can’t pay for a doctor visit? People are buying the NFL cable package but they can’t pay for a checkup? People are paying to go out to dinner three nights a week but they can’t pay for blood work? You get the idea. If you want the best healthcare system in the world you need to apply the best market practices in the world; competition.

There was a time not long ago when people had a direct customer to doctor relationship. That changed when wage freezes were introduced and companies that wanted to get better employees (competition) offered health plans to supplement the wage caps that were forced down by government to adhere to (law of unintended consequences). That and the government’s move into Medicare, Medicaid, and Social welfare expansions that have undermined the doctor patient relationship ever since. Some good was done for the poor in the beginning but as always government programs with good intentions have expanded and now is poised to destroy the best healthcare in the world.

There are many people out there that think the answer to everything is tax the rich. Well they may feel good about saying that but the reality is they have no moral ground to ask someone who works hard to pay for them just because they believe they are entitled to be healthy.

For some strange reason many Americans have come to believe they have a “right” to healthcare. It is impossible to have a right to healthcare unless you force doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals to provide services to patients. Rights are derived from natural circumstances. For example, freedom is a right, free speech is a right, and the right to assemble; all have one thing in common; they don’t require anyone else to give up their rights. At some point these healthcare professionals will leave the profession and if we continue in the direction we are going that will come sooner rather than later.

There are people that are currently receiving the best medical care because the “rich” have put up with the current system, but that is coming to an end. These people are spending other people’s money and it is running out and running away. The wealthy always have the means to move. Just think of the Beatles and every other British rock star that fled Britain because their income was taxed at 95%. They moved to America and remained until those tax laws were changed. Now rich people are fleeing America’s tax system and setting up residence in tax friendly havens. So the people left holding the bag will not be the “rich” or those “greedy” corporations that employ people; it will be the people that feel entitled to the wealth of others that will be stuck paying the bills. And then we will get what we truly deserve.

The answer is not insurance companies or government bureaucracies. The answer is a renewed relationship between the patient and doctor; a reformed tort system that doesn’t force healthcare professionals to pay $100,000 a year out of their pocket for mal-practice insurance; a reorganization of basic healthcare services that don’t require the attention of a doctor and can be handled by certified practitioners. We need insurance policies that focus on risk as opposed to paying for basic services. The government’s role should be limited to providing for the truly needy, not the people that don’t want to pay for healthcare because it may cut into their life style. And finally a method to provide for pre-existing conditions that evenly spreads the risk amongst all insurance providers.

We need to stop looking at this in the way we currently are; government VS insurance companies. The main players should be the patient and the doctor. If we leave this debate to the insurance providers and government; we all lose…

TSA Says When We Buy an Airline Ticket we Surrender Some of Our Rights; really?

The citizen outrage over the TSA “pat downs” and use of X-ray machines that create X rated pictures is completely justified as American citizens protected by the constitution are being molested and abused by representatives of our government. This argument is not about security it is about rights, and what we are willing to accept as a “price” for security. There are better ways to keep planes safe than the ones the TSA uses. But I want to focus on a particular comment and policy of the TSA.

The recent publication of a passenger telling a TSA agent “if you touch my junk I will have you arrested” has caused me the most constitutional concern. The passenger decided he wanted neither the enhanced pat down nor the X-ray option. He wanted to go through the metal detector just like 80% of the passengers at San Diego airport were allowed to do. He was denied that option so he chose to get a refund and was escorted to the American ticket counter to do that. A discussion ensued with a TSA supervisor that he could not leave the airport without finishing the procedure he started or he would be subject to an $11,000 fine. He was also told that when you buy an airline ticket you give up certain rights. I have heard this comment from a number of TSA representatives and people not so interested in the constitution.

Let’s think about that. I fly often and I generally purchase my tickets weeks and sometimes months in advance. When I buy my ticket months in advance have I given up my fourth amendment rights? Can a TSA agent or some other government agent come to my home without a warrant and search my home and me because I have purchased an airline ticket? Is the fourth amendment null and void when I buy that ticket? I would argue that the purchase of any ticket is not an opportunity for a government agency to ignore our constitutional rights.

So why is an airport any different? If I as an American refuse to be molested or scanned, I should have the choice to leave without being accosted by the government. If the government believes I am a risk then they can go through the process of submitting evidence to secure a warrant for further investigation through due process. To suggest that this policy of forced interrogation once I enter an airport security area is to ensure terrorists don’t come to the security area to gather some kind of intelligence and then leave is ludicrous. Terrorists would most likely not risk the spotlight that kind of action would place on them.

So where does my fourth amendment constitutional right end? It doesn’t. The TSA needs to be disbanded and replaced with real law enforcement professionals trained in profiling behavior. The arrogance of the TSA leadership to stomp our constitution is unforgivable. I want to fly on safe planes but there are many better options than government agents chuckling over naked pictures, feeling up our wives and daughter’s breasts, our sons private parts, trampling our dignity and rights. We have created another gigantic, ineffective, and embarrassing agency. Let’s look at a better option in the best interest of our security, the airlines, and our constitutional rights….

America Deserves Better…

I am tired of being embarrassed by an incompetent president and administration. The G-20 summit highlighted the lack of respect other nations have toward us because they don’t have any confidence in America’s future based on the policies of this president.

We need to realize we have incompetence at the helm. It is important that our congressional leadership start to pass legislation that will at least send a message to the world that we are going to fix the fundamental flawed policies that this administration has put in motion. This will help reset the stage that America is poised for a comeback in 2012 with the right leader.
We need to ignore the latest commission reports on how to reduce deficits and go back to the only document we need to return to prosperity; our Constitution. We have unconstitutional programs that need to be eliminated and we need tax reductions at the federal level. We do not have a revenue problem; we have too many government programs that produce a spending problem. We need to put the economy back into the hands of the private sector. It will result in a return to constitutional government and a healthy return to market principles. The critics that continually malign the private wealth creators need to look at the massive corruption of government first, and when they have a solution for that, only then can we even entertain ideas that put faith in bureaucrats.

America is the best in the world because our constitution recognizes individuals and the private sector as the driving force of innovation and economic growth. This administration and its policies are stifling our growth with government largesse, and the federal government is permeating the economic landscape in even the most local decisions in our nation. There is already a lot of whining going on about government program cuts that have not even taken place yet. But we have a choice; rely on what has always made us great or watch a painful demise of the greatest nation to have ever been known to mankind. The people and corporations currently at the troth are going to have to survive without the help of the taxpayers. It is time to put taxpayers first and return faith in a private sector economy.

The Tea Party is going to hold the new representatives feet to the fire and we must be strong willed. We will hear the sob stories about the pain and suffering inflicted by the new “Draconian” cuts. The pain will be short lived in comparison to the permanent damage to our economy if nothing is done. People that want a socialist form of government have many options in Europe. The world doesn’t need another nation of ingrates and lay-abouts. We need to remain a beacon to people that actually want to work and take risks. That is what we are about.

Get ready and get involved even if getting involved is simply staying informed of what is really happening. The media will distort the truth because they will feel cornered as their power is stripped from them by reducing the good old boy club in Washington DC. The media is an ally to our demise and you will need to dig deeper into the issues and not rely on headlines.

We can be great again and we will be. But we must elect the people America deserves; constitutional protectors cut from the cloth of our founding fathers…

Thank You Veterans…

It is incumbent on us to remember our vets on Veteran’s Day, but I choose to remember them always. The history of this great nation has one common thread that has enabled this great republic to thrive; men and woman willing to fight to protect our constitution.

It wasn’t enough to create a constitution if there was no way to protect it. Our military has been the foundation of respect we have achieved throughout history. In total sum there is no greater institution around the world that has spread the opportunity for people to be free. They are an example for the world that having a strong military is not a threat to democracy; it is a foundational element of a democracy.

Too many dictators have utilized the military to dampen the fire of liberty. In America our military soldiers are grounded in liberty by their upbringing and voluntarily heed the call of service to the country. These brave men and women will never be convinced to turn their back on their fellow Americans because some lunatic politician decided to attempt a coup d’état. They would find themselves alone in any attempt to subvert the constitution.

We celebrate these men and women today, but really, we celebrate them every day we live in freedom…

God Bless our Veteran’s and Active Military…

Washington, Jefferson, and Obama’s Expense Report…

As I watch the president of the United States jet off to India and Asia I couldn’t help but be reminded of the sharp contrasts to two of our former and greatest presidents, Washington and Jefferson. The contrast is telling and it shows how far away we have drifted from the true intentions of our founding fathers and principles.

Anyone that has read about Washington and Jefferson (school books excluded) knows that these two men spent their individual fortunes on activities that were carried out for the good of our country. In some of their letters they struggle and feel guilt for submitting their “expense reports” to the US Treasury for reimbursement. These two great men loved their country and were fiscally prudent about anything related to the newly formed republic. They considered the funds they used the people’s money. They knew everything they spent was a gift of the hard labors of the American people. They would be appalled at the current trip of our current president.

Barrack Obama has an entitlement mentality and as he demagogues about corporate greed and high roller Wall Street fat cats flying around in personal jets, he is flying around on our dime with estimates at the expense of 200 million dollars a day while the people labor and 10% of us have no jobs to go to. At least the corporate executives are not using tax payer money; they are earning their money through a free market. Well, what’s left of it?

The lavish travel and spending by this president is despicable and shows the complete disconnect of a man that has no connection to our founding fathers, principles, or simple common sense. I don’t care if it’s 200 or 20 million a day, there are smarter ways to spend that money. The president’s security is important but if he can’t travel to a place like Mumbai with normal security he shouldn’t go. Find a neutral place to have a discussion. Foreign policy is an important part of a president’s job, but with all of the domestic angst in the country I think he should start sitting down and working with fiscal conservatives and implementing policies to balance the budget. Real policies that are not throw backs to the “great society.”

I would like to see the expense report for this trip. I would like to compare it to the Jefferson’s and Washington’s in today’s dollars. It has only been a few hundred years since these great men struggled with submitting any expense to the US Treasury. I miss their frugalness and patriotic obligation to serving their fellow Americans…

Arrogance and Condescension; A Failed Strategy…

The president has been in full campaign mode to demonize the tea party and fuel the fire of racial politics in the run up to the midterm elections. It is sad to watch the office of the president being occupied by someone who does not deserve it. The president is a unique role in our government and no matter what political party is represented there it is the office of the president of the United States.

Black, White, Hispanic, Irish, Jewish, Christian Americans deserve the respect of the president of the United States. He works for all of us. To listen to him target Americans that disagree with him as the “enemy’ is to break the heart of America. This president believes that the founding principles of this nation are the enemy because they keep him from implementing his radical agenda at a pace that would have already destroyed our country. He hates free speech, he demonizes the tea party, he demonizes law enforcement, he demonizes conservative woman, he demonizes Wall Street, he demonizes capitalism, he demonizes individual accountability, and he demonizes our Constitution.

Anyone that can’t see this is blinded by partisan politics. No one cares that Obama is Black, what they care about is the direction he is taking this country. His arrogance and belief that he knows better than the American people is laughable if it wasn’t so dangerous. His condescension is despicable when he says we as Americans don’t understand the “complexity” of the legislation and we need to have “patience” for the effects to set in. Well we are smarter than that and we know what the effects will be if his agenda is implemented.

This election is a referendum on the Obama agenda. We are not racist, homophobic, anti-immigrant, or angry. We are too smart to let this man destroy the greatest country in the world by drowning us in debt and destroying the economic engine that has made us great; capitalism. Business is not evil and by demonizing the business class on a regular basis is to not understand America. Big government is evil and all you have to do is look at the generations of dependent inner city Americans to support that premise. A limited government is coming one way or the other. If the republicans fail to trim the fat those responsible will be defeated in 2012, and be replaced with individuals willing to reign in spending.

We know what we’re doing and we will punish those at the ballot box that believe they know better. This president has disgraced the office and needs to take a lesson from the tea party patriots and read the constitution. If the president doesn’t like the Constitution he can move forward with a process to amend it. That is where the changes need to be made not by some unelected Czar or radical left wing group with access to our government apparatus.

There is no better feeling than to watch arrogance and condescension be put in its rightful place. And it isn’t the Oval office…

The Irresponsible Generation…

The current administration is a reflection of the worst traits of what I call the irresponsible generation. We had the greatest generation that sacrificed everything to make a better life for their kids and future generations of Americans only to see its spoils flushed down the national toilet. The lessons learned by the greatest generation have been lost on the irresponsible generation.

Discipline and fiscal responsibility have been completely abandoned for this me, now; live like there is no tomorrow administration that is made up of people that believe in living for today, and that credit is the only way to get your stuff in life. We have seen the results and they are grim.

We are mired in a debt to other nations that have for most of our history been our enemies. Without the “investment” of these recent enemies we might have a run on the bank. We might have to suffer the pain of actually paying a bill or two on time. Without our enemies we might have to make the hard decisions to cut back on spending rather than continue the irresponsible policies. Imagine how hard it might be if we asked people to save 20% before purchasing a home? The hardship. What if we asked the people running the government to end programs that are no longer necessary? The hardship. What if we ran our government according to the constitution? Outrageous! Instead we rely on our enemies to fund our irresponsible behavior but we must ask; what does our enemy expect in return? Who cares as long as the irresponsible regime can keep up the rosy façade of a system that is fundamentally bankrupt?

The first hint that a candidate might address the Social Security shortfall or the Medicare entitlement they are targeted as mean spirited and anti senior. The fact is that most of the elderly already on Social Security and those close to retirement have nothing to fear except the irresponsible generations answer to do nothing. The future generations are being bankrupted by the current irresponsible generation because they are ignoring practical solutions so the entire system doesn’t go bankrupt. The same goes for every government program. We have to reform them before the entire system goes bankrupt and still the irresponsible generation wants to do nothing.

We have two wars going on in faraway lands with the irresponsible generation in charge of the outcomes of these wars. The irresponsible thing to do is ignore them and this administration is doing a great job at just that. The irresponsible generation has been spoiled and has been brought up being saved by their elders. The problem is they are now the elders. It would be nice if they realized that but that would mean taking responsibility.

The responsibility for fixing all of this will be left to the next generation if we survive as a nation. The next generation will have no one to look to for guidance because they will have been left no choice but to be responsible. They will be the generation that ends up cleaning up the mess at their own expense. I hope the irresponsible generation remembers this when the next generation stops paying their bills…

That is a sorry legacy to be part of…

Tancredo It Is…

I didn’t like the way Tancredo jumped into the CO Governor race, and I wanted to support the Republican candidate because he had gone through the legitimate process, but what a strange race it has been.

I have been talking with staunch Republicans and I am getting the same response from them, “I am voting for Tancredo”. They are not voting for him with enthusiasm but more because they are so disappointed in Maes and the entire primary process. The Republican Party in Colorado is a disgrace. Like me, these folks do not want to see Hickenlooper become Governor.

I think we have all come to the reality that our only shot is Tancredo. We do not have the luxury of being purists in this race because there is no pure alternative. Voting for Maes is not standing on principle because Dan has done such a poor job of being honest from the beginning. It has been torture to watch him implode but that is what happens when your stories are not based in total truth.

As a candidate in the past I have always seen my entry into races as a principled alternative to the status quo. I have always wanted to give frustrated voters a principled alternative. As my wife pointed out, that is what Tancredo has tried to do. He saw from the beginning that Maes and McInnis were flawed candidates and used his name recognition to launch into the race. Again, the way this primary was handled was a total boondoggle.

So Tancredo it is in order to salvage any hope of returning Colorado to fiscal sanity and to hopefully set the stage for a bigger change in 2012 toward our founding principles. I have struggled with this decision but I see no other alternative…

Tough Decisions in Colorado…

With the elections right around the corner I know which way I am going to cast my vote with one exception; the CO Governor race. I am conflicted and feel like I am between a rock and a hard place. I want to support the conservative candidate that went through the process to win the primary but I am hesitant. He has not been an effective candidate to say the least. On the other hand I don’t like the way his challenger got in the race but I find him more forceful and has shown an ability to exude leadership.

I watch some of the polls but I am very leery of the polls this year. I believe many voters are going to go right down the line and vote for the candidate with the R next to their name in response to what they have seen from the Democrats on the federal level. The people that will vote for the third party candidate are the people paying close attention to the races, and in the end will split the vote and end up putting a D in the Governor’s seat. But I don’t know that for sure.

I don’t think the Republican candidate is a bad guy, just a bad candidate getting hammered by people that have a personal agenda. But that is only a gut feeling. I would have gladly voted for the third party candidate if he had gone through a legitimate process and been in it from the beginning.

So who will I vote for on Election Day for Colorado Governor? I don’t know yet and it really ticks me off that I am in this position. I don’t know if I’m the only one, but this really puts a damper on what otherwise may turn out to be a great day for our country…

Second Born is not Second Fiddle…

I was the first born in my family of six kids. Being first born is not something we choose but more of a circumstance we adapt to. There are privileges and expectations for first born children just as there are for our second, third or fourth born and so on. We don’t always see it as we’re growing up but as we reflect on our lives, where we fit in the family order does impact the people we become.

I am currently reviewing a book my younger brother Kenny has written about his life growing up in the Bronx. He has written it for his kids to help them in their life encounters. It is very clever and real, and it has made me think about how different our perspectives are when we are kids growing up, and adults looking back.

In our lives as teens, the things we perceived to be important may seem unimportant as adults but they’re not. Think back on your childhood and in particular the High School years and remember how you felt during those times. For some it was a living hell, for others it was the best time of our lives, but for all of us it was very real. Even if we can look back today and laugh and know how insignificant it may have been, as parents we can’t forget how real it is for our teens.

I have been blessed with two healthy, smart, and talented children who are both living through the High School years. They seem to be doing well and are so busy with their friends and life, as a parent I can only assume everything is OK. Asking teens about their day doesn’t always produce the results we want but we keep asking. Leaving a door for discussion open.

Since my brother was not first born he tells a number of stories about feeling lost and insecure and wanting to reach out and how it seemed his older brother (me) seemed to “have it together”. It seemed to him that I received treatment and set expectations that he had to achieve. He has achieved so much and little did he know how much I respected what he did. But as a sibling not first born he saw things differently than I did. He may have even thought as a first child I received “special” treatment from my parents. I did but sometimes it meant babysitting my younger siblings rather than attending an event with my friends. It was not all peaches and cream.

I want my daughter to know that although I am proud of Taylor and his accomplishments I am proud of her too. She is unique and will be whatever she wants to be no matter what her older brother does. And as far as the pride we feel as parents, we are proud of her with all of the enthusiasm and love we have for our first born. Being second born is not second fiddle; it is just a different position in the family. Neither position is more important than the other; it’s just the order in which we were born…

Mom and Dad love you two dearly and we are proud of what each of you are accomplishing…

Slavery? Really?

The president has been invoking references to slavery to get his “base” ginned up for the November election. I find it extremely insulting to the people that actually lived in slavery to compare a grass roots political movement, grounded in financial prudence and limited government (Tea Party) to the struggles of slavery. He is minimizing the reality of slavery by comparing the plight of the today’s “poor”, youth, and unemployed. Is he suggesting that the people that are about to clean his clock at the polls are trying to return the country to slavery? I don’t get it? It is more like the people the president is fear mongering against are the people freeing people from the bondage of government programs. The true source of today’s “slavery”.

If the president was out there fighting against government programs that make people dependent, as being akin to being a slave to the system, I might cut him some slack. But to look at the kids he is talking to on University campuses across the country, even that would be a stretch. He is playing off the ignorance of today’s youth of their very own American History. Most kids on campuses today couldn’t even tell you what year slavery ended. This is an attempt to raise ignorant emotional responses. Ignorance is bliss for the democratic agenda. To be a conservative you have to really think about issues and get past the emotional argument to find the facts. And the facts are clear; this president’s agenda is destroying the American Dream for the youth, Black Americans, and us.

This is a desperate attempt to get his base to come to the polls in November. Unless he is giving away tee shirts and lollipops his base will be busy doing more important things like posting the latest meal they ate on Facebook…

Without the “Rich” Who Pays?

This endless assault on the rich is pure ignorance. The rich aren’t selfish or greedy or taking anything from you; most rich are paying their share and more. Most of the people that complain about the rich are frustrated under-achievers that think the world would be better off if we all suffered the same together in poverty.

Most rich people get that way because of a brilliant idea, the willingness to risk, and a lot of sweat and tears. Rich people create the jobs most Americans usually work at. Name me a person that has created a job by sitting around and complaining about the rich? Bill gates created tens of thousands of jobs as well as countless millionaires that toiled in the beginning in humble surroundings for very little pay. Sam Walton created tens of thousands of jobs and countless millionaires by changing the way retail works. And despite the BS you hear about Wal-Mart putting small business out of work, the evidence is exactly the opposite. Wal-Mart puts lousy monopolistic businesses out of business that only survived because there was no competition. Today thousands of businesses flock to shopping centers where Wal-Mart is the anchor.

The money that pays for the government programs comes from the very people under assault. Maybe we should be thanking the rich instead? What a novel concept; gratitude! The definition of rich for the loudest complainers is “anyone making more than THEY think should be ENOUGH to live on”. I have news for them; it’s their money to keep, not the governments. If you want more go and work more. Come up with an idea people are willing to pay for. Risk everything to start your own business and then decide if you are rich after you have invested the time, energy, and resources to succeed.

Gimme, gimme, gimme; instead maybe it’s time to return to the concept of earning your own keep. Maybe the critics can find an idea rather than criticizing the people that make their lives more comfortable. Maybe it’s time to return to the principles outlined in our constitution; life, liberty, and the freedom to PURSUE happiness…

Constitution Day

Ignored again! The US Constitution; the reason we have the most prosperous nation in the world; the reason we have been able to be so charitable around the world; the reason every individual no matter what circumstance they are born into can reach their dream in life’s pursuits. It is a miracle we fail to celebrate.

Our kids learn very little about this great document. It should be mandatory for all four years of High School. Yet somewhere in the back of the American psyche it is responsible for our sense of self confidence to stand up against our tyrannical leaders and all that threaten individual liberty. Even if it is only referenced in times of crisis we must celebrate its existence.

The blood that was shed to defend this document has given it sacred standing and yet we treat it with little regard. Without our constitution we have no bases of law. It encompasses our principles and is our foundation grounded in the belief we are all created equal under God, and no man has the power to rule us unless we temporarily grant them that right. But even then that power is limited by the constitution. It is our guardian angel.

If you get a moment say a little prayer of thanks that our founders were as smart and brave as we can only hope to be…

The Party System is Being Trumped by the Constitution…

The GOP is showing its true colors as the Tea Party continues to throw the old guard out in primary elections. They are taking the ball and going home. They are giving up a number of fights by withholding money from the duly elected candidates in the Republican Primaries.

It is a circle the wagon attitude by the two parties as the political class is being thrown from power by the power of the people. Both democrats and republicans that have enjoyed the power given to them by the people and are now criticizing the will of the people by inflicting harsh attacks and tactics against the same people they supposedly work for.

The Tea Party is a true revolution in this country and the parties in power are the target. It is not the same old game of party politics. The people want their country back from the people currently controlling the game. The control is being lost and the elites don’t like it. The Tea Party candidates can and will win with or without the national party apparatus. The party elite don’t understand the depth of the anger in the electorate this year.

The GOP is showing its true colors to the people and the people don’t like what they see. It is not a good time to be a party insider. The culmination of years of neglecting the electorate has congealed this election cycle. We will see an end to political contributions to national party organizations and an increase in the direct infusion of cash to individual candidates. That is the way it should be. It is bad enough that the parties have abused the money given to them by the people by spending lavishly on jets and caviar, but when you abuse the people that donate you will eventually have no one left to abuse.

This is truly a revolutionary year. Never underestimate the power of an informed and passionate electorate. The only allegiance many voters have this year is to the constitution. That allegiance will be on display in November…

Awakened to Islam by 9/11

On this ninth anniversary of the attack on America by Islamic terrorists, the debate has received an injection of renewed passions regarding the reason we are fighting two wars in the Middle East and one here at home at Ground Zero. We went to Afghanistan to root out the terror camps and the supporting regime, the Taliban, to insure no more terrorists would be launched from that incubator of hate. We also called the bluff of Sadam Hussein as he defied every opportunity to allow inspections of his nuclear capability. A capability we feared could arm the same terrorists training in Afghanistan. When he continued to stick his thumb in the eye of the world’s requests, we took action as we have always done on behalf of the world in the past. We still pray for the soldiers that have continued to be deployed to these two hot spots of unrest, nine years after the impetus that sent them there.

The war on terror is a war that will continue as long as there are followers of Islam. The fuel for every conflict in the world seems to be the Islamic doctrine to dominate the world through the conversion to the religion of Islam. We did not go to fight a war on terror to protect the rights of Muslims to preach hate in this country, we went to war to kill the people that foment and act out on the goal to kill Americans and destroy American values, western culture, and the Jewish state. To suggest our soldiers are in Afghanistan and Iraq to protect the rights of a hate filled Imam trying to place a symbol of Islam at the site where our brethren have died is ludicrous. All we have to do as Americans is to watch the replays of this day, nine years ago, and remember what we were feeling. Anger, confusion, and horror over an act that seemed so despicable to us but as we now know, is all too common in the Islamic terrorist world.

A calculated act to destroy the freedoms, culture, and our constitutional republic that separates religious values from civic law is the target of these followers of Islamic doctrine. To believe it is only a few Muslims that believe in this Islamic doctrine is suicidal. All any American has to do is open their eyes to the continual terrorist attacks, flag burning and death threats that are a common ritual in every Islamic state. The hatred toward America has again been so easily promulgated by the threat of burning the Koran by some nobody preacher with 30 followers. At the threat of a burnt Koran we have an administration doing back flips to appease our enemy under the guise of protecting our troops. Our troops are already quite aware of the danger, and we need to bring them home and leave these two ungrateful countries to repair themselves. If the terrorists again use these countries as a breeding ground we can conduct targeted missions to destroy any terrorist activity. Do we really think a population where 90% can’t read we will ever convince them that violence is not the answer? Just look at our own inner cities.

In light of 9/11, the Mosque debate at Ground Zero, and the reaction to a Koran burning here in the US, how can we ever believe that by sacrificing our American soldiers to prop up countries that would rejoice at our demise is good foreign policy? We don’t have to nation build to fight terror. We have the capability and technology to track, target, and destroy every one of these Islamic terrorists around the world. We continue to pour billions of dollars, and more importantly the blood of our soldiers down the drain of countries that despise our existence. In their honor we should start debating why terrorism is so common in the Islamic world. Could it be the teachings of the Koran?

9/11 has awakened us again to discuss our commitment to the Americans that were slaughtered by Islamic terrorists. Is Islam a religion or a political movement? If it is a religion, where is the peace? Where is the outcry of peaceful Muslims to denounce any interpretation of the violence that is so obvious in the writings and history of Islam? Sharia law is not compatible with our constitution and that is what our soldiers are sworn to protect. They are not sworn to protect the rights of the enemies of our constitution to build a foothold within our borders.

As a tribute to the victims and families of 9/11 we should commit to finding out more about the people building and preaching Islam in this country. A little effort to understand the culture created by the teachings of Islam will bring most to conclude it is not compatible with American or Christian values. It is about domination and submission. Tolerance should be given to those deserving of tolerance. The people that supported the killing of our citizens, the destruction of America or Israel, the beating and killing of women and girls, and all other violence toward a goal of dominance should not be tolerated. The call for tolerance is a weapon these people use against us. We must defend our rights to speak out, and yes offend these people because free speech is more important than tolerating an enemy.

Pat Buchanan, a conservative commentator called for the federal marshals to raid this two bit preacher’s church to arrest and confiscate the Korans to be burned. Burning the Koran is an act of free speech, like it or not, just like burning the American flag is a free speech right. To send in the feds to arrest this preacher is offensive and unconstitutional. Who do we send in the marshals to arrest next? Talk radio hosts or people that write blogs like this? This act would be a submission to the teachings of Islam, not an act that supports American values or the constitution. We send in the marshals and we have taken a dangerous step toward self destruction. Send in the marshals and we have tyranny.

In honor of the victims of 9/11, their families, the soldiers that have died in the war on terror and their families, we need to use this awakening as a platform to debate the necessity of Islam to proclaim and accept our constitution and Christian Judeo values. To live side by side we need a two way street of tolerance. It is not incumbent on us to change anything to accommodate a religion or political movement that at any criticism resorts to violence and calls for our destruction.

We have been blessed with the greatest country in the world because of our Christian Judeo values and our constitution that protects us from the enemy afar and within. In honor of 9/11 let us take the time and look at the real problem that Islam poses and the values it preaches and teaches; honestly.

I hope I offended anyone that wants to put their head in the sand regarding Islam in honor of the Americans that have died to give me that right to do so… I hope to be proven wrong someday that my fear of the Islamic movement was unwarranted. But I will not be convinced until I see a real movement within the Muslim community toward a rejection of dominance, violence, a true willingness to accept the constitution of the United States, and a tolerance of other religions including the Christian and Jewish faiths within the borders of Islamic countries. God Bless America and the Americans that defend her…

Building a Mosque at Ground Zero is Key to our National Security?

The Imam pushing an unwanted Mosque at Ground Zero has stated that if we don’t build the Mosque now at Ground Zero we will enflame the “radicals” and it will be a concern for our national security. Here’s my question; where does this logic end?

If next an Imam comes along in Detroit and says that by not allowing Sharia Law in the largest Muslim community in the US, we could enflame the “radicals” and it will be a concern for our national security.

The next Imam comes along and says we must have a Muslim on the Supreme Court that “understands” the wishes of the Muslim community or we may enflame the “radicals” and it will be a concern for our national security.

Here’s a thought for all of the followers of Islam; you live in America, threatening us like this doesn’t work. We have nothing to prove to you, we have no need to show who we are, we know who we are, and it is time to either assimilate in a peaceful way or go somewhere else. We will not allow you to use our freedom to steal our freedom.

You see folks, true Islam is on display. There is no difference in Islam between government laws and their religious laws. The religion is a combination of civil law intertwined with religious belief. It cannot exist peacefully here until it goes through a reformation. The “moderate” Muslims here need to promote a separation between dominance and ministry. A ministry to convert people to a way of belief is different than converting through a strategy of dominance and threats against the lives and liberties of non believers.

We can’t allow the Muslim religion to position the argument in a way we can’t participate in an open debate. We can be tolerant but we must expect tolerance in return. We must protect our constitution even if it offends the Muslims beliefs. We are being taken with a strategy of political correctness. How many other religions are free to worship in Saudi Arabia? None. This is not uncommon in Muslim dominated countries. We live by a constitution not a Bible or Koran. The Bible is a foundation for this great nation but there is a difference with foundational beliefs built into law and actual civil law. We do not go to jail if we don’t attend church or believe in God. Islam sees the Koran and Sharia as inseparable from civil law. It’s a fact.

We must debate the facts and we can’t change our constitutional fabric to appease a religion that seems to be offended at everything we stand for. We don’t need to feel uncomfortable with our beliefs. This is America and we have a constitution. Anyone that doesn’t like it can leave. We must protect our rights no matter how offended Muslims are to the concept of the separation of religious and civil laws.

The preacher threatening to burn the Koran is an idiot and not a true believer in Christian values. Otherwise he would not be so inconsiderate of Muslims. But to say that we must build a Mosque at ground zero or concede to Sharia law in the United States is a threat to our existence.
And that’s a fact…