Determination Should be Unleashed & Protected

The economy and the markets have shown exceptional resilience in the headwinds of an out of control spending tornado that is Washington DC and the federal government. Imagine if we had an administration in Washington that wanted the economy to thrive? We would be in the greatest economic recovery in history right now.

Why is it that we continue to limp along instead of steam rolling down the economic highway? Burdensome regulations and an expanding amount of money being drained from productive uses. The current administration has a strong belief in the “goodness” of government and sees its primary role as wealth distribution. The evidence is in the numbers. Welfare programs have exploded, taxes have been raised on the most productive in our society, and the new healthcare law is not about health but rather an effort to make healthcare a right so that everyone gets the same fair but poor care from providers. This government believes our problems are a result of free markets instead of understanding free markets are the solution.

Small and big business alike are managing to squeeze out more productivity from their current operations even with all of this effort to undermine them. So I come back to the point that if we reduced our government footprint and let business and individuals decide where to spend their own money, our economy would be on fire!!

This country is blessed with so many people that are determined to succeed. Most of us have been brought up to work hard and take care of ourselves and our families. If we have a little extra we show our compassion through donations. But we have a generation that has been exposed to the idea that fairness is more important than self-determination and free markets. They have been told that community is more important than individual freedom. They have been told government = community. That equation is dangerous and false. Communities thrive when individuals are free to decide their own fate. Government is not a community it is a necessary evil. Everything government does has unintended and often bad consequences to our individual liberty and economic viability.

We still have a generation that is determined to protect individual rights but I am afraid that the next generations are being wooed to place that determination in government mandates. We must teach individual determination and reject government as a community if we hope to survive as the greatest Nation on earth… We owe that to our posterity…

It’s Time To Call Stupid, Stupid!

The economy has been stagnant for the last 3 years and the excuse continues to be that we are still digging out of an economic collapse rivaling the great depression. We believe that excuse? The reality is the economic collapse was caused by government interference. The government forced lenders to reduce or remove income requirements that people actually have the means to pay back the mortgages they agreed to. In order to convince the private sector to go along with this scheme to increase home ownership at any cost, the federal government guaranteed these loans so that there was no risk to the private institutions. The federal government is the root cause of this market meltdown.

The domino effect of these federal mandates to loan money to anyone and everyone impacted the overall economy, and sent the fragile auto industry into crisis. The economic crisis was compounding the fact that the auto industry had embarked on union contracts that were unsustainable. Add to that the years of regulations that have added costs to the production of cars by the federal government, and you have a cost model to produce a product that was sure to collapse. Instead of letting the companies go through bankruptcy, which has always proven to be the best method of restructuring, the federal government stepped in to take over GM and Chrysler. The federal government took tax payer dollars, saved the unions, and fired nonunion workers. Even though they say this was a “success”, it has hampered the auto industries comeback. Ford who refused the bailout is actually the healthiest car company today. The taxpayers are going to lose billions of dollars once the final tally is counted.

Obamacare is mandating insurance coverage, forcing doctors to take ridiculously low fees to see government funded patients (Medicare), increasing taxes on medical devices and innovative companies trying to make the industry more productive, forcing patients to tell the IRS about their personal healthcare matters, and people are surprised that the cost of healthcare is rising and the quality is going to be impacted as well. What do stupid people think will happen?

The EPA and the president stop the energy production of fossil fuels including the Keystone pipeline, put tax payer money into sustainable energy companies whose business models are unsustainable, and people wonder why gas prices average $3.50 a gallon. What do stupid people think about this?

The intrusion of the federal government into our markets and lives is destroying the wealth and health of this country and we applaud this president for “caring” about the “common guy.” Tax the rich because they make so much anyway!! It doesn’t matter that the people that are wealthy have created most of the jobs in this country, or the fact that rewards improve the likelihood people will risk their money to start a business, but we are too stupid to figure this out. Stupid people want to punish the people that create jobs as companies announce layoffs. What did the stupid people expect?

The federal government has not presented the country with a budget for 3 years. We accept it and chalk it up to politics. Chalk it up to people too stupid to hold their government accountable.

If we don’t take back our educational institutions from the incompetent people in charge, we are doomed forever. Our kids are not taught about our founding, constitution, the power of capitalism and free markets or how to think analytically, and we wonder why people are stupid enough to vote for more of this policy chaos?

  Stupid is what stupid does…

Advice to our Youth

The news is grim for recent college grads, current college students, and any young individuals with limited skills in today’s job market. Long gone are the days when employers couldn’t fill positions and they were knocking down the doors of anyone with a warm pulse and a degree. In this economy there are very few degrees that warrant even a look from employers.

The problem is as an employer, do you take a chance on a young inexperience worker or do you hire the veteran with 20 years of experience? When unemployment is low and the job market strong, experienced employees command higher rates and become more in demand. It also opens up the door for some employers who may be willing to take a chance on a new employee because they can’t afford another seasoned and highly qualified employee.

The reality of today’s job market and weak economy is that highly skilled employees are cheaper and more abundant therefore taking all of the available jobs in the market. For a new graduate to compete they have to be much cheaper and more creative in their job search. But even that may not land a job for a recent graduate.

My advice is that you start looking at why the job market is so weak and what you can do to change it. My advice is you read a few economic books and start with Milton Friedman, Walter Williams, and Thomas Sowell. Once you understand how the economy works and the impact the government has on the economy then take a look at the two presidential candidates.

What you will find if you learned anything about analytical thought throughout your educational experience, is that the government policies of the current administration are the reason you are unemployed. Increased debt, increased regulation, higher healthcare costs due to the new healthcare law, are all stagnating the job market.

My advice is you put aside the emotional arguments and look at only the facts. And the facts are that what Mitt Romney is proposing to do will stimulate the job market by reducing the footprint of the federal government. It is in your best interest to vote for Mitt Romney if you want to move out of your parent’s house and get on with your life…

Taking Credit for America’s Engine?

The only reason we have any infrastructure in this country is because of the American business man and woman. There is no credit that can be given to the government for the creativity and ingenuity it takes to start, implement, maintain, and grow a successful business. 

How and why do roads and bridges get built? First the why. In most communities across the nation roads and bridges are supported by business people in the community that believe if we build the bridge it will add value to the community from an economic standpoint. Whether it is a local development where developers build the roads and bridges or a regional project to bring a mall to the area, businessman and woman begin the efforts. If we left infrastructure up to the people in government we would still be rowing across the Hudson and Mississippi Rivers. Bureaucrats don’t come up with the ideas, the private sector does. Bureaucrats simply slow down the process.

The how? Roads and bridges are designed in most part by private engineering businesses through contracts awarded by the government. The money used to build the bridges is tax dollars created in the private sector by the businesses that pay taxes. The government again is a middle man often slowing down or impeding the process. So without the taxpayer, ideas from the private sector and the blood sweat and tears of the private sector nothing gets done.

Teachers, firefighters, police, although important are not the reason for private business success. If  any of these services were taken away, the private sector could easily fill in and create a system that could replace the current one. That is my point, we the private citizen are responsible for creating and funding the services we need to support the communities we build. To suggest there is some central brain in the government is ludicrous. It is an oxymoron.

The “system that enables success” is the US Constitution which is designed to LIMIT the government’s role so we can prosper. Our founders knew that the government was an inherent “evil” that needed to be kept small in order to ensure freedom and prosperity for all Americans.

So as the president attempts to take credit where no credit is due, I suggest you analyze the reason he feels that way and take that conclusion right to the ballot box.

This president has no idea how America works and why it is great. It has nothing to do with the creativity of government. It has everything to do with the creativity of the private sector. Without the private sector there is no prosperity only misery. This president has never bought into the American Dream because he spent so little time getting to know it. Now he is trying to destroy the American Dream we all know and love and so many have died to protect. Maybe it’s time to show him the door so he can get a firsthand experience of living in the private sector.

Unfortunately, the government benefits he will receive when he leaves office will insulate him from the need to participate in a real economy and job. That’s good news for the president, after all it’s hard to participate and succeed at something you have no knowledge of in the first place…

The Truth About “Trickle Down” Economics…

This President is distorting "trickle down" economics and mixing apples and oranges. He is targeting success as the problem when it is the insatiable appetite of the Federal Government to continue to grow and confiscate freedom that is the core issue in this economy.

First of all the term “trickle down” has been used to define economic policies that support the notion that wealth creators need to be supported to generate strong economic activity. The actual economic policy is called “Supply Side.” But economics is at the core very simple. Here it is.

The best economic policy is based in laws that are enforced. Contract law is the under pinning of a strong economic policy. The second component is rules. The rules must be consistent and apply to everyone evenly. No loopholes should be allowed for “special” businesses favored by certain groups. Third is that any successful activity that results in an economic windfall are the property of the individual or corporation creating that activity.

It’s that simple and if you apply the above rules you will have a robust economy. Here are the reasons an economy works:

People engage in creating products and services and they believe the return of their investment in time and resources will reap rewards. They believe the rules will be applied fairly and the confiscation of taxes will be reasonable and limited.

The reasons we are in an economic mess:

The rules have been distorted by government intervention and the future prospects for people engaging in the market place are unclear and undefined. Government regulations are overwhelming and the tax burden is making the return on investment less desirable for people to engage in that activity. The current government is targeting successful people and businesses to pay more and is sending a message that success is no longer admired. The creation of envy against successful people is making people less likely to want to engage in activities that may result in success.

What “trickle down” is really about is when individual people prosper - everyone reaps the benefits. Bill gates founded Microsoft and in turn millions of individuals either were employed by Microsoft or gained efficiencies in their business by using Microsoft products which freed up time and resources to invest in other areas of business creating new jobs and opportunities, that put more people to work making more people efficient to invest their resources in new ideas which… You get it? There are millions of these examples of people creating success and everyone benefiting from the hard work of success driven people.

By taking money away from successful people no matter how much they make is a bad idea. That money if not taken away will find its way into other businesses, investments, savings, etc… That keeps the economy flourishing. By increasing the government’s take of wealth through taxes increases the hurdles and impediments to business by increasing regulations, bureaucrats, and payoffs to special interest groups of the political class in government.  

The basics of government should never exceed 18% of Gross National Product. The federal government has a very limited function to be the referee in the three principles of economic activity. The main role of the Federal Government is ensuring the National Security of this nation. Not to micro manage the economy.

When we get back to the intended model of Constitutional government our economy will prosper again…

Where Do We Agree?

Is there anywhere in the political arena the American people agree? Or has it all become “knee jerk” politics so whenever a Democrat says something a Republican disagrees and visa versa?  Here are some areas I think we can all agree:

·         Gas prices are too high

·         Too much debt is dangerous to our future

·         The political process is broken

·         Government workers making much more than the people paying the bills is not right

·         College tuition is close to being unaffordable

These are a few areas I think most Americans could agree and have little dispute. The problem comes when you ask the question: How do we fix it?

Defining problems is the easy part of politics. Implementing solutions is the impossible task. Let’s take these in order.

How do we bring the price of gas down? The left will say we have to get away from oil for environmental reasons. Meanwhile they stop the expansion of nuclear power plants that could reduce the dependency of cities and towns across the nation on fossil fuels. But they don’t like nuclear either. They want us to use solar and wind but you can’t power an economy on such unreliable sources of energy.

We have more oil than Saudi Arabia in our country but the left doesn’t want us drilling to get it. We could increase the supply 200 fold but they want us off oil. We will never get off of oil in my lifetime.

The way the right wants to reduce gas prices is to increase supply. That is the way to go about it and the right supports alternatives but they know the reality of alternatives is years away. In the meantime we are not “destroying” the environment. We are destroying the economy.

The debt has a simple solution; reduce spending to equal revenue. The Left wants to raise taxes on the “rich.” This sounds great but will make no difference to reducing the debt. The only spending they will cut is “corporate loopholes.” Everything else is sacred.

For the right they want to eliminate federal programs that are not defined in the Constitution. It is a moral and Constitutional argument. Individual liberty with some safety nets for the truly needy and an end to the generational dependency.

Corruption has taken over our politicians and the process. Morality is gone and we have only self- interested people running for office with a political agenda that fuels the divisive environment. The solution is to get rid of the party system.

Government workers pay and benefits should be tied to their private sector counter parts. I think everyone agrees except for the government workers and union bosses.

College tuition will go down when the government stops subsidizing it. The easy access to college along with easy access to student loans is driving the price through the roof. Get the government out and prices will plummet. We also need to re-define the industries which need a college degree. Too many degrees do not prepare students for work. Which may be OK but students and parents need to know that going in. An English degree will make you a better writer but it may not land you a high paying job.

There are many things we agree upon but trying to fix them remains the biggest political problem we face…

Capitalism Works Every Time…

If you replace the word capitalism with “individual choice” you start to understand the reason we are so prosperous as a nation and people. This election cycle we are seeing a very dangerous tactic by the president and his supporters by demonizing “capitalism.” In the view of too many Americans, Capitalism has become a negative word. As a nation there is no quicker path to the bottom than to bite the system that feeds the prosperity we enjoy.

“Individual choice” to engage in trade with others works best because the individuals involved in the transaction know what is the best outcome of that transaction. The two parties assess the others offer and decide if it is worth the exchange of value to each party. An example would be a person needs food and a farmer needs a barn. The farmer and the carpenter decide what the value is in the transaction. The carpenter may ask for 6 months’ worth of corn in exchange for building a barn. If that trade is acceptable the two parties transact business. If not they either renegotiate or find another person that will find the transaction terms acceptable. The final transaction will be the result of “market” principles in action. Individuals decide for themselves the value of goods in the market.

The introduction of a third party like government into the market to decide what the “price” for goods and services is and the way they are distributed is socialism. A third party decides how much time people need to spend working and what wage they will receive for that time “spent” on the job. This third party is not part of the transaction except for the part of deciding how the transactions will take place and how the terms will be distributed. No matter what the individuals in the transaction think about the terms, the terms remain the same (“equal”). If those terms are not acceptable to the parties the parties remove themselves from the “market’ and the market stalls, and dwindles away. Nothing gets done and things stagnate or more likely a “black market” is created to get around the third party arbiter.

The economy and the world revolves around billions of “individual choice” transactions that all together make up a vibrant economy. The reason the “individual choice” model is so efficient is because people will only do the transactions that make sense to their individual circumstances. They make the best choice for themselves and their families. They control the choices they make and every transaction adjusts based on the needs of “individual choice.”

There are times when “individual choice” is “cruel” to the other party by rejecting what they have to offer. But unlike a system like socialism that attempts to force the transaction to move forward, in the “individual choice” model that rejected party must rethink, retool, reduce the price, (or many other possibilities), make a change that is acceptable to the other party.  It forces changes that can result in failure but can also result in a more efficient offer or product. It forces people to be creative, diligent, hardworking and in a word it is competitive. The strong survive and the weak either change or fail.

So even though socialism touts “fairness” it is not fair at all. It distorts the “individual choice” and replaces it with forced transactions. It never works for a greater length than individuals figure a way to work around it or stop working at all. So the next time you hear someone criticize capitalism ask them if they believe in “individual choice”? Most likely they will and then explain that capitalism is a system of individual choices which produces the best outcomes for all willing to work hard in our society…

The 1% Crap Has to Stop!

We can envy the very rich and waste our life away or we can focus on our own lives and live a successful happy life. To envy is to under estimate our own capability and offers an excuse for failure. The 1% in this country are not stopping anyone else from being successful. If you are not successful it is because of you.


Politicians need “boogey men” and the rich are the Democrats favorite boogey man. It is a deflection from the bankrupt policies they support and have implemented over the past 3 years. The expansion of the Federal Government is what is impeding the economic success we have had prior to the Obama years.

There is no “new normal” for this economy as some economists suggest. Unless we re-elect this President there is hope again for a robust economy and the opportunity for everyone in this country that wants to be successful to be successful.

We used to use the success of rich people as an example of what is possible in our country. When did that change? It hasn’t for me but I hear it all too often how the “rich keep getting richer.” Of course they do, they know how to be successful. Just because they are getting richer does not mean someone else is getting poorer. If you are getting poorer you may want to assess what you are doing wrong.

I want a President that understands the way to make every American successful is to reduce dependency and the influence of government in people’s lives. I don’t want someone telling me the rich need to pay more. Why? How is that going to help people become successful? It will not. It may make some feel good, but not smart people…

Economics 101, Again!

Wealth is created when someone provides a product or service someone else is willing to pay for.

The price of a product or service must be greater than the cost to produce or provide that product or service.

Costs include the wages paid to employees. The wages are part of the cost and cannot exceed the value the employee creates.

Profit is what the producer (owner) of the product or service keeps after paying all of the costs; rent, manufacturing, research & development, packaging, shipping, marketing, and wages.

The money earned by individuals whether they are wages as an employee or profits as an owner or investor is their money.

The more cost the government adds to a product or service; taxes, regulation, minimum wage, etc… - reduces the ability to create more wealth and wages.

The less cost the government adds to a product or service the greater the likelihood wealth is created to create more wealth and wages. This cycle is the reason we are so wealthy.

If employees don’t think they are paid enough they have the right to leave and get a new wage or create their own product or service.

Employees do not have a right to the wealth created by the owner.

Jobs are not the goal of wealth creators, jobs are the result of a need for help in producing a product or service to make additional profit for the owner or investor.

People that believe someone’s success is the reason for their failure is the victim of their own lack of initiative. Blame, envy, jealousy, and social justice are not products or services. They are barriers to individual success.

Capitalism offers everyone an equal opportunity to succeed or fail. Failure is a natural result of bad ideas, management, and laziness. Government trying to limit failure actually escalates bigger failure.

Markets decide winners and losers. You as an individual are part of the market. Every choice you make in the marketplace has an impact on the success or failure of the market. Government interference limits your choices in the marketplace and by asking for fairness you are guaranteeing higher prices and less choice.

Taxes should not be used to re-distribute wealth. Re-distributing wealth reduces the incentive to create wealth and everyone loses.  

Stupid is what Stupid Does…

The ability to think has been lost by too many individuals in this country. It is harder to think than to feel which is why we have so many feelings getting in the way of intelligent analysis. The economy is about to crash and every thinking man and woman can see it coming but yet we stand by watching as if it were a car wreck on the side of a highway.

How do you grow the economy by taking a dollar out of one man’s pocket and putting it into another man’s pocket? All you accomplish is taking one dollar from one man’s pocket and put it into another man’s pocket. Think about it. What has been created? Nothing is created and never has been in the redistribution of wealth. Hence the word redistribution, otherwise it would be called creation of wealth.

The creation of wealth comes when an individual, small business or corporation develops a new piece of software that does something new; create a new product or service that individuals in the market place find valuable enough to part ways with their dollars to purchase it. Take the iPod for instance. When the iPod was created it was a cool new way to store and listen to music. People bought them by the millions. Musicians sold more music. Accessories for iPods exploded like cases and night stands with speakers and all of these new products had to be manufactured, distributed, and sold creating jobs, jobs, jobs.

The creation of wealth creates more wealth as the market builds off of the new products that get introduced. Clever individuals take the ideas and build off of them, sometimes as competitors, and other times as collaborators to improve the product or service. There is no take one dollar from one and giving to another, it is ideas, products and services generating new wealth and the dollars exchanging hands are for the market value of that product.

The concept is really easy to understand if you think about it. It is not a feeling but a real concept. The people in our government right now are stupid. That’s right stupid. The definition of stupid: Slow to learn or understand; obtuse, tending to make poor decisions or careless mistakes, marked by a lack of intelligence or care; foolish or careless.

The product of our political discussions is class envy and a division of the American people. We have the makers and the takers. The people that are makers are under attack and their money is being taken to be given to the takers. The takers are simply using those dollars to sustain their lives. There is no creation of new products, services, or God forbid an idea. If we were to stop taking from the makers and left those dollars with the makers and they make things, jobs would be one of the results (I will avoid the moral argument).

Government is the agent of the takers and yes some makers. But mostly the government is in the business to take from the makers to give to the takers. That destroys jobs. Hence the economy we are in. And even when Government gives to the makers like “green energy” projects, the makers that become takers have broken a golden rule of successful makers; there needs to be a market place of willing individuals to buy what you’re selling. You can’t force people to by stuff they don’t want, yet.

So the only conclusion you can come to if you are a thinking individual is we are being represented by stupid. Stupid is what stupid does…

The Elderly, Poor, and Disabled…

It is common for those that oppose any reforms in entitlement programs to lump the elderly, poor, and disabled into a category of folks that must be protected from reductions in government programs. It drives me crazy when the media broad brushes these groups to support arguments against any real reform of any government program. It’s as if every elderly, poor, or disabled person has to rely on a government program to survive.


Nothing could be further from the truth to think that these groups need government support. The “elderly” are actually as a group some of the most affluent Americans both economically and emotionally. After years of working, many elderly Americans own their homes outright, have both private pensions and social security, and many work to supplement their savings and retirement. There are some elderly on a “fixed” income but it is not every elderly American.

The “poor” in America are a very diverse group of individuals. The first question we need to ask is why are they poor? Could it be they have been depending on government programs instead of their own ingenuity? Could it be they have been brought up by single mother no father “families” that have been perpetuated by government programs that incentivize unhealthy behavior? Could it be a choice to rely on drugs and alcohol? Have government bureaucrats that depend on these vices for their living become advocates to keep people poor? The failure of government education has kept people from breaking out of their socioeconomic circumstances and we need to wrestle schools from the government. Should we be supporting programs that perpetuate a hopeless future?

The “disabled” designation for Americans has consistently grown in this country. It is not because we have more disabled Americans but rather we have designated more people as being disabled even when they are not. Alcoholism is now a disability. A lack of focus has become a disability. Obesity is now a disability. There are millions of “disabled” Americans that ask nothing of the government and are capable of making their own way in life. There are truly disabled Americans that need help but the numbers are nowhere near the numbers the federal government cites.

There are billions of wasted dollars in the federal government programs that need to be trimmed. There are people that need to be weaned off of federal subsidies including American corporations and foreign governments. More importantly these government subsidies undermine individual hope and our freedom.

The path we are on is not sustainable. It is time to start treating Americans as capable individuals and stop the nonsense that we have nowhere in the federal budget we can make cuts. The economy will suffocate unless we reduce the federal government by 30 to 40%. American’s are ready to step up and make their way if the politicians would just get out of it…

Oblivious to Job Creation…

President Obama at a town hall meeting yesterday said it is time for American companies that are making money to start hiring workers. He is obviously ignorant to why employers hire workers. This is not a government job where you randomly hire people because you received a few extra bucks in your budget line item. Jobs are only created when the value of hiring an employee exceeds the cost of the employee hired.


In the real world, private companies only hire as a last resort or when they are confident that the growth of the company is dependent on a particular skill set not currently within the organization. And even then it may make better sense to source the work necessary until full realization of the revenue is delivered.

Obama and many politicians are basically academians and lawyers by “trade”. The lawyers are often not the ones that have created a successful law firm but rather lawyers that have spent their time sucking value from the economy (that’s unfair but felt good. There are many of them in the public sector). So their view on jobs is unrealistic. They demonize companies for making profits by saying now that you’re making money you need to hire workers. A totally ignorant statement.

We are in the economic mess today because we have too many people in government and congress that have this same “understanding” of business economics. It is not a difficult subject to learn but it makes a greater impact on your learning if you have had to run a business. That is why we should require of our politicians at least 5 years of experience in the private sector excluding law experience.

We are in deep trouble with an administration that has little to no understanding of what makes the economy and private business tick. Until we get rid of this president and all of these politicians in 2012 we are going to hear a lot more of this garbage from the president about how the private companies are not doing their part to help the American people. It is not the role of private business to hire people for political reasons. There has to be a solid business case. And that’s something this president knows nothing about…

A New Military Strategy in the Middle East…

When will we learn? The Middle East is a tinder box of tribal factions that spend their time looking back instead of toward the future. The hatred runs deep within the countries and the hatred is vile toward the west whenever we stick our nose into the fight. Our men and women of the military deserve a better strategy and I think I have one.


It is time to pack up and leave Afghanistan and leave the tribes to fight amongst themselves. Our military did exactly what we needed them to do when they removed the Taliban and killed the majority of Al Qaeda members that were using the country as a training ground and launch pad to attack the west. Mission accomplished for sure. The troops and the US can leave with our heads high and in victory.

We must monitor the activity there and if we see a resurgence of activity that is threatening to the west then we come back in and destroy everything and anything associated with that activity and go home. It is a fool’s errand to think we are going to democratize such a backward nation, and even if we could the cost is enormous in both treasure and lives. Not worth it when the people of Afghanistan are tied to a religion and culture that keeps them in poverty and ignorance based on religious beliefs.

Our strategy in the oil states of the Middle East should be simple; stop buying their oil. The best strategy to end the hatred in the Middle East toward the West is to end our purchase of Middle Eastern oil. If you think about it what else do they have that we need? Nothing! They produce nothing useful in this world beyond a barrel of oil. The next administration (because we know this one is anti energy) needs to take on energy independence like JFK took on a mission to the moon.

The energy strategy of the United States should be tied directly to our military strategy. Currently the price of oil does not consider the cost of our military operations. If we were no longer dependent on Middle Eastern oil the military mission and costs change. Right now our military is focused on the ME mainly to insure the safe flow of oil. We don’t account for that in a gallon of gas but we should. If we were to develop for real a comprehensive national energy strategy, we could eliminate the need for ME oil.

If we were to stop buying or reduce the amount of oil we purchased from the Middle East, what would happen? The OPEC cartel would not be able to function. They would have one option; become a civilized partner in the world or starve. They could still supply other nations but losing one of their biggest customers will change the dynamic and make them realize they must behave in certain ways if they want our business.

If we don’t need oil from other countries the entire military strategy of the US changes. We don’t need to be concerned with people warring among themselves unless they export that war to our allies or our homeland. We don’t need to send our troops to be put in harm’s way of a people that fundamentally hate us. We can focus our military efforts in other regions that show more promise of democracy than the Middle East has shown.

We need to stop thinking that people are going to like us in the Middle East if we free them and force democracy on them. I believe all people want freedom but freedom is not something to be given, it is something that must be earned and defended. Until the people show an interest in freedom beyond simply changing dictators we need to stay away.

Our country is broke and the cost of our military in the Middle East is a cost we can no longer afford. Oil keeps us there so we must change our strategy from oil importer to an energy independent country. Oil is being found everywhere around the globe including our own back yard. Let’s develop and use it, support it with a comprehensive policy including all forms of energy and bring our troops home…

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…

President Obama promising our kid’s future to our enemy:

“While we work with our partners in the Palestinian Authority, Israel, Egypt, and the international community to put such a strategy in place, these projects represent a down payment on the United States’ commitment to Palestinians in Gaza, who deserve a better life and expanded opportunities, and the chance to take part in building a viable, independent state of Palestine, together with those who live in the West Bank.”

The radical Palestinians deserve nothing from our nation’s treasure. We have the highest unemployment rate for teenager’s ever, the highest unemployment rate in decades, a debt that is threatening our very existence and this president is promising $400 million to a people that hate us, despise us, and cheered in the streets at 911.

I feel for the children; MY CHILDREN and yours! This man doesn’t have an ounce of American soul in his body. We need him gone and replaced with a President that is proud of America and understands that we come first foremost and always. We need an American president…

The End of Wall Street is the End of America…

I’m sorry if I offend you but you are economically illiterate if you think reforming “Wall Street” is the answer to our economic woes. Reforming government regulation is the answer to our economic woes. I cringe when I read people writing about “corporate greed” and how we need to tax them to make them “pay” for the services these selfish left leaning Americans seek.

Last night the president was on American Idol promoting “giving back” which if done by private charity is a worthy cause. But if we continue to demonize and destroy “Wall Street”, as he and his supporters keep doing, we will destroy America and the ability of individual Americans to give anything to charity. The countries we help now will no longer be the beneficiary of our wealth because our wealth will have been stolen by this president and congress.

The left and our president have no concept of the capitalist system and believe that somewhere there is a “Golden Goose”, but I have news for them, there is no other golden goose. The reason there are corporations that don’t pay taxes is because politicians have created the environment and rules that encourage tax avoidance. Government regulations are the rules that create the culture of corruption. Politicians are the “brokers” that business leaders must pay to get exceptions to punitive rules. If the rules were the same for every business and politicians were not involved in the process, business would never need Washington lobbyists or pay off politicians who are continually changing the rules business must follow to be successful.

And the reason there is poverty in this country is not because of the jobs being created by these corporations in this country, it is the government programs that poor Americans are shackled into because they have put their faith in political promises.

There is no reason in America that someone who seeks a better life can’t achieve one. A better life in America depends on a thriving “Wall Street” and is dead in the water if we have a “thriving federal government” and punitive tax policy. The left needs to get their head out of the government troth and start thinking logically not emotionally.

The left hates America and wealth, but without wealth and “Wall Street” we will see the end of America and the American Dream… Maybe that’s what they really want…

Manufacturers Welcome in Colorado…

Manufacturing is not just about jobs, it is about national security, personal and organizational identity, and it is about moral responsibility. So why do we punish manufacturers with overwhelming regulation and taxes?

We as a country have forgotten why manufacturing is so important, and the role it plays in our ability to remain free and prosperous. If we give up our ability to produce heavy equipment, steel, rubber, and other products, we leave our destiny in the hands of people that may be friendly now, but what about the future? China comes to mind. If we no longer produce, or we are producing weapons, aircraft, and other sensitive technologies in countries like China, how vulnerable are we to the political tides in China? We need to produce our own products here, and continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

We have always been a country that values work and being connected to great products. Caterpillar, John Deere, Coca Cola, Levi Strauss, LL Bean, to name a few. As individuals we identify with the work we do and having products that the world loves is a great source of pride for those that are part of creating and building these great brands.

It is a moral obligation of the representatives of the people to support the citizens it represents by enabling and supporting policy that create economic opportunities for its citizens. The free trade proponents of which I am one have to balance economy and ethics. I believe in free trade but I do not believe in policies that favor nations that have communist regimes, using forced labor, and ignoring common sense environmental policies. The cost of doing business has to include all of these factors but our policy should put America first. Not with policy that forces people to buy American, it should be policies that free up American manufacturers to be able to compete in a global competition for human and capital resources. The United States has the second or third highest cost of doing business due to our tax and regulatory policy. That must change. Union and management must be brought back together to compete and support common sense policies to build up our manufacturing base again.

As Governor I will propose and support policy that welcomes manufacturers, supports free trade by reducing the cost to do business, and create incentives for unions and business to work together to improve our competitive position in the world. Corporate taxes, capital gains taxes, and burdensome regulations will be targeted for reform or elimination under my administration. I will fight the federal government as passionately as I would a foreign government trying to run our manufacturers out of the country. We need to make stuff again. We need to keep the manufacturers we currently have healthy and help them grow. There are economic groups talking about this right now in Colorado and they need to know they will have my support 100%.

Colorado is open for business; including manufacturers!