Category: Politics

Politics

Taxing People Plus Extending Unemployment Equals a Weak Country

Karen

Warning! Political stuff.

Forgive me, but I read about this stuff, think about this stuff, see what others write about this stuff on Twitter and if I don’t write out my thoughts and feelings on these issues, I’m fairly certain my brain will explode all over your monitor.

If you don’t agree with me politically (I’m a moderate conservative [I’m pretty sure that’s an oxymoron]), then please skip this post. Thanks.

Bush Tax Cuts: let’s call it what it is, okay? Tax HIKES. Because if Congress allows these tax cuts to expire, then our taxes will GO UP. That means, LESS MONEY IN YOUR POCKET!

If the tax cuts are allowed to continue, it means .. nothing, basically. You will keep what you always keep and life will continue on as normal (or as normal as we can be in this country right now).

Considering that unemployment rose to 9.8 percent, marking the 19th consecutive month that our nation’s unemployment rate topped 9 percent, a post–World War II record, do you really think it’s wise to raise taxes on the few people who have jobs and are struggling to feed their families in order to pay for (now extended!) unemployment! How can anyone even consider putting more pressure on the American worker right now??

And may I ask WHY this administration is hell bent on starting a class war? What is up with this middle class versus upper class crap? What is up with forcing people who make over $250,000 a year to pay more taxes? I mean, it sounds good on the surface, and if they want to pay more taxes, then by all means, go for it, but why are we forcing them when they’re already paying out the nose as it is? Why are we punishing folks who make more money than we do? Has anyone ever stopped to consider that these people that make more money have worked their butts off to make that money? Who likely put in way more hours than we do, who rarely see their families because they’re busy making their companies stronger and who likely have WAY more stress than we do on a daily basis? Let’s stop and think about this a moment:

The wealthy create jobs. Have you ever gotten a job from a poor person? If the people who create jobs don’t feel safe to invest and grow their company, then they won’t. Which means, they will not hire new people.

Like it or not, they need those tax cuts extended so that they can plan for the future of their company, so they can make projections and budget, so they can safely determine whether they first need to hire and then how many in order to keep their companies running smoothly and prospering. Companies need to know that the government will not spring something on them in the future – they need economic stability in order to plan and grow.

It’s called security. And if you stop and think like a businessman for a moment, you can see why these tax cuts must remain in place for everyone.

Now, let’s assume the tax cuts remain for everyone – companies have their stability (at least, when it comes to taxes – regulations is a different monster). They feel like it’s safe to come out and invest, hire more people and grow.

There are now jobs. People get hired. They pay their taxes. More revenue spills into the government coffers, we bring down the debt (assuming the government stops with the asinine spending because that’s like pouring water into a strainer).

We can stop paying out the nose for unemployment because there are fewer people who are unemployed. Consumer spending also goes up because people have jobs, SECURITY, so they feel comfortable enough to start spending more than they’ve allowed for living expenses.

Companies make money. They hire more people. There are more tax payers …

Why is this so difficult for people to understand?? That’s how economics works, folks!

I find it really hard to believe that Obama is too dense to understand that. So what does that leave? He wants our country in chaos? He wants people dependent on the country? He wants to promote a womb-to-tomb mentality (which means he wants people dependent on the government from birth to death) thereby converting people into Democrat voters because in order for them to continue living the life their living now, they must vote Democrat, because Republicans are too hard hearted to care about them.

*sigh*

Listen. The lame stream media want you to think that Conservatives/Republicans don’t care about you because it suits their agenda. The FACT is, Conservatives/Republicans care about people MORE because their goal is to open up opportunities to allow people to pursue their dreams, to be successful, to be independently strong. If people choose not to take those opportunities, if they choose not to work very hard for what they want, then that is their choice.

BUT THEY HAVE A CHOICE.

Democrats only want to takes choices away. They are not interested in seeing people succeed, they are only interested in keeping people dependent. They disguise this objective by pretending to be compassionate.

Take unemployment for example. People can now be unemployed for 99 weeks before they are forced to find a job. The government (that’s US, the working stiffs who are working long hours and sacrificing family time in order to pay our bills AND TAXES) owns these people.

Granted, I GET IT. I KNOW UNEMPLOYMENT IS HIGH! As one friend on my Facebook account said, “It’s not about the numbers, it’s about the people.”

Of course it is. But at some point, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE NUMBERS!! How exactly can we support the growing number of people on unemployment if the number of working Americans is shrinking?? We can’t snap our fingers and make money appear. Money does not grow on trees and contrary to popular belief, you can’t just print money, it DEVALUES our currency so that foreign countries don’t want anything to do with us.

When exactly do we draw the line on unemployment? And can you honestly tell me that if people are given the choice of staying home with their families for 99 weeks or going out and getting a job, having to get up at 6:00 every morning, work their tail end off and come home exhausted they’re going to choose option B?

OF COURSE NOT! It’s human nature to want things handed to us. It’s human nature to want to take the easy road. If we keep extending unemployment, then no one will ever go out and get a job because WHY?? It’s so much easier to allow the government to care for them.

I am so sorry for people who are without a job right now. My heart hurts for them and their families. It’s tough to not know whether you will have enough money to eat dinner, or enough money to put gas in your car. I’ve been there. I UNDERSTAND.

But at what point do we say, ENOUGH.

I don’t want people to hurt. I don’t want people to go hungry. And I understand extending unemployment now, especially around the holidays, but we have to be realistic, folks. We can’t afford to support 9.8 percent of the population indefinitely (and that percentage will go up if our government doesn’t get their head out of the butts and DO something to support our economy).

That’s why it’s CRUCIAL to mold a business-friendly environment so they will feel safe to expand, to hire people. Then those new hires pay taxes and we can start working toward this MASSIVE debt we’ve accumulated over the last ten years.

Our country has reached a point we are going to have to start making some hard decisions. We HAVE to start cutting spending and we’re going to have get firm about what we cut. No one will like these cuts because we’ve all gotten so used to having these benefits. But our politicians have bankrupted us – WE DON’T HAVE A CHOICE.

I’ve already resigned myself to the fact that I will likely not receive social security benefits when I reach that age. There simply isn’t any money left to pay for it. So, Kevin and I are working hard NOW to plan for THEN.

If we want our country back on track, we’re ALL going to have to make some sacrifices. And that sounds like we have a choice. I’m afraid we don’t even have that luxury anymore.

If our politicians are serious about healing this country, they will make those hard choices. If they don’t, then I think it’s the American people’s responsibility to find someone who WILL.

Sorry to rant, but this stuff has been weighing heavily on my mind. And I must say, I feel better after having vented. It’s too bad no one ever listens to me. 🙂

Politics

Repeal the 26th Amendment?

Karen

Warning! Political stuff.

If you don’t agree with me politically, then please skip this post. I do not publish these articles to provoke but to inform. Thanks.

Saw a link to this on Twitter today:

A question many of us are asking. Is this healthcare thing constitutional?

A retired Constitutional lawyer has read the entire proposed healthcare bill. Read his conclusions. This is stunning!

The Truth About the Health Care Bill
– Michael Connelly, Ret. Constitutional Attorney

Well, I have done it! I have read the entire text of proposed House Bill 3200: The Affordable Health Care Choices Act of 2009. I studied it with particular emphasis from my area of expertise, constitutional law. I was frankly concerned that parts of the proposed law that were being discussed might be unconstitutional. What I found was far worse than what I had heard or expected.

To begin with, much of what has been said about the law and its implications is in fact true, despite what the Democrats and the media are saying. The law does provide for rationing of health care, particularly where senior citizens and other classes of citizens are involved, free health care for illegal immigrants, free abortion services, and probably forced participation in abortions by members of the medical profession.

The Bill will also eventually force private insurance companies out of business, and put everyone into a government run system. All decisions about personal health care will ultimately be made by federal bureaucrats, and most of them will not be health care professionals. Hospital admissions, payments to physicians, and allocations of necessary medical devices will be strictly controlled by the government.

However, as scary as all of that is, it just scratches the surface. In fact, I have concluded that this legislation really has no intention of providing affordable health care choices. Instead it is a convenient cover for the most massive transfer of power to the Executive Branch of government that has ever occurred, or even been contemplated If this law or a similar one is adopted, major portions of the Constitution of the United States will effectively have been destroyed.

The first thing to go will be the masterfully crafted balance of power between the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches of the U.S. Government. The Congress will be transferring to the Obama Administration authority in a number of different areas over the lives of the American people, and the businesses they own.

The irony is that the Congress doesn’t have any authority to legislate in most of those areas to begin with! I defy anyone to read the text of the U.S. Constitution and find any authority granted to the members of Congress to regulate health care.

This legislation also provides for access, by the appointees of the Obama administration, of all of your personal healthcare direct violation of the specific provisions of the 4th Amendment to the Constitution information, your personal financial information, and the information of your employer, physician, and hospital. All of this is a protecting against unreasonable searches and seizures.. You can also forget about the right to privacy. That will have been legislated into oblivion regardless of what the 3rd and 4th Amendments may provide.

If you decide not to have healthcare insurance, or if you have private insurance that is not deemed acceptable to the Health Choices Administrator appointed by Obama, there will be a tax imposed on you. It is called a tax instead of a fine because of the intent to avoid application of the due process clause of the 5th Amendment. However, that doesn’t work because since there is nothing in the law that allows you to contest or appeal the imposition of the tax, it is definitely depriving someone of property without the due process of law.

So, there are three of those pesky amendments that the far left hate so much, out the original ten in the Bill of Rights, that are effectively nullified by this law It doesn’t stop there though.

[Read the rest of the article here].

Still think this law is a good idea? Let’s repeal this disaster and reform it RIGHT this time.

The Hill: Dejected Democrats wiped away tears on the House floor Monday night while Republicans congratulated themselves on winning back control of the lower chamber.

House members returned to the nation’s capital for the first time since Republicans captured the House two weeks ago.

Freshman Rep. Debbie Halvorson (D-Ill.), who lost her reelection bid, wiped away tears as she hugged fellow members of the class of 2008, many of whom lost on Nov. 2.

Less than three feet away, ousted Nevada freshman Rep. Dina Titus (D) appeared to brush away some tears in a less obvious manner.

Seriously?! Good grief.

Did you guys hear about the boy, Cody Alicea, who was told by his school that he had to take the American flag off his bike? Well, Cody received an impressive escort to school and an even more impressive welcome AT school after this incident went viral.

This story makes me shout for joy because it’s about DAMN TIME people started standing up for AMERICAN rights and stop being so politically correct. Tell me, WHY does the person(s) offended always win?

NEVER be ashamed to fly our country’s flag. Ever. This is sweet, sweet justice, I must say.

If we don’t start standing up and fighting for our rights, they will be taken away. Just think about that for a minute. It’s enough to make a person shudder, isn’t it?

Sarah Palin’s open letter to the freshmen members of Congress:

Some of you have asked for my thoughts on how best to proceed in the weeks and months ahead and how best to advance an agenda that can move our country forward. I have a simple answer: stick to the principles that propelled your campaigns. When you take your oath to support and defend our Constitution and to faithfully discharge the duties of your office, remember that present and future generations of “We the People” are counting on you to stand by that oath. Never forget the people who sent you to Washington. Never forget the trust they placed in you to do the right thing.

The task before you is daunting because so much damage has been done in the last two years, but I believe you have the chance to achieve great things.

Republicans campaigned on a promise to rein in out-of-control government spending and to repeal and replace the massive, burdensome, and unwanted health care law President Obama and the Democrat Congress passed earlier this year in defiance of the will of the majority of the American people. These are promises that you must keep. Obamacare is a job-killer, a regulatory nightmare, and an enormous unfunded mandate. The American people don’t want it and we can’t afford it. We ask, with all due respect, that you remember your job will be to work to replace this legislation with real reform that relies on free market principles and patient-centered policies. The first step is, of course, to defund Obamacare.

You’ve also got to be deadly serious about cutting the deficit. Despite what some would like us to believe, tax cuts didn’t get us into the mess we’re in. Government spending did. Tough decisions need to be made about reducing government spending. The longer we put them off, the worse it will get. We need to start by cutting non-essential spending. That includes stopping earmarks (because abuse of the earmark process created the “gateway-drug” that allowed backroom deals and bloated budgets), canceling all further spending on the failed Stimulus program, and rolling back non-discretionary spending to 2008 levels. You can do more, but this would be a good start.

…

In all this, you should extend a hand to President Obama and Democrats in Congress. After this election, they may finally be prepared to work with Republicans on some of these issues for the good of the country. And if not, we will all be looking forward to 2012.

Remember that some in the media will love you when you stray from the time-tested truths that built America into the most exceptional nation on earth. When the Left in the media pat you on the back, quickly reassess where you are and readjust, for the liberals’ praise is a warning bell you must heed. Trust me on that.

I and most Americans are so excited for you. Working together, we have every right to be optimistic about our future. We can be hopeful because real hope lies in the ingenuity, generosity, and boundless courage of the everyday Americans who make our country exceptional.

Read the entire letter here.

Let’s hope the Republicans remain strong and do what they were sent to do.

Speaking of Sarah Palin … did you see her reality show premiere on TLC the other night?

I think they’re saying over 5,000,000 viewers. I bet the left just LOVES that. lol

I thought it was sort of cheesy, quite frankly. And I cringe anytime anyone says anything with the words “reality show” in the sentence, but I have to give the woman credit – I think it’s actually a pretty smart move on her part.

The media has worked hard to vilify Palin over the past two years so that some on the left view her as some sort of plastic figurine, a mindless mouthpiece for the conservatives.

The purpose of this reality show is to show people that she is indeed human and that she puts her pants on one leg at a time just like the rest of us. (I’m sure it’s also an attempt to make her more approachable, more relateable… 2012 anyone?)

I’m not a big Sarah Palin fan, and some of the things she says are just … embarrassing, (and when I say embarrassing, I’m referring to the awkwardness and timing – I think she tries too hard, not because I think what she says is stupid), I can take her, or leave her, but I do appreciate her willingness to be the face and hope of so many American people who need SOMETHING/SOMEONE to cling to right now because no one else is listening.

Honestly? I doubt I watch very many episodes.

https://twitter.com/#!/writefromkaren/status/3935100978864128

I thought Ann Coulter had an interesting point – if the kids aren’t responsible enough to pay for their own health insurance (as opposed to sucking off mom and dad’s policy), then perhaps they aren’t responsible enough to vote.

Thought provoking indeed.

More from Write From Karen

Politics

It’s All Politics

Karen

I think I’m going to start listing some interesting political news stories for future reference. (If you’re not interested in politics, my apologizes. Though I have no intentions of turning this blog into a political analysis blog, I do think it’s important to at least take a look at some of the stuff you’re probably not being privy to through “traditional” networks. You know who I’m talking about).

It’s all about 2012 now.

Because when it’s time to elect a new president, I’d like to list all of the crazy antics the Democrats pulled that people will most likely forget.

Because the American public has a very short attention span, unfortunately.

Ready?

Nancy Pelosi: “I have no regrets.”

ABC News: Pelosi said she had “no regrets” after losing her position as the most powerful woman in American politics and said the country’s unemployment problem was to blame for the Democrats’ loss.

“We believe we did the right thing, and we worked very hard in our campaigns to convey that to the American people,” she said. “Nine and a half percent unemployment is a very eclipsing event. If people don’t have a job, they’re not too interested in how you intend for them to have a job. They want to see results.”

Asked to assess her tenure, Pelosi quickly answered, “Job well done.”

You may not have any regrets, Madam, but the American people will be forced to live with your “accomplishments” for years to come.

A Look Back at the Wreckage–

When Speaker Pelosi took over Congress the national debt was $162 billion. When she leaves office it will be at $1.29 Trillion dollars.

The Obama-Pelosi-Reid Regime tripled the national deficit in one year.

When Speaker Pelosi took over Congress the unemployment rate was at 4.6%. Today it’s at 9.6%. (source: US Misery Index)

I have never been so relieved to see someone stripped of her power as I have Pelosi.

You guys heard about the Fed spending another trillion dollars in order to buy our own debt, right?

The Wall Street Journal: The Federal Reserve announced a bold plan today to try to invigorate the economy by buying $600 billion more in Treasury bonds.

The Fed said it would buy the long-term government bonds by the middle of 2011 to further drive down interest rates on mortgages and other debt. This is in addition to an expected $250 billion to $300 billion in Fed purchases over the same period from reinvesting proceeds from its mortgage portfolio. …

You do realize that all we’re doing is cutting our nose off to spite our face? Printing more money and pouring it into the economy does nothing more than devalue the dollar. The scheme the Feds are trying to pull off is to lower long term interest rates and get people to start borrowing money again.

The problem with that is that the small business owner is much smarter than the government gives them credit for and they’re not falling for it. Once again, they will hang on to their money, refuse to borrow money and nothing will be accomplished … other than adding another trillion to the debt.

And speaking of adding more money to an already exploding deficit …

The president is taking nearly half the White House with him to India.

NDTV– The White House will, of course, stay in Washington but the heart of the famous building will move to India when President Barack Obama lands in Mumbai on Saturday.

He will also be protected by a fleet of 34 warships, including an aircraft carrier, which will patrol the sea lanes off the Mumbai coast during his two-day stay there beginning Saturday. The measure has been taken as Mumbai attack in 2008 took place from the sea.

Obama is expected to fly by a helicopter — Marine One — from the city airport to the Indian Navy’s helibase INS Shikra at Colaba in south Mumbai.

From there, he will drive down in Lincoln Continental — the Presidential limousine — to the nearby the Taj Hotel.

Two jets, armed with advanced communication and security systems, anda fleet of over 40 cars will be part of Obamas convoy.

Around 800 rooms have been booked for the President and his entourage in Taj Hotel and Hyatt.

It’s been speculated that this will likely cost the American people nearly 200 million a day.

Question: Why couldn’t the president have invited the India dignitaries to the US and save us the cost and security risk?

And unless I’ve missed it, I still haven’t figured out WHY he’s going to begin with? Is it business, or pleasure?

Unless the Republicans blow it in the next two years, there is a good chance they will maintain majority in the house and take over the senate as well:

The Hill: For the first time in two cycles, Democrats will have more seats up for grabs than the Republicans, and the party could see its shrunken majority erased altogether.

Several of the senators up for reelection came in on the 2006 Democratic wave, when the party picked up six GOP seats and won control of the chamber.

Sens. Bob Casey Jr. (D-Pa.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Jim Webb (D-Va.) defeated GOP incumbents that year but will have to win reelection in 2012.

And two senators who won special elections Tuesday, Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), will face voters again in two years.

That could change in two years, when Democrats have 21 seats up for grabs, compared to only 10 for Republicans. Also up for reelection are Sens. Joe Lieberman (Conn.) and Bernie Sanders (Vt.), the two Independents who caucus with Democrats — meaning the party has a total of 23 seats to defend.

Pray that the Republicans maintain their focus, and do what they said they were going to do – these next few years are going to be rough.

Politics

Vote them Out

Karen

Did you?

Kevin and I went to our polling place around 10:00 a.m. this morning. We didn’t leave until 10:40 a.m.

We stood in line for about thirty minutes.

I don’t recall seeing this many people at the polls … ever. I’m not even sure there were this many people at the presidential election in ’08.

I just hope it’s a run away victory for conservatives because if not … well, not to be all doom and gloom on you or anything, but things will get much worse before they get better if the Democrats are left in power for very much longer.

I’m a bit bummed that Dude wasn’t able to vote this go-around. He’ll be 18 in a few weeks, so he just missed this election. I know the boys and I listen to Sean Hannity everyday after school on the ride home, so they are pretty current with what is going on in the world. (And no, not just from a conservative perspective – we talk about issues and try to be fair to everyone. Most times, the Democrats are the ones being crazy, but sometimes, it’s the Republicans, too), and I think Dude would have been interested in voting these mid-terms but, ah well, there’s always 2012.

I signed onto Facebook this morning and one of my high school friends, a liberal, had posted a picture of two people holding signs on his avatar. The signs read:

“I have no problem paying taxes because I’m an adult and that’s part of the deal.”

“War isn’t free. Pay your taxes, Tea Baggers.”

This really annoyed me, mainly because once again, he (and not to just pick on this guy, but I’m addressing liberals in general) don’t get what the Tea Party stands for.

I wrote this in response:

Once again, the Tea Party is not about paying taxes, we need to pay taxes for fundamental programs, but when over HALF of our gross income is going to the gov’t, and we see they’re squandering it, THAT’S the problem. Time to vote in more responsible people. (How many times do we need to explain this?!)

He then commented (and has since removed it Never mind. Facebook hiccup):

“Doesn’t the TEA in Tea party stand for “Taxed Enough Already?”

In which I responded:

Aren’t we taxed enough already? When is it enough? When we’re paying 70%? 80%? We have to draw the line somewhere. How about reforming programs, cutting waste and adjusting/re-evaluating the existing budget. Private citizens are expected to do that, why not the government?

And THAT ladies and gentlemen, is primarily what the Tea Party is all about. Where do we draw the line? When is it enough? The government will continue to tax us – it will never stop, unless we make it stop.

The Tea Party is also about smaller government, more accountability, and sticking to (getting back to!) Constitutional values.

I honestly don’t know why people don’t GET this? Are these concepts so hard to grasp? It boggles my mind that people try and demonize the Tea Party movement when the alternative is … what?

MORE government intrusion, MORE taxes. It’s hard to run on that platform because it just sounds so … insane. I mean, haven’t you noticed that virtually none of the Democratic candidates had a platform to run on this election? It’s because THEY can’t even justify this craziness.

And did you all hear about Obama’s trip to India the day after tomorrow? (Because he’s holding a press conference tomorrow – that should be interesting *cough*). He’s allegedly taking 800 (?!) people and 40 planes (!!) INCLUDING both Air Force Ones. In addition, they are renting 520 rooms at the Taj Mahal.

What in the world is that all about?

How much is this costing the American tax payer, THIS TIME?

And why in the WORLD would he need to take that many people?

It absolutely astounds me that this man is our president.

UPDATE: Well. What an impressive night for Republicans – we took back the House and put several more senators in the Senate. It’s still unbelievable to me that the people of California and Nevada chose to keep Boxer and Reid. Their states are in terrible shape and yet, they elect the same people to do … what. More of the same? It’s like they don’t WANT anything to get better.

It truly baffles my mind.

At any rate, here we go. Republicans are officially on probation. Let’s see what sort of correcting they can do in the next two years. I, personally, am not expecting miracles, but I AM expecting steps in the RIGHT direction. Make it happen, Red, make it happen.