Damn it!  Normally, I’m always looking forward to the new year, but not this one.  And it all has to do with Politics.

Pre 9/11, I wasn’t really concerned much with what party had majority control, as there was generally a degree of civility in the political discussions of the day.  Sure, I was a Republican then, and of course I wanted my party in control, but even if they weren’t, it wasn’t all that bad.  Well, okay.  It was awful if Liberal ideology ruled.  That stuff is just plain crazy.

Now in the post 9/11 world, our politicians have thrown civility to the wind and have digressed to playground bully tactics.  Of course, I’m referring to the Democrat party.  The Republican party was taking the beatings like a crash test dummy, but then woke up some.  Obviously, their heads are still ringing, but at least they are starting to put the gloves up.  They even have a bit of solidarity going on, which really is a breath of fresh air.  But lets get back to the main point here.

2009 was a miserable year of law making.  Lets face it, the Palosi/Reid machine isn’t focused on doing the will of the people, they are only focused on socializing this last bastion of a free society, and lining their pockets with money while increasing their power over the American people.  Remember the old adage, “power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely”.  Politics IS power, and with a Liberal majority in both the House and Senate, the power is absolutely corrupt.

Lets look at some of the laws passed this last year (2009):

Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-2):  This law amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964, along with a couple other laws, which basically just clarified a time frame in which to act on pay discrimination.  This isn’t a major law, but it is important.  It’s also a rarity in that it actually fulfilled a promise that Obama had made on the campaign trail.  HOWEVER:  This also renigs on an Obama promise in that there was no 5 day wait before signing the bill into law.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5 ):  Commonly known as the Stimulus Bill, this law gave congress nearly $800 billion to spend on crap to help boost the failing economy by loosening up the credit markets and creating jobs by funding “shovel ready” construction jobs.  Now, in theory, all of this sounds good.  In reality, this is a freakin’ nightmare!  First off, government does not create jobs.  The private sector does.  Second…in almost a year after passing this crap, less than a quarter of the allocated funds was spent!  So naturally, NOTHING HAPPENED!!!  In a rare sign of unity, not one Republican in the House voted for this bill, though 3 Republican Senators did.  Nearly $800 Billion worth of crap, yet we have American soldiers in harms way that are struggling for resources.  Nice job Democrats.

The Matthew Shepard/James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Act:  Now, this bill has been floating around since 2001, and the only way the Democrats were able to get this thing passed was to attach it to a defense bill.  Now I’m not saying this is a bad bill, but if it’s been floating around for 8 years, and then you finally have to sneak it in a defense spending bill to get passed into law, then maybe…just maybe…this is actually a piece of shit bill.  For those that don’t know, this bill adds protection to the 1969 Hate Crimes act to cover gender, sexual orientation and disabilities.  Basically protecting gay, lesbian and transgender individuals from hate crimes.

Cash for Clunkers:  Initially a billion dollars was set aside to coax people with older, high fuel-consuming cars to dump those for something more fuel efficient.  This was so popular that the billion dollars was consumed in a months time, forcing Congress to dump another $2 billion into the program.  Even then, this law devoured those funds so quick that they had to end the program a full 3 months ahead of schedule.  Here’s where some of the problems come in.  Yes, this was a boon to the failing auto industry, but there was a stipulation in the law that the clunkers turned in, had to be scrapped.  Again, that makes some sense, but they missed out on a real opportunity.  These cars could have been parted out in order to help sustain the cars that didn’t get turned in.  This would have again, boosted the economy some by provided refurbished parts to a user base that couldn’t afford to get the new cars.  Combine that with the fact that in a months time, they had to put more money into the program to sustain it, shows a real lack of planning on the side of the Government.  I’m split as to whether or not this was a good thing, but obviously, it wasn’t handled very well.

Helping Families Save their Home Act (Public Law 111-22 ) :  Now the concept of this bill was to let judges modify mortgages so that families would be able to have a chance to stay in their homes…those that bought houses that they couldn’t afford in the first place.  However, in the final bill, that provision wasn’t even included in the bill.  What passed were mortgage rule changes and law modifications that would help people hang on to their homes.  Now, helping people stay in there homes is a noble endeavor, but the problem is, these people bought homes that they could barely afford in the first place, so when things went south, they should have lost their homes.  That’s what happens in the real world.  If you can’t afford it, you don’t get it.  That’s the basic rule of managing your own money.  Now the American people have to subsidize mortgages for people that have no common sense.  Again…noble…sure.  But very wrong.

The Omnibus Bill:  Over 8500 earmarks of pork barrel spending.  Obama ran a campaign of NO Earmark spending.  In a time of economic crisis, this is not only irresponsible, but its asinine!  Another Obama promise that was renigged on.  Another shitload of taxpayer money pissed away on power grabs.  This is the legacy of the Obama administration.

Obama, Reid, Palosi, Dodd, Nelson, Durbin,  Waxman…the list goes on and on.  These people, in my humble opinion, can and should be tried for crimes against the U.S. Constitution.  At the very least, removed from office for dereliction of duty and fraud.  This is why I’m not looking forward to the upcoming year.  These people are going to continue pushing socialist agendas in order to increase the power of government over the people…something that the U.S. Constitution is supposed to protects us from.  You see, the Constitution limits government oppression in order for us Americans to live freely, and Obama, Reid and Palosi can’t stand that.  Hell, Obama himself stated that “the Constitution limits what the government can do” (paraphrasing) and he sees that as a problem.

There is no guarantee that 2010 is going to be any better.  Especially when the Health Care bill gets passed.  That is going to screw the American public so bad that recovery may not be able to happen.  Our only hope is take back the Senate and the House.  Even then…it may be too late.

It’s time to fight!  It’s time to put our congressmen on notice.  We need fiscal conservatism, and more responsible government.  We need less government control on our individual freedoms.  We need personal responsibility instead of a nanny state.  We need to get back to American exceptional-ism.  Obama is not the answer.  He’s a cancer on the American way of life.  Obama and his cronies have to go.

Stand up America!  It’s time to fight for your rights to be Americans!

Hendo

…Kill Cap & Trade!

(Compiled by American Values President Gary Bauer)

1. IT’S NOT GETTING HOTTER: Five major international climate centers report that average global temperatures have not risen over the past 11 years.

2. IT’S BAD SCIENCE: a British judge ruled that teachers in Great Britain’s school system will be required to issue a warning before they show students An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore’s controversial film on global warming.

3. IT’S JUST A TAX: energy costs will soar under the House-passed Waxman-Markey bill, and those costs will be passed on to consumers.  Obama Administration Budget Director Peter Orszag has estimated that a 15% decrease in emissions would cause the average American family to pay $1,300 in additional utility costs a year.

4. IT WILL SPREAD YOUR WEALTH AROUND: The Obama Administration’s goal is to raise $650 billion through the energy tax.  But only $150 billion of that will be devoted to alternative energy production, while $500 billion gets redistributed to people who don’t pay income taxes.

5. JOBS WILL DISAPPEAR: A Congressional Budget Office report says the legislation would create “significant” job losses from fossil fuel industries as the country shifts to renewable energy.  A Heritage Foundation study estimated that the new law would mean 1.9 million fewer jobs by 2012.

6. HOME PRICES WILL BE DEPRESSED: Under the new energy regime, most homes put up for sale would b e required to undergo environmental inspections.  New homes would have to be 30% more energy efficient than  the current building code.

7. THE MIDWEST WILL BE HARDEST HIT: Forty-four House Democrats voted against Waxman-Markey.  That’s because most of them represent Midwestern states.  A new report from the Environmental Protection Agency shows that 10 states, mostly in the Midwest, would be hardest hit.

8. AMERICA WILL BE LESS COMPETITIVE: China and India are the first and fourth biggest emitters of carbon dioxide emissions, respectively, but they refuse to commit to binding emissions cuts.

9. IT HAS NEVER WORKED: The European Union has had a cap-and-tax regime since 1997, but 12 of the 15 EU nations that signed on are failing to meet their targets.

10. HASTE MAKES WASTE: Before the House passed its version of the measure, which is almost 1,500 pages long, and costs about $900 billion, members had less than 16 hours to read the final bill before voting on it.

Human Events: VOL. 65, NO. 40

…about the Pelosi Health Care Bill!

1. COST: The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the House health care program will cost $1.5 trillion over the next decade and $2.6 trillion for the decade after 2014.  And as most such estimates are low, don’t be surprised when the price-tag soars.

2. PUBLIC OPINION: The bill contains a robust public-opinion insurance feature, that is sure to eventually undercut private insurers and is likely to lead to a single-payer government take-over of health care.

3. TAXES: The House bill includes $572 billion in new taxes, mostly from imposing a 5.4% “surcharge” on families earning over $1 million, and $500,000 for singles.  And since the tax is not indexed for inflation it will immediately start gobbling up more taxpayers.

4. QUALIFIED PLANS: Everyone will be required to enroll in a “qualified plan.”  The secretary of Health and Human Services will decide what a “qualified plan” covers and how much it will cost.

5. PENALTIES: If you don’t get health insurance, pay a fine or go to jail.  A tax equal to 2.5% of adjusted gross income will be imposed on people who refuse to buy insurance.  Those who refuse to pay the penalty face time in jail.

6. COST TO FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS: The Congressional Budget Office estimates that an individual earning $44,000 before taxes who purchases his own insurance will have to pay a $5,300 premium and an estimated $2,000 in out-of-pocket expenses, for a total of $7,300 a year, or 17% of his pre-tax income.  A family earning $102,100 a year before taxes will have to pay a $15,000 premium plus an estimated $5,300 out-of-pocket, for a $20,300 total or 20% of its pre-tax income.

7. BUSINESS MANDATE: The bill imposes a mandate for most business to provide health insurance to their workers or pay an 8% payroll tax.  This provision will likely lead to employers’ dumping their workers into the public option, since the fine is smaller than the premiums.

8. MEDICARE & MEDICAID: The bill harshly cuts Medicare while expanding Medicaid to include everyone below 150% of the poverty line.  Particularly hard-hit by cuts will be Medicare Advantage, which is used by 20% of seniors.

9. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS: The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the number of illegal immigrants covered under the just-passed House bill will increase by 2.5 million from the original House bill, H.R. 3200.

10. MEDICAL SAVINGS ACCOUNTS: The bill caps at $2,500 the amount an employee can contribute to a health care Medical Savings Account, penalizing people taking advantage of one of the few programs which helps to keep medical costs in check.

Human Events  VOL. 65, NO. 40

Wow, lots of great news stuff these past two weeks.  I’ve kind of been out of circulation lately due to severe pain and the contemplation of what I’m to due at the end of the month when I’m probably getting laid off.  Even now, I’m not in the mood to parse out witty or even honest criticism on the latest events.  Perhaps is my allergies acting up, or just my overall laziness, but something is really promoting my “I just don’t give a shit right now” attitude.  I don’t even feel like typing.  So it’s in that vein that I’ll just put out a couple of quick blurbs on some of the current topics and then just wander off to finish the day in obscurity.

RACISM: I find it incredulous that Liberal’s are labeling any disagreements with Obama policies as acts of racism.  This is obviously a tactic to divert attention from opposing views to the Democrat party…or more aptly…any Obama position.  Liberals are literally claiming racism at every turn, and there is only one reason for it:  Liberals cannot legitimately defend the big government power grab legislation in an honest debate.  Especially when over 50% of Americans are against them (52% according to the latest Rassmussen (whatever) Poll.  Sen. Wilson called Obama a liar at the Presidential address to Congress.  Even though he was right factually, it was not the proper forum for that type of outburst.  Even still, Democrats claim that it was racially motivated.  Clearly, there was no racial slant in that statement, but Democrats can’t honestly deny that illegal immigrants will not have access to taxpayer money for medical care so the only way to divert attention to the truth is to claim racism.  I’m so sick and tired of the racism card, that anyone that I hear using it, I’m calling to the carpet to defend it.  And when they can’t, I’m going to very publicly humiliate them.  And I guarantee you they won’t be able to defend their claim.  Fucking dicks.

HEALTH CARE: Even though I’m tired of this entire topic, I will continue to debate it until it’s gone away or some worth-while legislation is actually available.  The Obama/Palosi/Reid Health Care plan is so idiotic that a completely Democrat controlled administration can’t even pass it!!!  Not only do the majority of Americans disagree with it, but the swindlers in charge (i.e. Obama/Palosi/Reid) can’t even muster their own people to get enough votes to ram this through.  Their Bill is THAT BAD!!!  Then they turn around and say that the Republican side of the isle isn’t offering any options!  The truth is…Republicans ARE offering options, but the Democrats won’t even let those options be heard.  People….this is the most dis-functional government that I’ve ever heard of!!!  We don’t need a health care bill.  We need Insurance regulation; TORT reform; and a serious investigation at the fraud, waste and abuse in the current systems!  Take care of that, and we will be well on our way to better, more affordable health care.

ACORN: What a bunch of freaking IDIOTS!!!  Congress did right by passing a bill to cancel the funding to ACORN.  A full out investigation is mandatory here, and the leaders of that organization, and those caught on video need to be heavily fined and put in jail.  This is as disgraceful as you can get, and I’d really like to see Dude Obama try to defend this shit.  The only problem I see here, is that once the fire burns and ACORN is almost extinct…I see them filing for a government bailout, and sadly…they’d probably get it if this administration is still in office.  Fucking dicks!

Huh? If this kind of news and events doesn’t piss you off and make you laugh at the same time…then you need to get laid.  This stuff is so frustrating AND funny at the same time!!!  By the way….How’s those ratings ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN & MSNBC?  LOL…you fucking dicks!

Oh…Looks like it will be Boobs & Beer Friday tomorrow, and I’m well enough to celebrate it!  HUZZAH!

Okay, so I get this email about Social Security.  I don’t know how valid the whole thing is, but I do know that specific points in it, are true.  Eh…here it is:

LET US SHOW OUR LEADERS IN WASHINGTON “PEOPLE POWER” AND THE POWER OF THE INTERNET. PLEASE FORWARD TO ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS.

IT  DOESN’T MATTER IF YOU ARE REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT!

KEEP IT GOING!!!!

Propose this in 2009:

START A BILL TO PLACE ALL POLITICIANS ON SOCIAL SECURITY

SOCIAL SECURITY:

(This is worth reading. It is short and to the point.)

Perhaps we are asking the wrong questions during election years.

Our Senators and Congresswomen do not pay into Social Security and, of course, they do not collect from it.

You see, Social Security benefits were not suitable for persons of their rare elevation in society. They felt they should have a special plan for themselves. So, many years ago they voted in their benefit plan.

In more recent years, no congressperson has felt the need to change it. After all, it is a great plan.

For all practical purposes their plan works like this:

When they retire, they continue to draw the same pay  until they die.  Except it may increase from time to time for cost of living adjustments…

For example, Senator Byrd and Congressman White and their wives may expect to draw $7, 800,000.00 (that’s Seven Million, Eight-Hundred Thousand Dollars), with their wives drawing $275, 000.00 during the last years of their lives.  This is calculated on an average life span for each of those two Dignitaries.

Younger Dignitaries who retire at an early age, will receive much more during the rest of their lives.

Their cost for this excellent plan is $0.00. NADA!!! ZILCH!!!

This little perk they voted for themselves is free to them. You and I pick up the tab for this plan. The funds for this fine retirement plan come directly from the General Funds;

“OUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK”!

From our own Social Security Plan, which you and I pay (or have paid) into, every payday until we retire (which amount is matched by our  employer), We can expect to get an average of
$1,000 per month after retirement.

Or, in other words, we would have to collect our average of $1,000 monthly benefits for 68 years and one (1) month to equal Senator Bill Bradley’s benefits!

Social Security could be very good if only one small change were made.

That change would be to:   Jerk the Golden Fleece Retirement Plan from under the Senators and Congressmen.. Put them into the Social Security plan with the rest of us

Then sit back…..And see how fast they would fix it!

If enough people receive this, maybe a seed of awareness will be planted and maybe good changes will evolve.

Personally…I’ve felt this way for a long time.  I don’t mind giving our elected representatives some perks, because the job really isn’t an easy one.  But when they keep fucking over the great citizens of this country for their own nefarious gains, then I say we need to knock their pompous asses off of the podium of American generosity (a.k.a. the American Working Class)  and make them work for their supper.

If you think about it for a minute, how many jobs have you ever had where you can give yourself a raise?  In the 80’s, Congress passed a 10% raise in salaries.  It wasn’t a 10% raise across the board, it was an 8% raise for the congress, and a 2% raise to the military members.  Since I was in the military back then, this really pissed me off.

Congress has the power to grab our tax money for anything that they see fit, and We The People…don’t really have a say in it.  So I believe it is time for us to stand up to our congressmen and hold their feet to the fire.

Funny thing is…you may find a candidate that would agree with this, but once they get into office, they would never go along with it.  So, how can we affect change in this area?  The first step is to go public with this, and keep it in the news.  Then we pound our congressmen to get a bill to change it.  This is all entirely possible, but ONLY if there is a candidate out there that believes in the American People, first and foremost.

What say you???

It’s not me just saying it!

Why loan the government money?