Debt not Debt Limit

Marco Rubio presented an interesting perspective today on Face the Nation.  He pointed out that the debt limit is really not the underlying issue in this nation but debt itself is.  I must say, we focus so much on the legislation of limiting or expanding the debt ceiling that we forget that debt itself is what caused this dilemma to begin with.  This country came from a great economic standing in the 1990's and has experienced an obvious drop within the past 12 years.  It is not just the government (local, state, and federal) that is spending too much but as a whole, the people of this country rack up incredible amounts of debt on credit cards and are unable to pay it back.  This is a serious issue that cannot be just be "fixed" with a bill.  This must be taught in schools and at home because that is typically where we as humans learn our habits.  This habitual spending pattern we have seen increase drastically is not healthy for the level of economic standing we should be at.  I am not suggesting that we quit spending all together but there must be moderation.  There is so much waste and pointless spending that we must do away with before we have nothing left.  There is supposedly a deal in the process of being made between the two parties in Congress but will it be before the dreaded August 2 deadline?  My guess is no but only time will tell.

Tax Reform... PLEASE?

Since the 2010 Republican take-over of Congress, the major debate has been focused on the astronomically high debt this nation is accruing.  This past Thursday, the House Speaker John Boehner pointed out that the reform is under discussion but tax hikes are out of the question for the GOP.  This has been a continuous standstill in congress; who to tax, how high, how low, etc.  There have been several imminent government shut-downs that have been narrowly avoided by last-minute legislation that puts off the inevitable awhile longer.  How long can we survive on this?  This nation MUST get out of the deep hole of deep that it is currently standing in.  Today the highest tax bracket pays 35% in taxes while the lowest pays 15% however at the beginning of Reagan's presidency, the tax rate was 50% for the highest tax rates.  There has been discussions and pushes for raising the tax rate to similar percentages on those who make $250,000 (families) and $200,000 (individuals) or higher to relieve the over debt burden the government has gotten themselves into.  Although it seems like a quick fix, a better answer would be to lessen the spending in areas that are not dire within the government.  There are programs in place that take an immense amount of funding with little to no return and these programs need to either be reformed to require less money or eliminated all together.  Some of the programs that are not necessary as they are now would be NASA, Social Security (which needs to be reformed), the Food and Drug Administration (also needs to be reformed), and all cloning research (because it is NOT necessary).  These are just some ideas that would take a very long time to change or eliminate but they would save billions for the future which is where we need to look to in order to prepare now.  

Arguments From Within

Debates and arguments are a large part of politics however, it seems that as time goes on these debates morph into all out wars with words.  Politics inspire and cause a passion that is infectious and can spread like wild fire as is well portrayed in elections and by the media.  Passion is key but more and more often it is leading to anger and hate which are not democratic emotions.  I was recently involved in a discussion with a friend and several of his family members that were frustrated with people on the Fourth of July that were making comments about the disappointment they felt in the Obama administration.  I made a point that this is a country that allows freedom of speech and this frustration towards these people was unfounded and selfish.  Obviously this was not taken well because no one enjoys hearing that they are being narrow-minded and the war with words began.  I was shocked at the immaturity that ensued and backed out of the conversation as it was turning into a juvenile name calling contest.  I realized this all began with a few words.  Words are powerful and can stir emotions that cause us to act in a way that is beneath us.  The family members were self-proclaimed moderates in their political beliefs but refused to be logical or reasonable and I could not help but laugh at the hilarity of the situation.  This is what America is coming to.  These are the types of people that are voting for leaders that are incapable of leading and yet will stand to blame others for the problems that they voted for.  There will always be anger and frustration in politics but with a healthy dose of logic, many of these outbursts would never happen.  PLEASE be reasonable if a conversation turns sour.  Sometimes the best action is to walk away as difficult as it may be.

2012 GOP Candidates

There have been many people that have stated their dislike of the options for the GOP nomination for the 2012 Presidential election however, these candidates are some of the best this party has had since Reagan.  These people love this country and they love the freedoms that we as a nation enjoy.  They all have various levels of experience in public office and most have succeeded in other fields such as business and media as well.  Some may have some extremist views but they will slowly be dropped from the race as they represent viewer citizens.  The front runners are obviously Mitt Romney, Michelle, Bachmann, and Herman Cain and they as a whole are representative of the Republican Party.  Each offer a very different promise as the leader of the most powerful nation in the world and each have a shot at winning the seat from the current administration.  Why would these not be considered the best the GOP has to offer?  Some mention religion, extremism, and lack of political suave are the major reasons however in reality, none except extremism could deter an individual from being a true leader.  A true leader is humble, passionate, and able to admit when they are wrong.  A true leader also surrounds themselves with advisers that posses differing opinions and backgrounds in order to better represent a larger group of those being represented.
A leader that actually connects with the people of this country will be a wonderful change from President Obama.  We need someone that stands up for the people instead of standing against them with an audible air of pride.  In turn, we need voters that educate themselves on those running.  There will be more trust in the government and the elected individual will be held to a higher standard with more accountability to those they represent.  Really learn for yourself about these candidates instead of trusting wholly a media source... that is the key to true learning.

Middle Eastern Political Climate

I think it is safe to say that the year 2011 has come with a flurry of political and military activity in the Middle East.  Egypt began to protest their government on January 25, 2011 in the city of Cairo and it wasn't until February 11, 2011 that President Mubarak decided to step down.  this revolution began a string of events that took place in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and most recently in Libya.  This is a very strange turn of events that will have powerful effects on the world.  Many have already felt the hit to their finances as gas price rose up to $.40 in one day in some areas and food prices have spiked in most areas.  The worry that I have is the power vacuum that will take place as these governments in the Middle East fall... who will step in?  The Muslim Brotherhood, the United States, Europe?, a terrorist group?  Who knows, one thing we can be sure of is the candidate hopefuls for the upcoming 2012 election in the United States will be watched and scrutinized very carefully over the course of these events and their actions could determine who will be running for president against the current administration.  Only time will tell but please be aware of false promises being made and lies being told by those running and those already in office.  Search it out for yourself and make an educated vote.  That is the soul of Democracy right?

CPAC 2011

I went, I saw, I learned... Although the Republican party had a great comeback in the 2010 election it is now the time to rally behind a single candidate to hopefully remove President Obama from office.  These splits within the party will not increase the chances of a Republican win in 2012.  The straw poll showed Ron Paul as winning 30% of the votes but it is common knowledge especially to those that attended the conference that the polls were packed and dozens of people voted up to 7 times for Ron Paul.  Mitt Romney was a close second with 23% of the vote and he was a much more viable candidate.  His speech calling for the Obama administration to focus not on healthcare, but on the failing economy and high unemployment rate was spectacular created massive support as round after round of applause from the thousands present echoed from the walls of the auditorium.  There were many other speeches given that were incredible that asked why this nation has not seen the change that was promised.  They asked this country to stand together and not not fall apart no matter the leader.  The United States is the most powerful nation in the world in so many aspects and we need to challenge ourselves and live up to that standard.  We can change the course that this country is headed and we can do this by participating.  Vote, petition, call your representatives, run for office, etc... These are all avenues that we are able to use and we need to.  God bless America.

Florida Judge Deems Obamacare UNCONSTITUTIONAL

It is common knowledge that the health care plan proposed by President Barack Obama has brought in a torrent of fear and anger nationwide.  President Obama claims that everyone should have health care whether they want it or not.  The main problem with the plan is the fact that although it brings health care to each and everyone of us, it lacks hugely in quality.  This exchange for quantity versus quality is by nature against what the United States of America stands for.
Justice Roger Vinson of Florida made a bold ruling that pointed out some unconstitutional flaws within the health care bill.  He points out that because of the bill forcing citizens to purchase health care and violates the Commerce Clause, it becomes unconstitutional thereby making the bill void.
There is of course many who claim this was an unfair ruling and this decision will be taken to the Supreme Court but I have high hopes that the highest court of the land will take note that the Congress who passed this law overstepped the bounds of their authority and also refused to take into account the many constituents that they represent DID NOT want the bill passed.  Time will tell what will come of this Obamacare but for the sake of quality health care, I hope the law dies.

Veterans Day of Honor

This is a day on which we celebrate those who serve and have served in our military.  These brave men and women who fight for the rights and liberties of this glorious nation are an important and incredibly special part of our country.  The comprise of about 1,455,000 men and women on active duty and 833,616 on reserve.  This means that this country has the second largest military in the world, second only the People's Republic of China.
This is a time of great unrest in the world with wars, natural disasters, disease, and a new issue that has become more prevalent and that is hate.  There has become a widespread feeling of distrust and ill-feeling for this within our own nation and those who are elsewhere but this horrible feeling must end.  We just had another election and we celebrate the opportunities that we have to vote freely and speak our minds freely.  This is a right that is protected by these phenomenal men and women of the United States Military.  Let us honor them by doing our part to add to the feelings of unity and trust in this country.  Let us stand together lest we fall apart from within.  Happy Veterans Day to all.

All is Fair in Love and War... and Politics?

The American Government has problems... There is no doubt about it and there is no small amount of literature spouting ideas and reasons why this travesty came to pass.  One such book is written by Sunil Ahuja and although the book has an obvious bias (Liberal) there are some truths listed within.  The 1950's and 60's were a time of great changes happening within policies and congress was working together (bipartisanship) to create a greater good for the country.  The were able to work on health care, education, and welfare together because as former congressman Bob Michel (R) puts it "they respected the institution".  It seems that today the opposing sides demonize the other and have become exceptional blame game players.  As Fred Greenstein states in his incredible book "The Presidential Difference", oftentimes what it takes to run for and be elected president are not the same characteristics to be a great president.  There are few men that have been truly remarkable presidents although they did run a great campaign filled with promises and pledges to the American people to create "change" and "hope".  Why do we keep voting for people that have proven they will never change.  The goal is to become safe in a position and get re-elected which means they are because less bipartisan.  There are less and less bills that go through congress and the house that are bipartisan which means that no matter what, a large group of people will be feeling very unrepresented and there will be consequences.  After the Newt Gingrich revolution in 1994 the Republicans were in control of both houses until 2006 and here we have again, less than 4 years later the Democrats lost the House because they were not doing their jobs.  They were not representing their constituents and it has come down to the Republican party to help change the path this country has taken over the past 4 years.  Let us hope that congress will work together to ensure a safe and economically stable future for this nation.  The greatest nation in the world: The United States of America.  Congratulations to those who were elected in this intense mid-term election.  Serve the country well.    

Red November

Congrats to the Republican and Tea Party members for this phenomenal win in the elections.  The map was a lovely shade of red when I awoke this morning and I could not be happier except if the country was united in this happiness.  I am proud to say that I voted yesterday along with an incredibly high number of voters hitting the polls yesterday especially for a midterm election.  What inspiration!  This country CAN vote and the people have spoken.  No more mis-representing.  No more policies that few people support.  No more!  What a lesson for the upcoming generation that voting makes a difference.  It is the most clear our voices as one, are heard by the federal government and you can bet that things will be changing.  Not over night but changes will occur and I can only hope that the Republicans live up to their promise to America.  God Bless this glorious nation!