Philosophical Differences in Democrats and Republicans

There often seems to be some confusion over the differences between Republicans and Democrats.  Some even argue that it does not appear there is much difference between the two parties.  Some believe Republicans are for the rich even though there are more rich donors contributing to Democrat candidates then Republican candidates.  Some also believe Democrats favor the common man even though there are more middle income people registered as Republicans in the country.  I am proposing that we rename our political parties.  The Republicans should be renamed the Republican Individualists and the Democrats the Democrat Collectivists.   I believe these new names will eliminate much of the confusion and reveal the key philosophical difference in the two parties.

I am a science fiction fan and am amazed that what was yesterday’s science fiction often becomes today’s fact.  Jules Verne, author of From the Earth to the Moon and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea wrote about space travel and submarines long before they became commonplace.  I grew up watching Star Trek where everyone carried personal communicators.  Captain Kirk also recorded entries into his log using an electronic tablet device.  Today most of us carry a cell phone and many, including myself, have a tablet computer.  However, Star Trek The Next Generation perhaps made the greatest, although most likely unintended, prediction, which is my basis for renaming our political parties. 

With the Klingons now allies of the Federation, the writers of Star Trek The Next Generation needed to come up with another villain.  This is why the writers came up with the Borg.  The Borg is an evil race that goes through the universe devouring everyone and everything in their path.  The Borg see themselves as part of “the collective” and do not have any independent thought.  When they take over a planet everyone on the planet is absorbed into the collective and loses their individuality.

You may be asking what this has to do with changing the names of our political parties.  In Obama’s recent speech in Roanoke Virginia the President said, “There are a lot of wealthy, successful Americans who agree with me — because they want to give something back.  They know they didn’t — look, if you’ve been successful, you didn’t get there on your own.  You didn’t get there on your own.  I’m always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart.  There are a lot of smart people out there.  It must be because I worked harder than everybody else.  Let me tell you something — there are a whole bunch of hardworking people out there.” (1)

The President then went on to say, “If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help.  There was a great teacher somewhere in your life.  Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive.  Somebody invested in roads and bridges.  If you’ve got a business — you didn’t build that.  Somebody else made that happen.  The Internet didn’t get invented on its own.  Government research created the Internet so that all the companies could make money off the Internet.” (1)

This off prompter statement by President Obama reveals a deep philosophical belief in a collectivist utopia where everyone is equal and part of some great utopian collective.  His recent tax plan raises taxes on those making over $250,000 per year (2) while keeping tax rates for everyone else the same and shows his desire to transfer wealth from the wealthy to the poor and middle class, thus making everyone in the collective equal in their net worth. 

His policies are also expanding the dependent class in our nation so they can be more easily absorbed into the collective out of their need for government assistance through food stamps, (now 1 in 7 Americans) (3) health care (Employers dropping health insurance benefits forcing employees into government exchanges) (4), and welfare that does not require one to work (5).  This is why I believe renaming Democrats as Democrat Collectivists is a more fitting label.  The Republicans however are not collectivists but individualists

During the Republican primaries, we witnessed a great deal of infighting between the candidates.  Many thought this was harmful to the party but it illustrated one of the major differences between Republicans and Democrats.  The Republican Party is a collection of individuals each with their own set of values and opinions.  As such, they have no desire to become part of some big government collective and instead want a smaller government that does not intrude on their desire to freely express their opinions and practice their values. 

Mitt Romney was not my choice of a Republican Candidate and I actually voted for Rick Santorum in the Arizona Primary because his values and opinions were closer to mine.  However, what Mitt Romney and I have in common is a deep love for this country’s liberties and freedoms.  I know Mitt Romney has no desire to drag everyone under the umbrella of a big government and recently stated in a speech in western Pennsylvania, "Do we believe in an America that is great because of government, or do we believe in an America that's great because of free people allowed to pursue their dream?" (6)

If you are an individual with dreams and desires or if you value the freedom to speak, practice your religion, and carry a gun, then Mitt Romney is who you should vote for in November.  We also need to elect members to the House and Senate who share Mitt Romney’s belief in individualism.  Even though we may have our differences with President Romney, we must understand that this is the price of living in an individualistic and free society instead of a collectivist socialist one.  

1. Ritz, Erica. IF YOU’VE GOT A BUSINESS — YOU DIDN’T BUILD THAT. SOMEBODY ELSE MADE THAT HAPPEN’. theblaze.com. [Online] The Blaze, July 14, 2012. [Cited: July 28, 2012.] http://www.theblaze.com/stories/president-obama-if-youve-got-a-business-you-didnt-build-that-somebody-else-made-that-happen/.

2. Payne, Amy. Job creators and taxes: Obama plan would hurt small businesses, jobs. jsonline.com. [Online] Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, July 12, 2012. [Cited: July 28, 2012.] http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/obama-plan-would-hurt-small-businesses-jobs-ii63g7b-162255025.html.

3. Ortega, Israel. Food Stamps: Getting Help from Mexico to Increase Government Dependency. blog.heritage.org. [Online] The Heritage Foundation, July 20, 2012. [Cited: 28 2012, July.] http://blog.heritage.org/2012/07/20/food-stamps-getting-help-from-mexico-to-increase-government-dependency/.

4. Senger, Alyene. What Are the Odds Your Employer Will Drop Health Coverage? blog.heritage.org. [Online] the Heritage Foundation, July 27, 2012. [Cited: July 28, 2012.] http://blog.heritage.org/2012/07/27/what-are-the-odds-your-employer-will-drop-health-coverage/.

5. Payne, Amy. Morning Bell: The End of Welfare Reform As We Know It. blog.heritage.org. [Online] The Heritage Foundation, July 18, 2012. [Cited: July 28, 2012.] http://blog.heritage.org/2012/07/18/morning-bell-the-end-of-welfare-reform-as-we-know-it/.

6. Associated Press. Romney Blasts Obama for Insulting Business Leaders. newsmax.com. [Online] Newsmax, July 17, 2012. [Cited: July 28, 2012.] http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/PresidentialCampaign/2012/07/17/id/445657.

Drought and the Economy

I encourage everyone to continue praying for those affected by the shooting in Colorado.  I know the blogosphere has been full of commentaries on the shooting but I believe what the victims and their families need most is time to heal and grieve for their losses.  Therefore, this posting will not be discussing the shooting.  Instead, I am going to look at the drought and the impact it may have on our fragile economy.

In case you had not noticed, it is unusually hot and dry this summer.  However, I still do not believe the heat this summer proves there is global warming because I can remember other hot summers.  I believe this is just an unusually hot summer and believe we will most likely have cooler summers in the future.  However, this does not provide comfort for the many farmers in the Midwest who are seeing their crops shrink due to the intense heat and drought.  Especially hard hit are corn farmers.  The shortage of corn is already causing prices for corn to rise over 30 percent in the last month (1). 

With the economy struggling to come out of the recession and with many out of work, the prospect of major increases in the price of food could be disastrous.  There is already much uncertainty brought on by the prospect of tax increases and increased taxes and regulations due to implementation of Obamacare so the possibility of a double dip recession is becoming even more real.  Standard & Poor’s placed the odds of returning to recession at 20% (2).  The Standard and Poor’s numbers came out in June so they most likely did not factor in the effect of the drought so the odds may actually be even higher. 

The last time we faced a similar drought was in 1988 (1).  However, in 1988 the nation was experiencing a period of prosperity whereas today we find ourselves in the middle of an economy struggling to recover.  This makes the prospect of inflationary food prices even more devastating on individuals who have seen their incomes and wealth reduced due to the recession. 

This makes it even more important for voters to elect leadership committed to policies that encourage economic growth in the private sector instead of bigger government.  The drought is a fact and there is little any of us can do to reverse its effect but if people begin seeing increases in their income and wealth, the effect of a price increase on food  will not have as big an impact on their family budgets. 

We must also maintain the current tax rates for everyone while protecting individuals and businesses from additional taxes and regulations of Obamacare by fully repealing the legislation.  This will enable individuals and businesses to weather the storm.  We also pray for a cooler and wetter summer next year. 

1. Ellyatt, Holly. Drought Hits Corn Crops: 1988 All Over Again? cnbc.com. [Online] CNBC, July 24, 2012. [Cited: July 24, 2012.] http://www.cnbc.com/id/48297324.

2. Thomson/Reuters. S&P: US Faces 20% Risk of Double-Dip Recession. newsmax.com. [Online] Newsmax, June 26, 2012. [Cited: July 24, 2012.] http://www.newsmax.com/StreetTalk/S-P-US-Recession-dip/2012/06/26/id/443539.

Thoughts on the Colorado Theater Shooting

Originally, I intended to write about another topic in this posting but with the tragic events Friday morning in Aurora Colorado, I wanted to share some thoughts.  Foremost in my mind is the families of those who lost their lives in the shooting.  Words cannot express my sorrow at their loss and I pray that God will provide the comfort for these families that I cannot provide with my words.  I also pray for those wounded in the shooting and pray that God will give them a speedy and total recovery from their injuries.  

It is human for us to have knee jerk reactions to tragic events such as this but I want to urge everyone to be slow to comment or pass judgment until we have all the facts.  We do know who committed this heinous act and are happy that he is in custody and cannot hurt anyone else.  However, I saw comments today on Twitter that were passing judgment on groups like the Tea Party and gun lovers stating that they were guilty because of their political views and views on the right to own guns.  In Matthew 7:1 and Luke 6:37 Jesus warned us not to judge because as we judge others we too will face judgment.  We are also warned in scripture to be swift to listen but slow to speak and slow to wrath (James 1:19). 

Brian Ross of ABC News is a prime example of what can happen when someone is swift to pass judgment and comment on a tragedy like this.  Before we knew much about the shooter, he was quick to pass judgment on The Tea Party and later had to retract his statement.  This is an embarrassing thing for a news reporter to have to do and tarnishes their credibility. 

However, in our age of social media, instant messaging, texting, and that ancient media of email, we too can suffer embarrassment and loss of credibility by rushing to comment or pass judgment via these methods of communication.  Even if you are not a Christian, I urge everyone to follow the wise advice of scripture and be slow to comment and pass judgment until we have all the facts.  In fact, let’s let the law enforcement officers of Aurora Colorado and our courts sort out the evidence and pass judgment on the shooter in this tragedy. 

Once again, my prayers are with the victims and their families for I believe only God can help someone get through a tragedy like this.  I understand several churches in the Aurora and Denver areas are having prayer vigils this weekend and encourage all who can to attend one of these vigils.  Also, if you or a family member were a victim of this tragedy and you find yourself struggling to deal with your loss, seek professional help or ask the pastor at one of the prayer vigils to assist you.  There is nothing wrong with seeking help at a time like this.

The Ever Expanding Dependent Class.

For many years I have been puzzled.  Why would anyone vote for a candidate who promises to raise taxes?  However, in 2009 my eyes were opened and I began to understand the reason.  2009 was the year I decided to prepare taxes for additional income.  I then realized that the tax system in our country was no longer a system designed to raise revenue for the government but had become a system of wealth transference.  I legally prepared taxes for people who paid absolutely no tax and yet received refunds of thousands of dollars.  I have continued to prepare taxes each year since then and have seen the refunds grow larger each year.  There is no doubt in my mind that our nation has a growing and expanding dependent class and as the economy continues to sputter, the situation will most likely get worse. 

Refundable tax credits, like those I mentioned above are just one ingredient in the problem and each year the IRS raises the income threshold one must remain below in order to qualify for the credits so each year more and more people qualify for the credits and the amounts of the credits grow larger.  As long-term unemployment becomes a larger problem, we are beginning to see people, facing loss of their unemployment benefits, turn to other entitlement programs such as disability and food stamps simply to survive.  According to the Journal of Economic Perspectives, 4.1 percent of non-elderly adults were on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) up from just 2.2 percent in 1985 (1).  Since the beginning of the current recession, the problem has gotten worse, especially in the last few months with many exhausting their unemployment benefits.  More than 1.6 million people have signed up for SSDI since the recession with 8.7 million now drawing SSDI compared to 7.1 million prior to the recession (2). 

The good news, I guess, is that people now drawing SSDI are no longer counted in the workforce.  The labor participation rate has declined dramatically from 66 percent to 63.8 percent or 5.4 fewer people.  This is why the unemployment rate is stuck at 8.2 percent.  If the pre-recession labor participation rate were used, the unemployment rate would soar to 11.3 percent (2).  However, it shows us that the problem is much worse than we thought. 

In addition, food stamp participation has grown by 70 percent since 2007 as yet another sign the economy is not doing as well as we have been told (3).  One would think the government would see this as a problem and make an effort to reduce the number of people having to rely on food stamps.  However, this is not the case for the Department of Agriculture has come under fire for running advertisements on Spanish networks soliciting more food stamp enrollees (4).

The ramifications of these problems are enormous.  The long-term unemployed not only face loss of their unemployment benefits, but also face the stigma that their extended period of unemployment has caused them to lose valuable skills (5), making it even more difficult for them to find employment in their field.  Of course, big government politicians view this as an opportunity to create a larger dependent class who will vote for them on the promise of more entitlements.  Now, they do not say this publically but express their concern over the plight of the long-term unemployed.  They create the straw man of big business and the rich who have millions of dollars parked in offshore accounts while they are struggling to make ends meet.  They promise to raise taxes on these evil rich so they will be forced to bring the cash back into our country to pay their taxes.  These politicians then promise to redistribute this cash to the chronically unemployed in the form of increased benefits.  This is not the answer. 

What the chronically unemployed need is jobs and not a handout.  Increasing taxes on the rich will only insure fewer jobs and more people moving into the dependent class.  This insanity must stop and you the voter have the power to effect the needed change.  We must begin by insuring Obama has to pack up and move back to Chicago by electing Mitt Romney as the 45^th President of The United States.  We then must give Romney a House and Senate he can work with.  This will make it possible for us to enact real economic stimulus that puts capital back in the hands of the free market through tax cuts and regulatory relief.  This will create business expansion and the creation of real jobs that will move people from the entitlement class into the producer class.

Political avengers, we have much work to do between now and November.  This election is most likely our last chance to begin dismantling the growing dependent class before we become like Greece and are unable to reverse the trend and face national bankruptcy.  We can and must win this fight.

1. David H. Autor, Mark G. Duggan. The Growth in the Social Security. economics.mit.edu. [Online] Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2006. [Cited: July 18, 2012.] http://economics.mit.edu/files/6345.

2. Gongloff, Mark. Rise In Disability Rolls Helps Explain An Unemployment Mystery. huffingtonpost.com. [Online] Huff Post Business, May 8, 2012. [Cited: July 18, 2012.] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/03/social-security-disability_n_1474621.html.

3. Shemffield, Rachael. Food Stamp Participation the Highest Ever…and Growing. blog.heritage.org. [Online] The Heritage Foundation, April 232, 2012. [Cited: July 2012, 2012.] http://blog.heritage.org/2012/04/23/food-stamp-participation-the-highest-ever-and-growing/.

4. Corp., Fox News. Government under fire for 'novela' ad campaign promoting food stamp enrollment. foxnews.com. [Online] Fox News Corp., July 13, 2012. [Cited: July 18, 2012.] http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/07/13/government-under-fire-for-novela-ad-campaign-promoting-food-stamp-enrollment/.

5. Pine, Art. Joblessness: Becoming a Long-Term Problem? kilpinger.com. [Online] Kiplinger, June 27, 2012. [Cited: July 18, 2012.] http://www.kiplinger.com/columns/practical-economics/archives/long-term-joblessness-unemployment.html.

What is a Tax Cut?

Seems like a rhetorical question that has an obvious answer.  However, looking at some of the things said by the wizards of smart in our government and media, I have to wonder if the answer is so obvious anymore.  This is the reason for this post.

Leaders, and I use that term loosely for many of them, in the government and media have finally begun to discuss the economic repercussions of allowing current income tax rates to revert to the rates of the Clinton Era.  It is true that the economy prospered under these rates but in retrospect, we now understand that the reason for this economic boom was the dot.com boom.

After the dot.com bubble burst and after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the economy began to slide into a recession.  In order to stop this slide, President Bush proposed, and Congress passed an across the board tax cut which prevented a recession and actually ushered in a period of prosperity until September of 2008.  These tax cuts were actually tax cuts because they actually reduced everyone’s, and I mean everyone’s tax liability (1).  You can go to  http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxfacts/displayafact.cfm?Docid=456 and see the numbers from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office for yourself.  The numbers reveal that everyone benefited.  The numbers also reveal that the lower and middle class that saw the greatest decrease in their effective tax rates.  This makes this an actual tax cut. 

However, based on the rhetoric we have been hearing recently, we might have to change the definition of a tax cut.  Liberals constantly say that the Bush Tax Cuts were a tax cut for the rich even though the numbers reveal they benefitted the least in terms of a reduction in tax rates.  They also tell us that because of the ballooning deficits, we cannot afford to cut taxes by extending the Bush Tax Cuts.  Excuse me, extending these tax cuts is not a tax cut but only a continuation of the current tax rates which taxpayers have become accustomed to paying. 

We will also hear these same liberals state that extending the tax cuts will have no stimulating effect on the economy, which is true.  However, this is not because tax cuts do not stimulate economic growth as some liberals contend.  For example, in an essay by James Kroeger (2).  Mr. Kroeger states  that even though tax cuts provide more money for consumers to spend, it deprives the government of money it would have spent resulting in a zero increase in economic activity.  Even though this can be seen as true, we must also consider what the money is spent on.  Recent stimulus spending by the government has proven ineffective because it is usually spent on worthless projects such as Solyndra, which is now bankrupt.  This means that the government, an unsecured creditor of Solyndra, will only receive pennies on the dollars back on their loans to them if anything at all (3).  This is hardly an example of efficient government spending or investment but what did they have to lose, it was not their money but the taxpayers.  Private industries are much more efficient in how it spends or invests its money because its investors are spending and investing their own money and have something to lose. 

Mr. Kroeger also states in his essay that wealthy taxpayers, who have everything they need, will not spend their tax cut but save it which will have not stimulating effect on the economy.  This once again fails to consider what happens when someone saves money.  When someone puts money in a savings account at the bank, the bank does not just lock that money up in a vault, the bank loans it out at a higher interest rate than what is paid to the saver.  This is how banks make money.  The money the bank loans out is actually multiplied because it is used to buy a new car, home, or to start a new business. 

This leads me to my final comment.  President Obama finally weighed in on the tax cut extension issue this week by agreeing to an extension for one year but only for taxpayers earning less than $200,000 AGI per year for single taxpayers and $250,000 AGI for married couples and businesses (4).  This is in keeping with his promise not to increase taxes on the middle class and to increase taxes on the rich.  However, this once again fails to look at the total picture for we must consider who these rich people are. 

“They could be your neighbors, one a banker and the other a lawyer, especially if you live in an expensive high-rise in New York City.  Or, it could be the rancher who is still driving a 1980s-era pickup truck.  Or, maybe it’s the retiree in Florida who plays tennis every day and still tells his son or daughter how to run the family business.  Many are likely to be entrepreneurs.” (5)   These rich people as Obama puts it are the job creators in our country.  Putting a tax increase on them at this time will do nothing to create jobs for those currently unemployed. 

Even President Obama’s former economic advisor Christina Romer argued that tax cuts work as an economic stimulus. (6)  Maybe this is why she is a former economic advisor.  Economic stimulus through tax cuts is the main component of Mitt Romney’s economic plan.  He wants to place more capital in the hands of the private sector where it will be more efficiently spent and invested and out of the inefficient hands of big government.  In other words, Mitt Romney believes in real tax cuts. 

I encourage everyone to share this information via email, Twitter, Facebook, or any other means you have.  The media and government are attempting to change the definition of what a tax cut is.  We must combat this rhetoric with the truth. 

1. Tax Policy Center. Historical Effective Federal Tax Rates for All Households. taxpolicycenter.org. [Online] Congressional budget Office, April 4, 2011. [Cited: July 14, 2012.] http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxfacts/displayafact.cfm?Docid=456.

2. Kroeger, James. Do Tax Cuts Stimulate the Economy? nontrivialpursuits.org. [Online] [Cited: July 14, 2012.] http://nontrivialpursuits.org/economic_stimulus.htm.

3. MacDonald, Elizabeth. The Solyndra Bankruptcy. foxbusiness.com. [Online] Fox News Corp., October 3, 2011. [Cited: July 14, 2012.] http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2011/10/03/solyndra-bankruptcy/.

4. Bendery, Jennifer. Obama Calls For One-Year Extension Of Bush-Era Tax Cuts For First $250,000 Of Income. huffingtonpost.com. [Online] The Huffington Post, July 10, 2012. [Cited: July 14, 2012.] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/09/obama-bush-tax-cuts-middle-class_n_1659284.html.

5. Scherer, Ron. Obama tax proposal: Who makes more than $250k, and are they rich? csmonitor.com. [Online] Christian Science Monitor, July 10, 2012. [Cited: July 14, 2012.] http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/DC-Decoder/2012/0710/Obama-tax-proposal-Who-makes-more-than-250k-and-are-they-rich-video.

6. Carney, John. Christina Romer’s Study Found That Tax Cuts Work As An Economic Stimulus. articles.businessinsider.com. [Online] Business Insider, November 22, 2011. [Cited: July 14, 2012.] http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-11-22/markets/30428028_1_tax-cuts-government-spending-david-romer.

This Doesn’t Look Like Freedom to Me.

I have noticed that the way things are done in our great country are changing, and they are changing for the worse.  There was a time in the United States when we were a free people and could do anything we wanted as long as it did not hurt anyone or break any laws.  Unfortunately, we are beginning to see our liberties taken away by jack booted thugs in our government.  The following two stories are an illustration of what I mean. 

The first story comes from the New York Post on July 8, 2012 (1).  Most of us are aware of the decision by New York City Mayor Bloomberg to ban table salt in restaurants and limiting sugary soft drinks to 16 ounces.  I live in Phoenix where it was 111 today, just a typical summer day in Phoenix.  A 16-ounce soft drink does not even begin to quench your thirst in that heat because you are sweating it out as fast as you drink it. 

However, what happened to Caroline Stern and her boyfriend George Hess makes this look like child’s play and should make us all concerned, especially those of you living in New York City.  After a night at the Lincoln Center’s Midsummer Night’s Swing, Caroline and George were waiting for the train.  While waiting they heard a musician playing steel drums and began dancing.  This does not seem like unusual behavior especially since they had just left a jazz festival and had probably been dancing to some of the music they heard at the festival. 

What happened next seems like something that you would hear about from Communist Russia back in the 60’s.  According to Caroline, two police officers approached the couple and asked what they were doing.  When they said they were dancing, the officers asked for ID.  Caroline produced her only form of identification, a credit card which had her picture on it.  However, that did not satisfy the officers and they asked them to come with them.  Things then got ugly when Caroline began filming the encounter.  It was then that the officers called for backup and eight additional officers showed up, tackled Caroline to the platform floor, slapping the cuffs on them both. 

The couple was detained for 23 hours before charges were dropped.  I guess you cannot dance in New York anymore unless you are able to show an appropriate government ID.  Makes me wonder if you have to show ID to vote in New York City but that’s a story for a future posting. 

The next story comes from closer to my home.  The story comes from The Right Scoop website from July 9, 2012 (2).  As a Christian I usually get up early in the morning and spend time reading my Bible and praying prior to beginning my workday.  I find this gives me the proper focus for the day and makes the day go much better.  We also read the Bible and pray together as a family.  This is an important part of my faith and something protected by the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution.  If my facts are correct I believe that Arizona was admitted as the 48^th state on February 14, 1912 so the rights of citizens of Arizona are protected by the U.S. Constitution. 

However, after hearing what happened to this man in my home town of Phoenix, I may have been mistaken.  I guess private Bible Studies in one’s own home are not covered by the first amendment and can result in jail time.  For this man it will mean 60 days in jail.  Since I doubt this man’s living comes from conducting Bible Studies, he will no doubt lose his job or business income while serving his jail time.  I guess the city hopes he will lose his home and that will end his “illegal” Bible Studies.  Makes me wonder how soon before they will require some type of special permit to read the Bible or pray at home. 

These two stories illustrate one thing, our government is way too big and is beginning to intrude in the private harmless activities of citizens.  A couple waiting on a train after enjoying a jazz concert should be free to dance when they hear music on a train platform.  A man should be free to invite friends over to his house for a private Bible study without having to pay for special permits or face jail time.  What next, will I need a food permit for my next Super Bowl, or Birthday party? 

Our Founding Fathers fought the Revolutionary War to escape such oppression.  We too need to take up the fight but not with guns, with our votes.  We must vote out all big government politicians at both the Federal and local level in order to remain a free people.  I am inviting all of my fellow political avengers to take up the fight this November and begin trimming back our oppressive tyrannical federal and local governments. 

1. Boniello, Kathianne. Couple handcuffed, jailed for dancing on subway platform: lawsuit. nypost.com. [Online] New York Post, July 8, 2012. [Cited: July 11, 2012.] http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/waltz_the_charge_officer_8jQ7kbvZwVhaU4PxNi917K.

2. The Right Scoop. Pastor to be jailed for holding church services on his private property. thefightscoop.com. [Online] The Right Scoop, July 9, 2012. [Cited: July 11, 2012.] http://www.therightscoop.com/pastor-to-be-jailed-for-holding-church-services-on-his-private-property-2/.

We are in a State of Economic Stagnation.

Thursday’s job numbers came out and as expected, at least for those of us who live in the world of economic reality, the numbers were disappointing.  With the addition of only 80,000, or a whopping 1,600 per state, this is hardly a sign of a robust recovery as some would want us to believe.  We also saw U.S. manufacturing shrink in June for the first time in 3 years (1) (2).  With only four months remaining before the November election, President Obama faces the daunting task of facing voters with a contracting economy, hardly an ideal position for an incumbent president. 

What these numbers reveal is that our economy finds itself in a continuing state of stagnation.  The bad news is that markets do not remain in states of stagnation and move either up or down depending on how investors view the economic future.  If investors see a bright future, they will feel emboldened to release spent up capital and invest it in order to grow their companies.  If, however, they see a bleak future they will begin pulling out their investment capital and investing it elsewhere.  Looking at the current stock market trends, I fear this pulling out of capital has begun to occur and if the increase in capital gains rises from 15 percent to the normal tax rate, we may see even more investors pull out their investments prior to the end of the year. 

In order to insure we move upward out of our current state of stagnation, we must create an economic climate that promises investors a brighter future.  The prospect of Taxmageddon (3) coupled with the additional Obamacare taxes and regulations (4) (5) create the prospect of a bleak future for investors resulting in a downward exit out of the state of stagnation.  Therefore, we must create a picture of a brighter future by

1.       Extending, or better yet making permanent, the current income tax rates including the lower capital gains rate.

2.       Lower the corporate tax rate to encourage corporate investment and expansion in order to create private sector jobs.  This will encourage less outsourcing and may even create some insourcing such as Airbus’ plans to open up a plant in Alabama.

3.      Repealing of Obamacare so companies will know what the cost of hiring new employees will be and that they will not be subject to a tidal wave of new government regulations and taxes.

4.      Easing up on EPA regulations so we can have stable energy prices due to more domestic energy production and stop seeing the spikes in energy prices we have seen over the last 4 years. 

This is another reason why the upcoming election is so important.  On the one hand, we have the incumbent, Barak Obama who promises more of the same; increased regulations  with the full implementation of Obamacare, higher taxes brought on by the expiration of the Bush tax rates, and additional taxes with full implementation of Obamacare.  On the other hand, we can elect Mitt Romney, a greater conservative majority in the House, and a conservative Senate, resulting in the repealing of Obamacare, lower taxes, and lower regulations.  This will provide the perception of a brighter future for the U.S. economy and encourage more investment and less outsourcing. 

I am hopeful that a majority of the voters in November will make the right decision.  A decision not based the emotion of what feels good now as voters did in 2008, but a decision based on what is right for the country both now and into the future.  Please pass this around and encourage your liberal friends to take a serious look at their current economic condition.  Most likely, unless they are a government employee, it is no better than it was when Obama was inaugurated and may even be worse.  Remind them of the famous quote of Thomas Edison “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result.”  Obama’s policies have had 3 ½ years to begin working and we have seen no progress and find ourselves in a state of stagnation. 

Our nation needs different results.  It needs to change direction and cease implementation of the same failed policies that have shown themselves not to work both now, throughout history, and in different parts of the world.  In other words, the United States needs to come out of its current state of insane stagnation and begin moving forward economically in an upward direction through the implementation of sound economic policies. 

1. Fox News. After weak jobs report, 4 more chances for Obama to show economic growth. Foxnews.com. [Online] Fox news, June 6, 2012. [Cited: June 7, 2012.] http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/07/06/employers-add-just-80000-jobs-in-june-unemployment-rate-stays-at-82-percent/#ixzz1zqYdO8JG.

2. Associated Press. US manufacturing shrinks for first time in 3 years. www.foxnews.com. [Online] Fox News, July 2, 2012. [Cited: July 7, 2012.] http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/07/02/us-manufacturing-shrinks-for-first-time-in-2-years/.

3. Payne, Amy. Morning Bell: How Taxmageddon Will Impact You. blog.heritage.org. [Online] The Heritage Foundation, June 15, 2012. [Cited: July 7, 2012.] http://blog.heritage.org/2012/06/15/morning-bell-how-taxmageddon-will-impact-you/.

4. Kartch, John. Full List of Obamacare Tax Hikes: Listed by Size of Tax Hike. m.atr.org. [Online] Americans for Tax Reform, June 29, 2012. [Cited: July 7, 2012.] http://m.atr.org/article.php?id=7010.

5. Angle, Jim. Efforts to implement ObamaCare law raise concerns of massive government expansion. www.foxnews.com. [Online] Fox News, July 3, 2012. [Cited: July 7, 2012.] http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/07/03/efforts-to-implement-obamacare-law-raise-concerns-massive-government-expansion/#ixzz1ziuZDCSV.

Happy 236th Birthday USA

Happy Fourth of July everyone.  For those of us living or born in the U.S. this is an important day for it marks the birth of our nation.  236 years ago today, The Declaration of Independence was signed.  The signers of this document knew they were committing treason against the British Crown and knew they faced almost certain loss of property and death should they be captured but this did not deter them because of their deep belief in a God given inalienable right to live, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is important for us to place the writing of any document in context.  The Revolutionary War had been going on for a year.  Hopes for a peaceful resolution of the grievances colonists had with the British Crown have disappeared.  This led to the formation of a committee of five including Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams to draft a document listing the grievances colonists had and their reasons for desiring separation from the crown.  The Declaration of Independence is the result of this committee’s work (1). 

The main theme of the document is the signer’s declaration of their belief in the inalienable right of every individual to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  The belief of the signers that these rights are inalienable means they believed these rights came from our creator and are not something government granted to us.  They believed that the role of government was to protect citizens from any one, or anything that would deprive citizens of these rights. 

They believed in the right to life because it is foundational to any civilized society.  Society devolves into anarchy when individuals can simply murder anyone who disagrees with them.  This is why every community in the U.S. has laws against murder.  

They believed in the right to liberty, but it was not the right for an individual to do whatever they wanted for given this liberty, individuals might engage in activities that deprive someone of their rights (i.e. murdering them, stealing their property, etc.).  The liberty the signers meant was liberty from an oppressive tyrannical government, such as the British Crown, which was depriving citizens of their inalienable rights. 

The signers also believed in the citizen’s right to the pursuit of happiness.  However, what the signers meant by the pursuit of happiness is quite different from our modern interpretation of pursuing happiness.  Our modern society view pursuing happiness as the right to engage in any activity that makes one happy.  They were not condoning activities that might deprive someone of their right to liberty or even their life.  What they were calling for is the right of individuals to own private property.  The signers believed that every individual had the right to enjoy the fruits of his or her labors. 

This is why the colonists had such a complaint with the crown over its taxation without representation.  They viewed this practice as the Crown depriving them of the fruits of their labors while denying them of the right to petition the crown through representation in Parliament. 

The document also lists the various grievances colonists had.  I encourage everyone to take a few minutes on this the Fourth of July to read the document. I then encourage everyone to compare the list of grievances it contains with the grievances many of us have today with our current government.  When you do, I believe you will see that we have many of the same grievances the colonists had with the Crown.  Here is an online link to both the U.S. Declaration of Independence, and the U.S. Constitution to make it easier for you.   http://USConstitution.net/

I do not believe we have reached the point for another revolutionary war, nor am I condoning it because we have elections every two years in which we can make changes in our government and protect our inalienable rights.  Instead, use the similarities in our grievances to motivate you to get out and vote in November and tell your friends who share your grievances to also get out and vote. 

We need a government large enough to protect our inalienable rights but not so large that it becomes tyrannical and begins depriving citizens of their rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in the context of what the signers of the Declaration of Independence envisioned.  Let us join them in November by voting to preserve our inalienable rights. 

Happy Fourth of July, and may God Bless the USA. 

1. Hillsdale College. The Declaration of Independance. The U.S. Constitution: A reader. Hillsdale Michigan : Hillsdale College Press, 2012.