Becoming an Informed Voter (Part 3: The Middle Class Will See Tax Increases.)

This is the third part in the series about what the seven things we can expect if Obama wins reelection.  In this posting we will be looking at the tax increases the middle class will see in an Obama second term. 

In a previous posting, I wrote about the approaching Taxmageddon.  Taxmageddon represents a perfect economic storm that threatens our weak economy.  It will affect all races, rich and poor and even affect the global economy. 

For starters, if Congress and the President fail to act before January 1 every citizen in the country will see a tax increase of more than $4100 (1).  This is because the tax cuts passed under the Bush administration expire.  Opponents of these tax cuts still mistakenly refer to them as tax cuts but they ceased being tax cuts after they became law.  Extending them now is only maintaining current tax rates and not a tax cut.  If they expire due to inaction, everyone will experience a tax increase. 

However, the opponents to the Bush tax cuts will try to tell us that these tax cuts were only tax cuts for the rich but that is a lie.  Every rate was reduced by these tax cuts as well as the doubling of the child tax credit from $500 to $1000 for lower income individuals who have young children.  In essence, allowing these rates to revert to their previous levels will be taking $500 per child away from low-income families.  So, if you still believe these tax cuts were for the rich, you are delusional. 

In addition to these automatic tax increases, January 1, 2013 is also when the mandates of Obamacare take effect.  Obamacare will increase taxes an estimated $500 billion over the next 10 years.  You can find a complete list of these increases, when they take effect, and even where they to find them in the bill at http://m.atr.org/article.php?id=7010. 

So let us review.  Under a second Obama Administration, the middle class will see less take home pay and lower tax refunds as well as additional taxes due to the supposedly free health care provided by Obamacare.  However, these are the visible tax increases.  There are also regulations that will increases prices we pay for energy, light bulbs, and even our cars. 

Obama stated on January 17, 2008 when he was running for office that “So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can.  It’s just that it will bankrupt them because they’re going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that’s being emitted.” (2)  Then candidate Obama was referring to fines that the EPA will place on companies, like coal-fired power plants, that emit above certain levels of CO2.  Of course, these energy companies will pass these additional costs on to their customers.  These increases in electricity rates will be hardest on the middle class who will already be dealing with Taxmageddon and represent a hidden tax on electricity. 

If that was not bad enough, they are also considering banning incandescent light bulbs. Fortunately, Congress stopped this proposed ban but their legislation did not amend the law banning incandescent bulbs but only prohibited the government from spending any money to enforce the new standards (3).  It is highly possible a second Obama administration will begin enforcing the law. 

 I recently purchased some incandescent bulbs for my home and purchased four bulbs for about $1.  The CFL bulbs that the government wants us to buy cost $3 to $4 each or a 1200% to 1600% increase.  I challenge everyone to count the light bulbs in their houses or businesses and add up the cost of having to pay $3 to $4 each to replace them.  This represents a hidden tax on choosing not to live in darkness. 

Finally, there will be another hidden tax on our cars.  This is because the U.S. Transportation Department raised the CAFÉ (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards on automobiles and trucks to 54.4 MPG by 2025 (4).  To comply with these increased standards automakers will be required to invest in research and development to find ways of building more fuel-efficient cars.  Of course, automakers will pass these additional costs on to their customers.  Automakers  will also be making smaller cars out of lighter weight materials.  So not only will our cars be more expensive, they will be unsafe which will also mean increases in our auto insurance rates.  In other words, the middle class will be dealing with a hidden tax on new cars and auto insurance. 

The Romney plan calls for maintaining current tax rates and then reducing them further for everyone in order to stimulate the economy.  He plans on a full repeal of Obamacare, which will eliminate the tax increases contained in this monstrous legislation.  He also calls for a curtailing of EPA regulations, which will prevent increases in the prices we pay for energy, light bulbs, and cars.  We will also be able to continue driving safer cars and not have to pay more for auto insurance. 

The choice is clear.  With Obama, the middle class will experience lower take home pay, more taxes, and hidden taxes on energy and their cars.  With Romney, we will have lower taxes, no new taxes, and no hidden taxes on our energy, light bulbs, and cars. 

1. Boccia, Romina. What Taxmageddon Really Means for Families. blog.heritage.org. [Online] The Heritage Foundation, July 19, 2012. [Cited: August 28, 2012.] http://blog.heritage.org/2012/07/19/what-taxmageddon-really-means-for-families/.

2. WSAZ Charleston. Obama Called for Bankrupting Coal Fired Power Plants. www.youtube.com. [Online] WSAZ Charleston, November 3, 2008. [Cited: August 28, 2012.] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF7Qm31LIDM.

3. Dinan, Stephen. Congress overturns incandescent light bulb ban. washingtontimes.com. [Online] The Washington Times, December 16, 2011. [Cited: August 28, 2012.] http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/dec/16/congress-overturns-incandescent-light-bulb-ban/.

4. Nishimoto, Alex. Official: 2025 CAFE Standards Finalized, Fuel Economy to Raise Gradually to 54.5 MPG. wot.motortrend.com. [Online] Motor Trend , August 28, 2012. [Cited: August 28, 2012.] https://wot.motortrend.com/official-2025-cafe-standards-finalized-fuel-economy-to-raise-gradually-to-54-5-mpg-253781.html.

Pre-Convention Pep Talk

The Republican Convention is next week and even though hurricane Isaac may try to disrupt the event, the Convention will go on.  Even though the political conventions are not what they used to be because we usually know who the nominee is prior to the convention, they represent the start of the final push of the campaign prior to Election Day.  It also gives candidates an opportunity to speak during prime time and express their vision for the country. 

It is important that the tone of the Republican Convention remain on the main issues such as the economy, Obamacare, and putting people back to work.  Recently the media has been attempting to change the conversation from the main issues to side issues like Todd Akin’s remarks on rape.  Todd Akin does not define the Republican Party.  What defines the Republican Party is smaller government that is more responsible and a thriving private sector. 

Since the media has a constitutional right to report on anything they want, there is little we can do to stop their attempts to distract us.  What we as Republicans have to do is remained focused on the main issues and victory in November.  We must let this convention charge up the base.  The speakers at the convention need to drive home the message that what has been occurring the last 4 years is unacceptable and we are ready for change that works. 

Mitt Romney is not perfect and there are many issues conservatives, like me, disagree with but he is our nominee and he is far better than Obama.  However, Mitt Romney cannot do it alone and needs our help.  I encourage everyone attending or watching the convention to use the energy from the convention to propel Romney over the finish line to victory in November.  The future of our great nation is at stake and this is our opportunity to do our part to save the nation.  If you can, I encourage everyone to go to www.mittromney.com and contribute if you can, or you can volunteer, or both. 

I had someone on Twitter this week ask what my plans were if Romney loses.  It did not take me long to reply and say that I did not have one for losing is not an option, we must win this one.  

Becoming an Informed Voter (Part 2: America's credit rating slides further.)

On August 5, 2011, a little more than a year ago, Standard & Poor’s downgraded the U.S. credit rating for the first time in history.  The reason for the downgrade was due to the inability of the U.S. government to manage its finances.  Their belief was that the U.S. Government had become “less stable, less effective, and less predictable.” (1)  This was a message to the U.S. government that if you do not change your ways, there is a strong possibility you will not be able to meet your debt obligations.  When an individual continues to spend more than their income, they eventually face the prospect of bankruptcy so we must ask the obvious question, is the U.S. on the verge of bankruptcy?

According to John Allison who served as chairman and CEO of BB&T, the nation’s 10^th largest bank, bankruptcy for the U.S. is a mathematical possibility “unless it dramatically changes its fiscal direction.” (2).  Mr. Allison looked at the numbers and predicted bankruptcy for the U.S. in 20 or 25 years.  The numbers he was looking at were from 2010 when the federal debt was $13 trillion.  I wonder what he would be saying today with the debt fast approaching $16 trillion and the pending implementation of Obamacare and Taxmageddon that will slow the struggling economy even more. 

Since Mr. Allison’s prediction in 2010, the Republicans have taken over control of the House of Representatives.  However, we have seen no progress in reducing spending or the debt so the prospect of another credit rating downgrade is very real.  So, in this election year we must ask what either President Obama or Mitt Romney would do to address this issue and prevent another downgrade. 

President Obama continues to promise to reduce the deficit but in his first term we have seen him do little more than talk about the issue.  He promises to raise taxes on the rich to reduce the deficit but then promises additional spending such as free healthcare that will further increase deficits.  Obama would argue that the increased taxes on the rich will cover the additional spending for health care but fails to consider the reduction in economic activity that will result from raising taxes on the rich.  For proof of this economic fact, we only have to look at what is currently happening in California.

Californians have for many years continued to elect progressives to office who continue to spend, regulate, and tax the state into oblivion burying their heads in the sand believing there will be no consequences.  It appears the people of California are finally facing reality.  California has some of the highest tax rates in the country so if Obama’s theory of taxing the rich to reduce deficits worked, we would expect California’s government to be awash in cash.  However, revenue from consumer sales fell a whopping 33.5 percent of $475 million.  In other words, people are paying their taxes by spending less (3). 

Mitt Romney has a completely different strategy.  First he addresses tax policy which he states is the foundation shaping “almost everything individuals and enterprises do as they participate in the economy.” (4)  Either tax policy stifles economic activity or it can encourage it.  Our current tax system stifles economic activity because it “is an accretion of decades of patchwork decisions that came into being with no systematic thought for their implications for job creation or economic growth. (4).  His plan is to implement a simpler tax code that makes it easier for individuals and enterprises to predict and plan for their tax liability. 

Second, Romney plans to curtail some of the onerous regulations that serve as a hidden tax on individuals and businesses.  In fact, the Small Business Administration estimates the price tag of regulations at $1.75 trillion annually, which is more than the cost of individual and corporate income taxes, combined (5).  Freed from the anchor of these regulations businesses will become more profitable, be able to expand, and create jobs for the 8.2% of Americans currently unemployed. 

We have proof that this strategy increases revenues to the government because it worked in 1980 for Ronald Reagan and in 2001 for George W. Bush in that revenues to the government did increase.  However, liberals will cite, and rightly so, that deficits did increase during the 1980’s and after 2001 but these deficits were not the result of the tax and regulatory cuts since they actually increased revenues.  The ballooning deficits were the result of out of control spending. 

Liberals believe spending by government is necessary to stimulate the economy but what they fail to realize is that when government gives money to some enterprises it must take it from another enterprise so the real net gain to the economy is zero (6).  Deficit spending must also be covered with borrowing, which incurs debt future generations will be required to pay back. 

Controlling spending was what was missing from the tax and regulatory cutting policies of the 1980’s and after 2001.  This, I believe, is why Romney added Paul Ryan to the team by naming him as his choice for Vice President.  Ryan has a plan to balance the Federal Budget that will stop increases in deficits and debt and start making our government more fiscally responsible.

This is exactly what Standard and Poor’s wanted to see from our government when it downgraded the nation’s credit rating.  Looking at the different policies of both candidates for president reveals the reason why John Hawkins had further declines in America’s credit rating as one of his seven things to expect if Obama is reelected. 

We as voters can prevent any further downgrades by voting for Romney/Ryan on November 6 so our government can become fiscally responsible.  I encourage everyone to share this on Twitter, Facebook, and via email to encourage others to vote for a fiscally responsible government.

1. Goldfarb, Zachary A. S&P downgrades U.S. credit rating for first time. washingtonpost.com. [Online] The Washington Post, August 5, 2011. [Cited: August 21, 2012.] http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/sandp-considering-first-downgrade-of-us-credit-rating/2011/08/05/gIQAqKeIxI_story.html.

2. Jeffery, Terence P. Bankruptcy of U.S. is ‘Mathematical Certainty,’ Says Former CEO of Nation's 10th Largest Bank. chsnews.com. [Online] Cnsnews.com, November 4, 2010. [Cited: August 21, 2012.] http://cnsnews.com/news/article/bankruptcy-us-mathematical-certainty-says-former-ceo-nations-10th-largest-bank.

3. Before it's News. California’s tax revenue drops 33.5 percent exposing Sacramento’s delusion. beforeitsnews.com. [Online] Before It's News, August 21, 2012. [Cited: August 21, 2012.] http://beforeitsnews.com/tea-party/2012/08/californias-tax-revenue-drops-33-5-percent-exposing-sacramentos-delusion-2449544.html.

4. Romney, Mitt. Tax: Fairer, Flatter, and Simpler. mittromney.com. [Online] Romney for President. [Cited: August 21, 2012.] http://www.mittromney.com/issues/tax.

5. —. Regulation: Cutting the Red Tape. mittromney.com. [Online] Mitt Romney for President. [Cited: August 21, 2012.] http://www.mittromney.com/issues/regulation.

6. —. Spending: Smaller, Simpler, Smarter Government. mittromney.com. [Online] Mitt Romney for President. [Cited: August 21, 2012.] http://www.mittromney.com/issues/spending.

Taking Time to Thank Those Who Keep Us Safe.

It was just another normal day for Mr. Johnson who works as a security guard at the Family Research Center (FRC) in Washington D.C.  Normally his day is probably uneventful but on Wednesday August 16, his day would be very eventful for on this day, Mr. Johnson would save the lives of many of his fellow employees and interns at the FRC.  

Mr. Johnson’s routine day changed when Floyd Corkins entered the building and said, “I don’t like your politics.”  People entering the FRC and making such statements are routine since the FRC is a lobbying group lobbying for conservative Christian social issues.  However, Mr. Corkins was different because after interacting with Mr. Johnson he reached into his backpack for a firearm shooting Mr. Johnson in the arm.  In spite of his wounds, Mr. Johnson was able to wrestle the firearm from Mr. Corkins and most likely saved the lives of many individuals working in the building (1). 

We see people like Mr. Johnson all around us.  They guard our workplaces, where we shop, and, as is the case at my church, where we worship.  They are our first line of defense and usually we may not even notice their presence but when events, such as what happened at the FRC on Wednesday, happen we are glad they are around.  Therefore, I want to encourage everyone to take time to thank those around us who insure our safety.  They may respond by saying they are only doing their job but remind them that their job is extremely important. 

As we witness the ramping up of political rhetoric during this election cycle, it is possible we will see more individuals line Mr. Corkin attempt acts of violence against people and organizations who disagree with their politics.  Our country’s first amendment guarantees every citizens right to express their political opinions as well as practicing their religion.  Someone who disagrees with our opinions or religion is not the enemy but they are a fellow citizen exercising their first amendment right.  Rather than lashing out at them, we need to exercise our first amendment right and express our dissenting opinion in an effort to persuade them to our point of view. 

There is no need for anyone to resort to violence during this election cycle for if you disagree with a candidate’s stance on an issue, you can vote for the other person.  If you meet someone who does not support your candidate, tell them your reasons for supporting your candidate and leave it at that.  It is not your responsibility to change them.  All we can do is try to persuade them with facts that support our opinion. 

Even though this election cycle is going to be contentious because of the state of the nation and the important issues we face, there is no reason for anyone to resort to violence.  Join me in civil political discourse and pray that there are no more acts of violence.  Finally, for those who still believe violence is the only way to get their point across, remember that you might encounter a Mr. Johnson or an armed citizen.  I encourage anyone considering violence to learn a lesson from Mr. Corkin and reconsider your plans for violence. 

1. Ryan, Jason. Family Research Council Shooting: FBI Details Heroism of Guard. abcnews.go.com. [Online] ABC News, August 16, 2012. [Cited: August 16, 2012.] http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/08/family-research-council-shooting-fbi-details-heroism-of-guard/.

Becoming an Informed Voter (Part 1: Introduction)

The excitement over Romney’s pick of Paul Ryan for VP continues.  There are massive crowds turning out to see Romney and Ryan but the most interesting observation I have made since the pick is that the campaign has gone from a referendum on Obama to a campaign focused on issues.  Since the Left has very few ideas they seem to have adopted a strategy of attacking their opponents in order to avoid the issues. 

With continuing high unemployment, millions on Food Stamps, and some even going on disability to survive, I believe the majority of Americans dislike negative campaigning and want the candidates to focus on issues that are important to them.  This is why over the next eight blog postings I plan to look at some of these issues so you can compare the candidates side by side and decide which candidate would be the best leader for our country over the next four years. 

In his August 14 article appearing at Townhall.com, John Hawkins painted a picture of what we can expect if Obama wins a second term (1).  Since Obama is the incumbent and Mitt Romney is running to replace him, looking at what another four years of an Obama Presidency would mean is a great place to start.  Mr. Hawkins provides 7 things we can expect so what I have planned over the next 7 postings is to have a detailed look at each of these things and what Romney has planned to do to combat them.  This way you as the reader and voter can make a side-by-side comparison and decide if you would like to retain Obama for another four years so he can completely implement his plan or if you believe the country needs a change of direction. 

As homework, I am providing a list of the seven things Mr. Hawkins mentioned in his article so you can begin doing some of your own research.  As usual, I welcome your comments and only ask that the conversation remain civil.  You can also find me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/polavenger and on twitter at @polavenger.  Here is the list of things Obama plans on doing with his second term according to Mr. Hawkins. 

1.       America's credit rating slides further:

2.       The middle class will see massive tax increases:

3.       Gas and energy prices will be dramatically higher:

4.       Obamacare goes into effect:

5.       The Supreme Court moves to the left:

6.       Get ready for open borders:

7.       Gun control will be a priority: (1)

Informed voters are smart voters and with the importance of this election, we need an army of smart informed voters showing up at the polls.  The future of our country is in the balance.  We cannot sustain the massive debt we are currently experiencing.  We are losing our nation’s best talent because of long protracted unemployment.  Our nation runs the risk of becoming like Greece and in fact in places like Detroit and California, it may have already happened but I have confidence that the American people will make a smart informed decision in November.  I Pray what we will be discussing over the next 7 weeks will arm you the voter with the information you need to make the right decision.  My plans are to post every Wednesday and publish postings on other topics on Saturdays. 

I look forward to hearing from each of you and may God bless everyone. 

1. Hawkins, John. 7 Things to Expect If Obama Is Elected to a Second Term. townhall.com. [Online] Townhall.com, August 14, 2012. [Cited: August 15, 2012.] http://townhall.com/columnists/johnhawkins/2012/08/14/7_things_to_expect_if_obama_is_elected_to_a_second_term.

Ryan: A Great VP Pick

The big news today is Romney’s pick of Paul Ryan for VP.  Paul Ryan will be a great addition to the ticket and will serve our country well as VP, unlike Joe Biden whose continual gaffs have been an embarrassment to this country.  Let us take a moment to look at Paul Ryan.

Fox News published the following as Paul Ryan’s personal Bio.

*        Born and raised in the community of Janesville; Ryan is a fifth-generation Wisconsin native.

*        Ryan moonlighted on Capitol Hill as a waiter at the Tortilla Coast restaurant and as a fitness   trainer at Washington Sport and Health Club.

*        One of Ryan's summer jobs in college was as an Oscar Mayer salesman in Minnesota, peddling turkey bacon and a new line called "Lunchables" to supermarkets.

*        Ryan worked as a marketing consultant for his family's construction business before being elected to Congress. The company -- Ryan Incorporated Central -- began as an earthmoving business created by his great-grandfather in 1884.

*        Ryan's hobbies include hunting and fishing. He is a bowhunter and belongs to his hometown's archery association - the Janesville Bowmen.

*        For fun, Ryan noodles catfish, catching them barehanded with a fist down their throats.

*        Ryan listens to Rage Against the Machine and Led Zeppelin

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/08/11/biography-rep-paul-ryan/#ixzz23GJJri7y

His political resume includes

*        Currently serving seventh term as a member of Congress.

*        Ryan was little known outside Janesville when he ran for Congress in 1998 at age 28. He      captured 57 percent of the vote.

*        Ryan's first budget plan, which he called "Roadmap for America's Future," was released in 2010.

*        Early in his career as a representative to Congress, Ryan held office hours in an old truck      he converted into an office.

*        Ryan was the legislative director for Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas, 1995-1997.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/08/11/biography-rep-paul-ryan/#ixzz23GJi3coy

Great leaders know how to surround themselves with good people.  Assess their weaknesses and hire people who will compliment these weaknesses.  Mitt Romney has an illustrative career in the private sector especially with Bain Capital where he helped turnaround failing companies.  Granted he was not always successful but during his time at Bain but they had a 79% success rate turning around companies on the verge of bankruptcy.  The left likes to cite the 21% of companies that failed and the jobs that were lost but fail to look at the 79% and the jobs that Bain saved.  Romney also has experience working in the international community when he turned around the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. 

Where Romney may be weak is his lack of experience in Washington working with members of Congress.  This is why the pick of Paul Ryan is an asset.  Paul Ryan has proposed balanced budgets in the Congress that include tax cuts and cuts in spending.  Ryan’s budget proposed the following

·         The latest full-scale version of the plan, unveiled in March, vows to cut spending by $5 trillion over the next decade, compared against President Obama's plan.

·         The plan would, a decade from now, give seniors the option of taking a government payment to purchase health insurance. That payment could be used to buy a private insurance plan, or go toward the traditional Medicare plan. The plan calls for extra assistance to help low-income beneficiaries and those with "greater health risks."

·         The plan would overhaul Medicaid by turning it into a block grant system for states.

·         The plan would cut the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 25 percent. It would implement two individual income tax brackets -- 10 percent and 25 percent.

·         The plan would head off the scheduled automatic defense cuts, first by diverting the planned $55 million defense cut in 2013 by implementing those cuts elsewhere.

·         The plan vows to bring the size of government to 20 percent of GDP by 2015.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/08/11/what-is-ryan-plan-budget-proposal-back-in-spotlight-with-vp-announcement/#ixzz23GM0ABtd

With the election of a Republican controlled Senate that will bring these budget proposals to the Senate, and Ryan overseeing the Senate as VP, we can look forward to a balanced federal budget, tax cuts, and responsible spending in our government.  Ryan is a great pick for VP because he compliments areas where Romney may be weak.

Romney has shown us today that he can be a great leader and will surround himself with members of his cabinet that are experts in their fields.  Unlike Obama who seems to surround himself with people who make him look smart.  We may not agree with everything Romney stands for but today he showed us his ability to listen to his constituents and build a great leadership team.  

A Strategy of Lies, Deception, and Deflection.

With nothing positive to point to in his first term, President Obama has had to adopt an alternative campaign strategy.  It seems they believe they can bamboozle a majority of American voters to vote for Obama again through a strategy of lies, deception, and deflection. 

The lies and revolve around what is being reported about the economy.  Obama is out making speeches touting that his programs are working.  He tells people that we tried it their way, meaning the free market way, and it did not work.  This is a bold-faced lie for the problems we are now facing are due to years of government intervention in the free market.  For example, let us look at the housing market.

The introduction of the Community Reinvestment Act by President Carter and its expansion by the Clinton administration forced banks to issue risky mortgages to individuals who did not have the ability to repay them (1).  The government promised banks that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mack would back these loans so the banks believed they were safe.  However, the wave of foreclosures was so extreme that Fannie and Freddie ran out of money leaving the banks holding the bag.  The lie spread by Obama and his cronies that the banks were at fault is a false accusation because all the banks were doing was following the law.  In other words, there was no free market when it came to the banking industries issuing of home mortgages (2). 

The deception revolves around the unemployment numbers.  The July jobs report stated that the economy gained 163,000 jobs in July.  However, this was a seasonally adjusted number.  The reasons for seasonal adjustments are for example school districts let people go during the summer and retailers hire for the Christmas season.  Removing seasonal adjustments results in the July report saying the economy actually lost 1.2 million jobs in July.  This wide discrepancy in the numbers is leading some economists to believe the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) numbers might be skewed (3). 

We know the labor participation rate has dropped by over 2 million workers since Obama took office.  What this statistic tells us is that many have dropped out of the workforce since Obama took office (4).  We have also seen an increase of both people on food stamps and disability since 2008 (5) (6).  I believe many of the over 2 million not in the workforce are now on disability and food stamps and if something is not done fast they will become permanently dependent on the government.  Nevertheless, Obama continues to tell us his policies are working.  

The deflection strategy is the administration’s attempt to get voters thinking about issues other than the economy.  Examples are the recent uproar in the gay community over comments made by the CEO of chick-fil-a (7) and the continual demands by the left for Romney’s tax returns.  In fact, Harry Reid stooped to a new low this week by saying he had a credible source that knew Romney had not paid any taxes for 10 years (8).  Of course Reid will not reveal his source so we can check it out for ourselves. 

Our weapons against these lies, deceptions, and deflections are the truth.  Political avengers, we need to use Twitter, Facebook, Email, and any other means of communication that we have available to get out the truth.  The election is less than three months away and we must win this one for if we do not, I shudder to think what this country may look like in 2016. 

1. Tucker, William. And You Thought the Housing Crisis Was Over! spectator.org. [Online] The American Spectator, July 27, 2012. [Cited: August 7, 2012.] http://spectator.org/archives/2012/07/27/and-you-thought-the-housing-cr.

2. Carney, John. Here's How The Community Reinvestment Act Led To The Housing Bubble's Lax Lending. articles.businessinsider.com. [Online] Business Insider, June 27, 2009. [Cited: August 7, 2012.] http://articles.businessinsider.com/2009-06-27/wall_street/30009234_1_mortgage-standards-lending-standards-mortgage-rates.

3. Plumer, Brad. Wait, the U.S. economy actually lost 1.2 million jobs in July? washingtonpost.com. [Online] The Washington Post, August 5, 2012. [Cited: August 7, 2012.] http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/08/05/wait-the-u-s-economy-actually-lost-1-2-million-jobs-in-july/.

4. Sober Look. Employment participation rate shows a troubling trend. soberlook.com. [Online] Sober Look, February 6, 2012. [Cited: August 7, 2012.] http://soberlook.com/2012/02/employment-participation-rate-shows.html.

5. Tucker, Rich. Rise in Food Stamps Part of Growing Dependence on Washington. blog.heritage.org. [Online] the Heritage Foundation, August 2, 2012. [Cited: aUGUST 7, 2012.] http://blog.heritage.org/2012/08/02/rise-in-food-stamps-part-of-growing-dependence-on-washington/.

6. 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.

7. Geraghty, Jim. The Great Chick-fil-a War of 2012. nationalreview.com. [Online] National Review Online, August 2, 2012. [Cited: August 7, 2012.] http://www.nationalreview.com/campaign-spot/312956/great-chick-fil-war-2012.

8. Benson, Guy. Surprise: Obama Campaign Explicitly Approved Reid's Anti-Romney Lies. townhall.com. [Online] Town Hall.Com, August 4, 2012. [Cited: August 7, 2012.] http://townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2012/08/04/surprise_obama_campaign_explicitly_approved_reids_lies_about_romneys_taxes.

Learning from Mistakes

Unfortunately, when I was in School I did not understand the importance of studying history.  This was because I believed that since we could not change what happened why bother.  However, as I get older I have realized that studying history gives us an opportunity to learn from others mistakes so we do not have to repeat them.  We can also observe current events in other countries and learn valuable lessons. 

Unfortunately, our leaders often fail to learn from the mistakes of history and thus continue making the same mistakes.  They also look at what happens in other countries and arrogantly believe we are so much smarter and will be able to do it better.  Let me illustrate with the following examples. 

The main reason for the current economic downturn was the failure of the housing market caused by subprime mortgages.  Many blame the banks for issuing these toxic mortgages but the banks were only doing what the Community Reinvestment act required them to do under law.  This act forced banks to reduce down payments to practically zero and lend to people who were bad credit risks.  This led to the bundling of these subprime mortgages by Wall Street in an attempt to mitigate risk (1).

Many of these subprime mortgages were adjustable rate mortgages with an initially low interest rate.  Borrowers believed that the value of their property would appreciate and they could sell or refinance the property before the interest rate increased and use the equity as a down payment on a conventional mortgage.  However, there was such a demand on the housing market brought on by the easy to secure mortgages that real estate prices were inflated.  Once the boom was over, these real estate values went down to their pre boom levels.  This left the holders of these adjustable rate mortgages with no choice but to default on their loans once their payments went up causing the wave of foreclosures we saw in 2008.  Many of the banks left holding these toxic mortgages went under and the government through the TARP legislation bailed many out. 

The sad news is that our politicians learned nothing from this crisis and are actually proposing another initiative to force banks to lend to low-credit-rated blacks and Hispanics (1).  Not only is this proposal discriminatory since it excludes anyone who is not black or Hispanic, it is a return to the failed Community Reinvestment Act.  The failure of our leaders to learn from past mistakes means history will repeat itself and we will see more foreclosures, bank failures, and bailouts in our future. 

For another example we can look at the recent blackout in India.  This blackout left hundreds of millions of people without power.  Leaders blame the outages on an overburdened power grid (2).  In other words, India’s state run power grid was unable to produce sufficient electricity for its people.  The question is, could this happen here. 

Obama said during the campaign that it was okay for someone to go into the coal business but if they did, they would go bankrupt (3).  It appears that through regulation, the Obama Administration is on track to make this promise a reality.  The Obama led EPA is set to introduce new regulations targeting greenhouse-gas emissions from coal fired power plants.  With coal being the primary fuel used in the generation of electricity in the United States, we could face a situation similar to that in India in our future (2). 

The Heritage Foundation recently sent a report to Congress urging them to curtail some of these regulations and save Americas Coal industry and insure the generation of sufficient electricity to meet the needs of the country (4).  We can only hope our leaders will look at what just happened in India and change the direction of our country’s energy policy.

Our job as voters is to remind our leaders of the failed policies of the past as well as pointing out problems in other countries that could potentially occur in our country as well.  If our current leaders will not listen then we need to show them the door in November and replace them with leaders who will learn from past failures and the failures of others. 

1. Tucker, William. And You Thought the Housing Crisis Was Over! spectator.org. [Online] The American Spectator, July 27, 2012. [Cited: August 2, 2012.] http://spectator.org/archives/2012/07/27/and-you-thought-the-housing-cr.

2. Daniel, Frank Jack. India power cut hits millions, among world's worst outages. reuters.com. [Online] Reuters, July 31, 2012. [Cited: August 2, 2012.] http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/31/uk-india-blackout-idUSLNE86U01G20120731.

3. okiecampains. Obama Called for Bankrupting Coal Fired Power Plants. youtube.com. [Online] Youtube, November 3, 2008. [Cited: August 4, 2012.] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF7Qm31LIDM.

4. The Heritage Foundation. Heritage Report Calls on Congress to Save Coal. ourenergypolicy.org. [Online] The Heritage Foundation. [Cited: August 2012, 2012.] http://www.ourenergypolicy.org/heritage-report-calls-on-congress-to-save-coal/.

Continuing Attacks on the First Amendment

The First amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees us freedom of speech, religion, and the press.  We have witnessed many attacks on these freedoms in recent years but it appears to me these attacks have intensified and in fact are being institutionalized by legislation.  Let us look at a few recent examples. 

First, there is the boycott, or attempted boycott, of Chick-fil-a.  The founder of Chick-fil-a is a Christian and runs the business according to his Christian values.  This includes not being open on Sundays because he believes this is a day reserved for worship and not work but this is not the reason for the recent boycott. 

Dan Cathy the President of Chick-fil-a, in an interview with the Baptist Press stated his support of the traditional family led by a man and a woman (1).  According to the afore mentioned First amendment of the Constitution, Mr., Cathy has the right to both practice his religion and close his businesses on Sundays as well as expressing his opinions to a member of the press when asked.  However there is more to this attack then that for the underlying issue here is the lesbian, gay, bi, transvestite (LGBT) community is threatened by Christian values and must stop them at all costs (2). 

Fortunately for Chick-fil-a, the boycott is not working and the opposite is happening as people are flooding to the company to lend their support.  In fact, the mostly liberal and atheistic ACLU is supporting Chick-fil-a against Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s threatened ban (3).  I predict this will blow over and the only affect will be unusually high revenues for Chick-fil-a.

However, what does a business do if an agency of the Federal Government gives them the choice of giving up their business or their religion based on mandates issued by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)?  This is exactly what the Newland Family of Colorado, owners of Hercules Industries was told (4). 

The requirement in Obamacare that businesses such as Hercules Industries must provide health insurance covering contraceptives and abortion inducing drugs violates their Roman Catholic beliefs.  The first amendment guarantees a person’s right to practice their religion and prohibits the government from passing legislation that prohibits this free practice.  Therefore, the Newlands should be exempted from having to comply with this mandate based on their religious beliefs.  In fact, the entire piece of legislation should be ruled unconstitutional based on this fact alone but we all know that courts can be undependable. 

However, the Department of Justice (DOJ) is claiming that since the Newlands religion does not specifically state that they must engage in the HVAC business, they must make the choice of running their business or practicing their religion.  The DOJ reasoned that since the Newlands simply have to sell their business to someone willing to abide by the mandate, they are under no extreme burden because of the mandate (4).  Are you kidding!  They are asking the Newlands to abandon their livelihood.  The Newland’s defense team argues that asking the family to give up their livelihood and property is in itself an extreme burden. 

The difference in these two cases is that the Newlands are facing institutionalized religious persecution brought on by an unconstitutional piece of legislation.  Now I know that proponents of Obamacare will argue that the legislation was ruled constitutional but that involved the individual mandate and whether the fines levied for noncompliance are a fine or a tax.  This case involves whether an individual or business is required to purchase a product that violates their first amendment right to freely practice their religion.  This means that if the Newlands are unable to gain a waiver from compliance to this mandate in a lower court, the Supreme Court may revisit Obamacare on this issue. 

Of course, there is a simpler solution, an all-out repeal of the legislation.  This requires a conservative majority in the House of Representatives, a filibuster proof majority in the Senate, and electing Mitt Romney as our new president.  With no legislation institutionalizing this anti-Christian mandate in Obamacare, the DOJ will have no grounds on which to charge the Newlands. 

Political Avengers, you know what to do.  Be sure to vote on November 6 and take a fellow conservative to the polls with you.  Also, if you can financially support candidates or if you are unable to lend financial support, volunteer to help in the campaigns.  WE MUST PROTECT OUR LIBERTIES.

1. Walterm. Chick-fil-A, the Bible, and LGBT Bullying. scientiamedia.com. [Online] Scientia Media, July 28, 2012. [Cited: July 31, 2012.] http://www.scientiamedia.com/?p=2684.

2. Starnes, Todd. Boycott about so much more than a chicken sandwich. foxnews.com. [Online] Fox News, July 31, 2012. [Cited: July 31, 2012.] http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/07/31/boycott-about-so-much-more-than-chicken-sandwich/.

3. Hobin, Patrick. ACLU Backs Chick-fil-A Against Rahm Emanuel's Threatened Ban. Newsmax.com. [Online] Newsmax, July 26, 2012. [Cited: July 31, 2012.] http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/chick-fil-a-gay-marriage-chicago/2012/07/26/id/446713.

4. Jeffrey, Terence P. DOJ to Colorado Family: Give Up Your Religion or Your Business. cnsnews.com. [Online] CNS News, July 26, 2012. [Cited: July 31, 2012.] http://cnsnews.com/news/article/doj-colorado-family-give-your-religion-or-your-business.