On to the House

By a final vote of 68 to 32, the U.S. Senate has passed comprehensive immigration reform. (1) Although it is shocking to think that the U.S. Senate would pass a bill granting a path to citizenship to people that entered this country illegally without first securing our open borders, it is not surprising to me.  In light of the numerous scandals facing this administration, the liberals in the Senate were looking for something to distract the nation and give them a victory. 

Liberal Democrats like Harry Reid and Obama are also looking to add voters to the voter rolls in an effort to insure they can win elections in perpetuity.  RINO (Republicans in name only) also believe they need comprehensive immigration reform to befriend Hispanics and gain their votes for they erroneously believe this is why Republicans lost the 2012 campaign for the White House.  This is why I believe passage in the Senate was inevitable. 

Now the focus moves to the House of Representatives where they will begin writing their own legislation.  The Republican controlled House promises to pass legislation that focuses on border security first before making a pathway to citizenship or amnesty for illegals already in the country.  In addition, House Speaker Boehner will not allow a vote on any legislation until majorities of Republicans support the legislation. (2)

After the House passes legislation that differs from the legislation passed by the Senate, both houses of Congress will appoint members to a conference committee.  The conference committee is where they will work out the differences in the two bills.  (3) Once the conference committee completes its work, both houses of Congress will vote on the compromise bill.  If the legislation successfully passes both houses, the bill goes to the President for an almost certain signature. 

This process of compromise in the conference committee is what raises concerns for those that support border security first.  The main difference between the recently passed Senate bill and the House bill will be border security.  Therefore, conservatives believe that any tough border security measures contained in the House bill will be lost in the conference committee.  They also fear Speaker Boehner will cave into demands from Democrats and moderate Republicans in the House resulting in a weak immigration bill that does not contain any tough border security measures.

Our calls to the Senate did get results for the Senate failed to achieve their goal of 70 votes. (4) (1) I believe our calls convinced some Senators to vote against a bill for which they originally intended to vote.  We must begin call representatives in the House and Speaker Boehner’s office letting them know we need border security first before providing any pathway to citizenship or amnesty for those already in the country.  Speaker Boehner has promised not to take up any legislation until after the July forth recess.  This provides an opportunity for voters to attend town hall meetings representatives normally have during these recesses. 

Senate passage of immigration reform does not mean illegals have a path to citizenship or amnesty yet.  Republicans do have control of the House of Representatives and as such have the ability to obstruct any legislation that grants some form of amnesty or path to citizenship without border security first.  However, we must remind our representatives that they are accountable to us the voters by writing, emailing, calling, and getting in their face at town hall meetings. 

This is a call to action for my fellow political avengers and tea party patriots.  Just as we did in 2010 with Obamacare, we now have our issue to bring to the attention of the American people but we must be visible and not linger in the shadows.  We must organize border security rallies, not anti-immigration rallies, to remind people of the importance of securing our borders. 

We all remember what we were doing on 911 and when the Boston Marathon bombings occurred.  These tragedies were not carried out by patriots that love the United States but by radical Islamists that have one goal in mind, killing as many American infidels as they can.  Our unsecure borders make it easier for individuals like this to come across our borders and carry out their plans.  I am in no way against someone coming to our country to seek a better life for most of us are here because some ancestor of ours did just that but we must secure our borders to make sure the only people coming into our country are those seeking a better life and not those wanting to do harm. 

If you agree, please join me in taking action. 

 1. Boyle, Matthew. SENATE PASSES AMNESTY BY VOTE OF 68-32, HOUSE REPUBLICANS EXPRESS 'CONCERNS'. www.breitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart News, June 27, 2013. [Cited: June 28, 2013.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/06/27/Senate-passes-amnesty-68-32.

2. Speaker Boehner's Press Office. Boehner: Real Border Security, Support of Republican Majority Needed for Immigration Reform . www.speaker.gov. [Online] Speaker of the House John Boehner, June 27, 2013. [Cited: June 28, 2013.] http://www.speaker.gov/video/boehner-real-border-security-support-republican-majority-needed-immigration-reform.

3. Sheld, Elizabeth. Boehner: Any Negotiation with Senate Must Have Majority of House GOP Support. www.breitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart News, June 27, 2013. [Cited: June 28, 2013.] http://www.breitbart.com/InstaBlog/2013/06/27/Boehner-Any-Negotiation-with-Senate-Must-Have-Majority-of-House-Support.

4. Lee, Tony. GANG OF EIGHT UNLIKELY TO GET 70 VOTES FOR IMMIGRATION BILL. www.breitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart News, June 27, 2013. [Cited: June 28, 2013.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/06/27/Gang-of-Eight-Unlikely-to-Get-70-Votes-for-Immigration-Bill.

The Penalties Imposed On Illegal Immigrants Will Not Fund the Fence

The immigration reform debate rages on and on Monday 06/24, the Senate achieved cloture with all Democrats voting for the Hoeven-Corker amendment and 16 republicans crossing party lines to vote for the amendment.  (1)  However, this vote was a vote for cloture and does not mean the bill is law.  The house also has to vote on the bill and they promise to add additional border security to the Senate bill.  This means there will be a conference where they will combine the two bills, which will no doubt mean the removal of the additional border security measures added in House bill. 

During the debate on this bill, Marco Rubio, one of the gang of eight stated that we must legalize illegal immigrants so they can fund border security. (2) His claim was that they would use the penalties collected from illegals seeking a path to citizenship to fund the building of the border fence.  However, we must ask the obvious question, how are these low-income people going to come up with the money to pay these fines?  The tax code contains one possibility. 

There are tax credits in our current tax code that pay low income people up to $5,999 in earned income tax credit (EITC) and $1,000 in child tax credit (CTC) for each qualifying child claimed as a dependent on their return.  However, those in our country illegally who are required to file a tax return file using an Income Tax Identification Number (ITIN) and do not qualify for these credits.  However, if they receive a Social Security Number (SSN) as part of their path to citizenship, they are likely to use their tax refund to pay their fines.  To make matters worse, these taxpayers can amend their returns going back three years once they receive a valid SSN and collect the refundable credits they could not receive when filing with an ITIN. (3) 

This increase in tax returns with EITC and CTC will increase the deficit for the current year as well as years into the future where these individuals will qualify for larger tax refunds.  I understand that they will not receive a valid SSN until paying their fines but I see a new industry arising where these individuals will be able to borrow money to pay their fines and repay the loan once they receive their back tax refunds.  In fact, it is highly possible that companies looking to start this industry are behind those lobbying Senators for this bill. 

I do not believe the CBO numbers considers this in their estimate that this bill would reduce the Federal Deficit by $175 billion over its first 10 years.  (4) I am also uncertain if those paying the fines are not given a SSN or if they are exempt from claiming EITC or CTC during their waiting period but I would not be surprised if they are.  Even if the bill does not allow them to claim these credits, you can count on this bill going to court to be able to claim these credits. 

Once again, our Senate is voting on legislation they have not had a chance to read.  This is exactly what happened with Obamacare and we are still discovering hidden costs in that legislation that has caused its cost to double to $1.8 billion in the first decade. (5) Bob Woodward stated that it is “absurd if Congress passes unread bill.” (6) He is correct for when Congress passes unread legislation it is no doubt going to be full of surprises and at this time in our country, we do not need any unwelcome surprises. 

In 2010, the Democrat controlled House, Senate forced Obamacare on the country, and the Tea party was born.  The Tea Party held massive rallies and attended town halls to let citizens know the truth about Obamacare.  The Tea Party mysteriously went silent but it is no longer a mystery because we now know Tea Party organizations were busy fighting off IRS investigations. 

It is time for the Tea Party to awaken making immigration the Obamacare issue in 2014.  We now know that this administration will harass us but we must fearlessly rally and attend town halls to get the truth about this legislation out for the future of our country is in jeopardy and I for one am not prepared to just sit idly by and watch it happen.  I plan to pray, participating in all the Tea Party events that I can, and help in the planning of events designed to get out the message of truth about this damaging legislation.  My only question is will you join me?

1. Erickson, Erick. Update on Senate Whip List. www.redstate.com. [Online] Red State, June 24, 2013. [Cited: June 25, 2013.] http://www.redstate.com/2013/06/24/update-on-senate-whip-list/.

2. Lee, Tony. RUBIO: LEGALIZE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS SO THEY CAN FUND BORDER SECURITY. www.breitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart News, June 14, 2013. [Cited: June 25, 2013.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/06/14/Rubio-Legalize-Illegal-Immigrants-so-They-Can-Fund-Border-Security.

3. Internal Revenue Service. Basic Qualifications. www.eitc.irs.gov. [Online] Internal Revenue Service. [Cited: June 25, 2013.] http://www.eitc.irs.gov/rptoolkit/faqs/basicquals/.

4. Boyle, Matthew. FUZZY MATH: CBO SAYS IMMIGRATION BILL REDUCES FEDERAL DEFICIT. www.breitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart News, June 18, 2013. [Cited: June 25, 2013.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/06/18/CBO-releases-report-on-immigration-bill-s-costs.

5. Klein, Philip. CBO: Obamacare costs double to $1.8 trillion in first decade. www.washingtonexaminer.com. [Online] The Washington Examiner, May 14, 2013. [Cited: June 25, 2013.] http://washingtonexaminer.com/cbo-obamacare-costs-double-to-1.8-trillion-in-first-decade/article/2529655.

6. Boyle, Matthew. BOB WOODWARD ON IMMIGRATION REFORM: 'ABSURD' IF CONGRESS PASSES UNREAD BILL. www.breitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart News, June 23, 2013. [Cited: June 25, 2013.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2013/06/23/Bob-Woodward-berates-amnesty-bill-When-nobody-has-read-the-bill-the-outcome-is-absurd.

Immigration Reform Facts.

The big debate this week in the U.S. Senate is immigration reform.  As with any debate among politicians, it contains some truth, lies, and a lot of political posturing.  It also caters to certain special interest groups standing to benefit from its passage.  Let us take a moment to look at some of the facts surrounding this legislation.

The Senate is attempting to achieve the magic number of 60 votes in order to prevent a filibuster of immigration reform legislation.  The main disagreement between Democrats and Republicans in the Senate is the issue of border security.  On June 19, 2013, it appeared they had reached a compromise with the introduction of the Corker-Hoeven amendment.  This amendment supposedly added the border security Republicans were demanding in any immigration reform. (1)  However, after Senators have had a change to read the amendment, they have discovered that there is little border security in this amendment. 

For example, the amendment promises 20,000 additional border patrol agents, the building of 700 miles of fencing, and an E-Verify system for immigrant workers before immigrants could receive green cards. (2) However, according to Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL), loopholes that exist in the amendment trump the promises of additional border security.   Senator Sessions’ press release lists the following loopholes.

• The Schumer-Corker-Hoeven amendment doesn’t change the bill’s amnesty first framework. Instead it goes even further and creates an automatic amnesty for future illegal aliens. Section 2302 says if you overstay your visa in the future you can still apply for a green card and become a citizen. It is permanent lawlessness. Joined with existing language that restricts future enforcement, it guarantees unending illegal immigration.
• Contrary to their rhetoric there is no border surge. The Secretary [of Homeland Security] doesn’t even have to start hiring new border patrol agents until 2017, and the amendment only gives her until 2021 to increase the number by 20,000. According to the National Association of Former Border Patrol Agents, this hiring process could take up to 20 years. Much like the 2006 law requiring a 700-mile border fence, it’s never going to happen.
• To raise money, the amendment increases fees on visas for legal immigrants, but keeps the same low fees and fines for those applying for amnesty – favoring illegal over legal immigrants. Under the 2007 comprehensive immigration bill, amnesty applicants had to pay up to $8,000 – vastly more than the fines in the current plan which total only $2,000 and are subject to numerous waivers. The Gang has repeatedly claimed their bill is completely paid for by fees. However, under the Schumer-Corker-Hoeven amendment, the American taxpayers are on the hook for $38 billion.  (2)

This means that people currently in our country illegally because they have overstayed their visa can become legal by applying for a green card.  The borders will remain open until the additional Border Patrol agents arrive in 2017 and with the prospects of a path to citizenship, we can expect the numbers of people attempting to cross the border illegally to dramatically increase.  The bill also rewards those here illegally and punishes those seeking to come to our country legally by providing lower fees for those applying for amnesty. 

Senator Leahy (D-VY) chimed in by stating he will begrudgingly support the Corker-Hoeven amendment but that he believes the amendment amounts to “a crony capitalist giveaway to the many big money interests quietly backing immigration reform.” (3) He rightly claims that many contractors will be bidding to be involved in the building of the border fence and cites that the amendment provides a waiver of many of the normal contracting rules.  History has shown us that the wavering of these rules usually leads to massive corruption, fraud, and waste.  However, another group stands to benefit from this amendment. 

With a four year waiting period between passage of the legislation and the additional border security, there is time for an influx of cheap labor.  According to the CBO, this legislation would drive down wages of American workers who are already struggling in the struggling economy.  However, those granted amnesty by the bill would see an increase in wages as they gain legal status in the workforce. (4) Once again, the legislation punishes American Workers who are here legally and following the rules in favor of those that entered the country illegally.  Of course, the businesses that hire this cheaper labor will benefit and explains why many of them are supporting this legislation. 

The Senate expects to vote on the Corker-Hoeven amendment on Monday June 24, 2013.  On Friday June 21, 2013, Senate Majority leader Harry Reid (D-NV) used his privileges to cut off the amendment process.  This means that the Corker-Hoeven amendment will be the last amendment allowed to the Immigration Bill paving the way for a final vote on the legislation later in the week. (5) We need to slow down this process so that we have time to look at what is in this massive legislation. 

As we learned from the passage of Obamacare, we cannot afford to pass legislation without knowing what is in it.  I urge everyone to contact their Senators urging them to vote no on the Corker-Hoeven amendment.  Also, urge them to vote no on the Immigration Reform Legislation. 

This legislation is nothing more than an attempt by politicians to gain favor with Hispanic voters.  Corporations standing to gain from the influx of cheap labor into the workforce back this legislation, which will further cripple our already fragile economy.  What we need are two pieces of legislation. 

We first need legislation that will secure our borders.  When in a leaky boat, it is necessary to plug the hole in the boat first before bailing out water.  Once we have secured the borders, we can begin dealing with those already here illegally.  This process will be more manageable once we have stopped the influx of illegals through additional border security. 

It has been said, “Haste makes waste.”  In this case, as well as in the case of Obamacare, haste makes bad legislation. 

 

1. Breitbart News. SENATORS ANNOUNCE PENDING BORDER SECURITY DEAL. www.breaitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart News, June 19, 2013. [Cited: June 22, 2013.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/06/19/Senators-announce-border-security-deal.

2. Picket, Kerry. SESSIONS: BORDER SECURITY AMENDMENT WOULD NOT HIRE AGENTS UNTIL 2017. www.breitbart.com . [Online] Breitbart News, June 21, 2013. [Cited: June 22, 2013.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/06/21/Sessions-on-Corker-Hoeven-Amdt-New-Border-Agents-Won-t-Start-To-Be-Hired-Until-2017.

3. Hall, Wynton. TOP DEMOCRAT: 'BORDER SURGE' AMENDMENT BOOSTS CORPORATE CRONYISM. www.breitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart News, June 22, 2013. [Cited: June 22, 2013.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/06/21/Sen-Leahy-Federal-Contracting-Firms-High-Fiving-Corker-Hoeven-Amendment.

4. Boyle, Matthew. CBO: IMMIGRATION BILL WOULD DRIVE DOWN AMERICAN WORKERS' WAGES. www.breitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart News, June 18, 2013. [Cited: June 22, 2013.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/06/18/CBO-Immigration-bill-would-drive-down-American-workers-wages.

5. Boyle, Matthew. REID PUSHES END-GAME ON SENATE IMMIGRATION DEBATE. www.breitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart News, June 21, 2013. [Cited: June 22, 2013.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/06/21/Reid-may-shut-down-Senate-debate-force-through-repackaged-immigration-bill.

Solving the Real Problem

Allergy season has arrived in Arizona and this season has been especially hard for those of us suffering from allergies.  To compound things, since my doctor retired at the end of 2012, I had to find a new doctor this year.  When I first went to my new doctor, he gave me an allergy shot and instructed me to continue taking my over the counter allergy medicine.  This worked for a couple of days but my symptoms soon returned.  I went to my doctor again and this time he diagnosed me with a sinus infection.  After prescribing an antibiotic to take care of the infection, I was feeling much better in a couple of days.  The lesson I learned here is that it is necessary to solve the underlying problem and not just treat symptoms.

The recent scandals afflicting the Obama Administration are problems and they make us uncomfortable but they are not the real problem.  The real problem with our country is that we have allowed liberal statist leaders to infect our country.  These leaders have no desire to fulfill their constitutional duty and no desire to abide by the limits placed on them by the Bill of rights. 

In Benghazi, our government was derelict in its duty to provide protection to those men and women working overseas in our embassy.  Even after repeated requests by Ambassador Stevens for additional protections, the administration did not provide the protection.  (1) On the night of the attack, President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton were nowhere be found.  When help was prepared to step in and rescue the ambassador and staff at the embassy, they received an order to stand down.  (2)

What we now know is that this administration was more interested in protecting its campaign claim that their killing Osama meant the war on terror was over.  If prior to Election Day, voters discovered that terrorists attacked our embassy in Benghazi, it would mean we were still engaged in a War on Terror. 

The IRS scandal demonstrates this administrations total disregard for the first amendment.  I mean since when is it the business of the IRS to ask organizations about the content of their prayers (3)  and who their donors are (4) in order to determine if they could have tax exempt status.  I thought the first amendment granted these organizations the right to freely pray as they want and solicit donations from individuals agreeing with their opinions.  We have also discovered that the IRS targeted Christian (5)  and Jewish (6)  organizations but gave Muslim organizations quick approval.  (7)  I guess in this administration, only certain religions and organizations have the right to tax-exempt status while others require closer scrutiny.  It would make more sense to give closer scrutiny to organizations with known ties to terrorist attacks around the world.  However, in the world of the IRS, I guess it makes more sense to target potential political enemies of the administration. 

The AP scandal demonstrates this administrations disregard for the first amendment guarantee of freedom of the press. (8) A reporter receiving information from an agent of the government has cause to believe it is okay to publish this information.  If the information was not available for public consumption, the government needs to go after the person that leaked the information to the press and not attempt to intimidate the press into not reporting information they receive.  The sole purpose of the freedom of press clause of the first amendment was to insure reporters reported the truth about what the government was doing to the citizens who elect them to office. 

Many are alarmed to discover that the government ordered Verizon to turn over phone records.  (9)  They may not have listened to the calls but just knowing whom we may have called is an invasion of our privacy.  If having the phone records was not bad enough, we discovered the Prism program. 

Using Prism, “The National Security Agency and FBI are siphoning personal data from the main computer servers of nine major U.S. internet firms.” (10)  James Clapper the director of National Intelligence said the reports on Prism lacked the context of how the program is governed.  (10)  The governing of the program is exactly what concerns us for elections and term limits change who is in charge of our government.  Even if we give the Obama Administration the benefit of the doubt, Obama is term limited out in 2016 and someone else will be in charge.  How can we know they will not use the data collected by Prism or from cell phone records to single out certain groups just like the IRS did.  This is why we have the safeguards of the Bill of rights to protect us from such intrusions. 

While it is important for us to continue investigating these scandals and determine who is involved, we must also work to remove the infection of liberal statism that currently infects our government at its highest levels.  We must begin by praying that our current leaders will either change and begin fulfilling their constitutional duties and only govern within the confines of the Bill of Rights or that voters will replace them with leaders who will. 

Then pray and ask where you can become involved.  I joined the Tea Party Patriots and plan on participating in any events I can.  We can also use social media to get the truth out about how our current government is violating its constitutional duties and our rights.  We also must begin educating the low information voters we know about how many government programs are a Trojan horse that may look good on the outside, but inside is waiting to take away their freedoms and liberties. 

Our government is currently sick with the infection of liberal statism but the illness is not fatal.  We are the antibiotic that can help clear up the infection by praying, planning, and participating.  We may have been quiet in the 2012 election but today is a new day and we are ready to take action.  The question is will you join me.

1. Treacher, Jim. Benghazi: CIA operators made three separate requests for help, were turned down. dailycaller.com. [Online] The Daily Caller, October 26, 2012. [Cited: June 18, 2013.] http://dailycaller.com/2012/10/26/benghazi-cia-made-three-separate-requests-for-help-were-turned-down/.

2. Jeffrey, Terence P. Obama Met With Panetta and Biden at WH As Benghazi Terror Attack Unfolded - See more at: http://cnsnews.com/news/article/obama-met-panetta-and-biden-wh-benghazi-terror-attack-unfolded#sthash.RRyHiNpx.dpuf. cnsnews.com. [Online] CNS News, October 30, 2012. [Cited: June 18, 2013.] http://cnsnews.com/news/article/obama-met-panetta-and-biden-wh-benghazi-terror-attack-unfolded.

3. Spiering, Charlie. Congressman: IRS asked pro-life group about 'the content of their prayers'. washingtonexaminer.com. [Online] The Washington Examiner, May 17, 2013. [Cited: May 17, 2013.] http://washingtonexaminer.com/congressman-irs-asked-pro-life-group-about-the-content-of-their-prayers/article/2529924.

4. Martosko, David. Revealed: The 55 questions the IRS asked one tea party group after more than two years of waiting – including demands for names of all its donors and volunteers. www.dailymail.co.uk. [Online] The Daily Mail, May 12, 2013. [Cited: June 18, 2013.] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2323978/Revealed-The-55-questions-IRS-asked-tea-party-group-years-waiting--including-demands-names-donors-volunteers.html.

5. Heine, Debra. IRS Audited Some Churches For 'Being Political' While Others Were Encouraged To Be So. www.breitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart, June 15, 2013. [Cited: June 18, 2013.] http://www.breitbart.com/InstaBlog/2013/06/15/IRS-Audited-Some-Churches-For-Being-Political-While-Others-Were-Encouraged-To-Be-So.

6. Pollak, Joel B. IRS: WE INVESTIGATE PRO-ISRAEL GROUPS FOR TERRORISM TIES. www.breitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart, June 17, 2013. [Cited: June 18, 2013.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2013/06/17/IRS-We-Investigate-Pro-Israel-Groups-for-Terrorism-Ties.

7. Ansari, Maryam Khan. Do Muslim Nonprofits Have it Easier Than Tea Party Groups? IRS Cracks Down on Tea Party Nonprofits. www.illumemagazine.com. [Online] Illume, May 13, 2013. [Cited: June 18, 2013.] http://www.illumemagazine.com/zine/articleDetail.php?IRS-Tea-Party-Scandal-14279.

8. Sheld, Elizabeth. AP Chief: DOJ Grab of Reporter Phone Records Unconstitutional. www.breitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart, May 20, 2013. [Cited: June 18, 2013.] http://www.breitbart.com/InstaBlog/2013/05/20/AP-Chief-DOJ-Grab-of-Reporter-Phone-Records-Unconstitutional.

9. Greenwald, Glen. NSA collecting phone records of millions of Verizon customers daily. mguardiannews.com. [Online] The Guardian, June 6, 2013. [Cited: June 18, 2013.] http://m.guardiannews.com/world/2013/jun/06/nsa-phone-records-verizon-court-order?guni=Network%20front:network-front%20main-2%20Special%20trail:Network%20front%20-%20special%20trail:Position1.

10. Leger, Donna Leinwand. Parts of NSA's PRISM program declassified. www.usatoday.com. [Online] USA Today, June 8, 2013. [Cited: June 18, 2013.] http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/06/08/dni-declassifies-prism-data-collection-nsa-secret-program-obama/2403999/.

The Value of a Father

Tomorrow is Father’s Day and I decided to take a moment off from writing about the current issues facing our nation and reflect on the value of a good father.  I was blessed as a child to have a good father figure to look up to and although he was not perfect, he was someone I could look up to as a good example. 

My father was a World War II veteran and served our nation in the Pacific theater of the war.  Prior to leaving to serve our nation in the war, he married my mother as many GI’s did prior to going overseas.  His reason for doing this was to insure that if something happened to him in the war, my mother would be taken care off.  This strong desire of my fathers to take care of his family did not end with his marrying my mother prior to leaving to serve in the war. 

As a child, my mother did not work outside of the home until I was about 10 years old so during the first 10 years of my life, my father was the only source of financial support for the home.  As a child, I did not have a large home or the best of everything but I never lacked a roof over my head or food to eat.  Now that I am a parent, I know there must have been times when finances were tight but I never remember my dad complaining.  I know now that it was because he believed his financial situation was his responsibility and that complaining about it was not an option.  I also never once remember my father having to receive a government handout.

At the age of ten, my mother went back to school to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a nurse.  I know my dad was not happy with her decision to pursue a career but he also could not stop her.  My mom did achieve her dream and served several years as a nurse.  This too was the nature of my father to not stand in the way of someone pursuing his or her dream even if he did not totally agree with it.  I say totally disagree for I believe my father appreciated the extra income my mom brought into the household by working as a nurse. 

My father passed away on October 7, 2001, the day the war in Afghanistan began.  I remember how upset he was on September 11, 2001 and I believe that if he had been physically able, he would have once again served his country as he did in World War II.  Even though I miss my father, I have the valuable lessons he taught me and a good, although not perfect, example to follow. 

Unfortunately, many are not blessed to have a good fatherly example to follow.  For many in our culture, the father figure is absent and single mothers do the best they can to fulfill both roles.  For single moms, absent of the income of a father, this often means turning to the government for help.  There is nothing wrong with turning to the government for help when necessary but the government is not equipped to fulfill all the benefits children need from a good fatherly figure. 

For those lacking a good father figure in their lives, and even for those who have one, I encourage you to meet the best father figure of all, God Almighty.  Where earthly fathers fail or may even be absent, God the Father is always there.  He is there when times are bad and He is there when times are good and unlike our earthly fathers, he has the power and resources to provide for our every need. 

So how can I enter into a relationship with God and make him my father.  Quite simple.

1)       Realize that sin in our lives has severed our relationship with God making it impossible for him   to be our father.  Rom 3:23 For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard.  (NLT)  However, this does not mean our situation is hopeless for

2)      Rom 5:7-8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.  (NLT)  Therefore, even though we have sinned, God has not quit loving us and sent his Son Jesus Christ to die for us.

3)      However, God is a just God Rom 6:23a For the wages of sin is death (NLT) and therefore someone must die to fulfill God’s law.  But the good news is

4)      Rom 6:23b but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.  (NLT) This means that when Jesus who knew no sin died on the cross, he was taking the death penalty for our sins so we no longer have to die. 

5)      Therefore, a full pardon from the death penalty of sin is now available for us.  Rom 10:9-10 For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.  (NLT)

Once we have done what the Bible tells us to do in Romans 10:9-10, we become a child of God and our relationship with God the Father is restored. 

I urge everyone reading this that has not done so already, to enter into a relationship with God the Father by praying this simple prayer. 

Father God, I know I have sinned and fallen short of your standard.  I also understand that the penalty for my sin is death but I also understand that you love me and have provided a path back to a relationship with you.  Jesus never sinned and yet he died on a cross paying the penalty for my sin.  I now confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord, that he died but also that he was raised from the dead.

By praying this prayer, you have entered into a relationship with God the Father, the only perfect father we can ever know.  I now urge you to share with someone, perhaps with someone you know has been praying for you, about your decision.  You may be ridiculed by some but know this, you now have eternal life (John 3:16) and have a relationship with the best father anyone can ever have.  

The Three P’s of Action.

Now that we have been able to define the problems associated with our current tax code and how it has created an out of control IRS, it is time to take action.  Taking action requires using the three P’s, prayer, participation, and planning. 

As a Christian I believe everything thing we do should be preceded with prayer.  The Bible provides numerous examples of how prayer changed things.  Jesus healed the sick, opened the eyes of the blind, and the ears of the deaf with prayer (Matthew 4:24, 7:32-35, 20:30-34).  Peter, after walking on the water and then beginning to sink prayed the shortest prayer in the Bible by praying “Lord save me” and was saved from drowning when the Lord held out his hand to him (Matthew 14:30-31).  Nehemiah, after hearing that the wall in Jerusalem had been torn down and that the gates had been burned fasted, mourned, and prayed for days (Nehemiah 1:1-11). 

The wall in Jerusalem was their defense against enemy attacks so the fact that it was torn down meant the city was defenseless.  Likewise, the recent disregard for our constitution has left the citizens of our nation defenseless against tyrannical government that threatens our liberties and freedom.  Nehemiah was successful in rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem and so it would be wise to follow his example and begin with prayer. 

Then we must participate.  I was in public school when they removed prayer.  I also attended church at that time and observed that at that time, many Christians did not believe it was important for Christians to be involved in politics, which probably contributed to the ease with which the government was able to remove prayer from public schools.  Fortunately, Christians have become involved in the political process since then.  This is most likely why the IRS is attacking conservative tax-exempt organizations in an attempt to silence opposition voices so they can push through their agenda as they did when they eliminated prayer from public schools.

It is imperative that conservatives continue to participate in the political process even though we are currently encountering major opposition.  We were able to win big in the 2010 election when we participated in huge numbers so we know we will be victorious again when we participate and make our voices heard in the next election.

Then we need to put our plans into action.  In the previous two postings, we explained three plans for reforming our tax code that will either curtail or even eliminate the IRS.  We need to begin flooding the emails, phones, and mail with letters to our representatives and senators urging them to reform our tax code.  As I stated earlier, I favor the implementation of a flat tax first since it is the easiest plan to implement and can be done quickly.  Eventually we need to follow this up with the repeal of the 16^th amendment to the constitution making the income tax unconstitutional and then replacing the current income tax with a national sales tax or fair tax. 

In 2010, we also held massive rallies where thousands of people attended.  Even though the media tried to ignore and downplay these rallies, they got people’s attention and changed the outcome of the election.  We need to participate in rallies like these again to have victory in 2014.

We also have the August recess of the Congress and Senate coming up.  During that recess, many representatives and Senators will be conducting town hall meetings.  We need to show up at these meetings and let our voices be heard.  There may be opposition from unions like there was in 2010 but this only brings attention to the issues so we can use their attacks for our benefit.  When we pray, be sure to pray for the protection of those participating in rallies, contacting their representatives, and town hall meetings.

The current administration is attempting to destroy our wall of protection, the Constitution.  All of the current scandals of this administration involve their disregard of either our rights or their constitutional duty.  We must not let them continue in their attacks on our wall of defense and must begin repairing places where they have already breached our constitutional wall of protection (i.e. Obamacare). 

It is time for my fellow political avengers to rise up and vote these enemies of our Constitution out of office.  It is time for political avengers to show up at rallies and town hall meetings and express our disgust with the total disregard this administration has for our constitution by contacting our representatives.  It is time to take action using the three P’s.  

Obstacles to Tax Reform

In the previous posting I discussed three different proposals that are currently on the table for reforming our current tax system.  We looked at the Fair Tax, Flat Tax, and the 999 plan.  Any of these plans would be a definite improvement over the current tax plan.  However, as with any change, there will be resistance.  In this posting we will be looking at some of the major obstacles we are likely to encounter as we strive to reform the current tax code. 

First, we will encounter resistance from the tax preparation industry.  I am a tax preparer and work for one of the major tax preparation companies during the tax season.  I work at this job during the tax season as a second job to earn extra discretionary income.  In fact, today I am leaving on my vacation using money I earned this past tax season.  I say this because even though reforming the tax code would likely eliminate my second job, I am interested in the good of my country and believe these reforms will create economic growth making it possible for me to earn the discretionary income I want without having to work a second job. 

Even though traditional tax preparation companies such as H&R Block, Jackson Hewitt, and Liberty Tax have seen a decline over the past couple of years, (1) this is most likely due to the introduction of new technologies that enable taxpayers to prepare their taxes online or use tax software purchased at their local office supply store.  As the tax code becomes even more complicated due to the implementation of Obamacare, I believe the traditional tax preparation companies will experience resurgence as taxpayers become concerned with making a costly mistake on their return. 

The introduction of a flat or fair tax threatens to eliminate the need for the traditional tax preparation industry.  There may still be a market for software to fill out the short form using a computer but these programs will be very simple thus reducing the price people would be willing to pay for these software packages.  Facing extinction, we would expect the traditional tax preparation companies to band together and lobby Congress to maintain the current complicated tax system. 

However, if voters speak out for reform in great enough numbers, the threat of losing an election will far outweigh the threat of losing campaign contributions from tax preparation companies.  Therefore, to overcome this obstacle, we need massive numbers of voters to speak out for reform. 

Another point of resistance to reform could come from those who fear the loss of refundable tax credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Additional Child Tax Credit.  Many low-income families have grown to become dependent on these credits, which allow someone who has zero tax liability to receive a large refund in excess of any withholding taxes they paid.  These credits amount to a transfer of money to these people using the tax code. 

In my previous posting I mentioned that the Flat Tax preserves the EITC so their fears are unfounded if we implement a flat tax.  However, the fair tax does eliminate the EITC but it also eliminates all withholding taxes including FICA and Medicare.  These individuals will also receive a prebate check and will benefit from reductions in prices as companies can cut their prices due to not having to pay corporate income taxes anymore.  We also have to consider the dynamic of economic growth that will occur raising personal incomes, thus relieving individuals of dependence on government handouts like the EITC and Additional child Tax Credits. 

Finally, we have to deal with objections from lawmakers themselves.  The current tax code allows politicians to essentially buy votes by offering tax incentives to preferred constituencies while punishing disfavored constituencies.  (2) This is why we have seen the tax code grow each year and why it has now become a leviathan that threatens to choke our economy and as we have seen from the recent IRS scandal erode away our personal liberties.  Add to this the enforcement of Obamacare by the IRS, and we have a formula for disaster as politicians have even more opportunities to use the tax code to garner political favors. 

So, how can we convince lawmakers that benefit politically from the complex tax code to vote for its elimination?  Simple, we must come out in numbers large enough that the threat of losing our votes will mean losing their jobs.  To put it in a way these politicians can understand, they can buy our vote by voting to replace our current tax code with either a fair or a flat tax. 

Changing the tax code, as with any change, will have obstacles but they are obstacles that we can overcome.  We can alleviate fears of lower income people by maintaining the EITC in the flat tax and then explain how the economic growth due to the enactment of the Fair Tax will raise their incomes to where they no longer need to be dependent on the EITC.  By showing up in massive numbers at tax reformation rallies, we can convince politicians that the greater threat to their positions is in us not voting for them and not in the loss of contributions from tax preparation lobbies or contributions for favors offered to favored constituencies.

Next, we will look at what we can do to take action to initiate tax reform.  

1. Diligence.com, Magic. Has the Tax Preparation Industry Lost Its Luster. www.magicdiligence.com. [Online] Alexander Online Properties, March 16, 2010. [Cited: June 7, 2013.] http://www.magicdiligence.com/tax-preparation-industry-2010-03.

2. Anthony Davies, James R. Harrigan. How Pols Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Impenetrable Tax Code. www.usnews.com. [Online] U.S. News and World Report, October 15, 2012. [Cited: June 7, 2013.] http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/economic-intelligence/2012/10/15/why-politicians-dont-want-to-simplify-the-tax-code.

Curtailing and Limiting the IRS

Bureaucracies thrive on complexity.  For the IRS that means the more complicated the tax code, the bigger the IRS has to become.  With the addition of the responsibility of enforcing the new Obamacare regulations, we can expect the IRS to thrive and grow into a massive bureaucracy with the ability to threaten everyone’s freedom.  The recent scandals involving the IRS illustrate just how intrusive the IRS could become. 

In light of these scandals, many are asking for the curtailment or even the elimination of the IRS.  There are tax proposals in existence that would either curtail the IRS or possibly even eliminate it all together.  Let us take a moment to look at these proposals. 

The Fair Tax is a national sales tax that has a progressive prebate offering relief to lower income individuals and families.  (1) The prebate works by giving every individual a monthly check designed to in part relieve poverty-level Americans.  (2) The check amount is based on the number of adults and children in the household and not ones income.  Granted both the rich and poor will receive the same amount but the check will be more beneficial to those with lower incomes. (3)

The Fair Tax eliminates all federal withholding and payroll taxes, which mean individuals, will get to keep all of the paycheck.  It also eliminates the corporate income tax so companies will be able to lower prices to absorb some of the increase in prices due to the addition of the federal sales tax.  (1)

Since individuals and companies will no longer be required to file an annual tax return, there will be no need for an IRS.  The states will collect the sales taxes through state and local governments systems currently used to collect state sales taxes.  The federal government will reimburse the states for the additional administrative costs. (1)

The Flat Tax is a proposal that has been in existence since 1994.  Even though it failed in the U.S. Congress, more than a dozen countries have adopted a flat tax since 1994.  (4) Opponents of the Flat Tax claim that it unfairly punishes the poor since everyone will pay the same rate.  However, the flat tax also features a generous family-based allowance.  For example, the first $30,000 of income would be tax-free for a family of four.  A family of four making less than $30,000 would pay no income tax.  A family of four making $50,000 would only pay tax on $20,000 ($50,000 - $30,000).  Someone making a million dollars a year would pay tax on $970,000. (4) The flat tax also preserves the Earned Income Tax Credit, which further benefits the poor who have become dependent on these credits.  (5)

The flat tax does not eliminate the IRS but it does greatly simplify the filing of taxes so we could reduce the size of the IRS bureaucracy.  It also takes the guesswork out of predicting tax liability.  Companies would know how much of the profit they make on the sales of their products are for tax, making it easier for them to predict how much money they can use for business expansion and growth.  In other words, the flat tax would encourage economic growth and job creation. 

Finally, we have the “9, 9, 9” plan offered by Presidential candidate Herman Cain during the 2012 Republican Debates.  The plan features a 9 percent flat income tax on individuals, a 9 percent flat corporate tax, and a 9 percent sales tax. (6) The plan never received much attention because the campaign of Herman Cain was short-lived. 

The plan intrigued many, including myself, but after thinking about it, I determined it had many flaws.  First, it introduces a new national sales tax on top of the existing income tax.  Granted, the plan simplifies the income tax to a flat rate for both individuals and businesses but there are no guarantees that the rate will stay at 9 percent.  A liberal congress and administration could raise the rates, placing a heavy tax burden on citizens and businesses. 

The current scandals involving the IRS emphasize the need for the curtailment and eventual elimination of the IRS.  The quick implementation of a flat tax will simplify the tax code and begin curtailing the IRS.  Following this with the repeal of the 16^th amendment and implementation of the Fair Tax will eliminate the IRS.  In my next posting we will look at the obstacles we will likely encounter in our mission to simplify our tax code. 

1. Fairtax.org. The Fair Tax Plan Your Money, Your Decision. www.fairtax.org. [Online] Fairtax.org, 2013. [Cited: June 4, 2013.] http://www.fairtax.org/site/PageServer?pagename=HowFairTaxWorks.

2. Mangan, Holly. What Is the Fair Tax Act Explained – Pros and Cons. www.moneycrashers.com. [Online] Money Crashers. [Cited: June 4, 2013.] http://www.moneycrashers.com/fair-tax-act-explained-pros-cons/.

3. Fairtax.org. Frequently Asked Questions - Answers. www.fairtax.org. [Online] Fairtax.org, 2013. [Cited: June 4, 2013.] http://www.fairtax.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_faq_answers.

4. Mitchell, Daniel J. The Global Flat Tax Revolution. www.cato.org. [Online] CATO Institute, July/August 2007. [Cited: June 4, 2013.] http://www.cato.org/policy-report/julyaugust-2007/global-flat-tax-revolution.

5. The Heritage Foundation. THE NEW FLAT TAX: Encourages Growth and Job Creation. www.heritage.org. [Online] The Heritage Foundation, Jaunary 19, 2012. [Cited: June 4, 2013.] http://www.heritage.org/research/factsheets/2012/01/the-new-flat-tax-encourages-growth-and-job-creation.

6. Clancy, Dean. Herman Cain's "999 Plan": The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. www.freedomworks.org. [Online] Freedom Works, October 6, 2011. [Cited: June 4, 2013.] http://www.freedomworks.org/blog/dean-clancy/herman-cains-999-plan-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugl.

We are Victims of the Unelected Forth Branch of the United States

Last weekend I attended Phoenixcomicon.  Okay, I confess, I am a science fiction fan.  My favorite science fiction program is Star Trek.  I grew up watching the original series when it first came out.  When Star Trek the Next Generation first came out, I was skeptical but ended up enjoying the series.

The writers of the Next Generation series decided to make the Klingons, the enemies of the original series, allies of the Federation and so needed to come up with a new enemy.  Enter the Borg, a race of parasitic aliens that go through the universe assimilating other races into their collective.  Under the Borg collective does not allow independent thought and when it occurs, the collective quickly silences it.  The revelations of the recent scandals demonstrate how the Obama Administration has many of the qualities of the Borg. 

The attacks in Benghazi represented a threat to the collective in that it threatened the reelection of the collectivist leader, Obama.  In Obama’s campaign, he continually touted the fact that he brought down Osama and that the war on terror was over.  The attacks on the consulate in Benghazi demonstrated that the threat of terrorism still exists.  In an attempt to silence opposition voices, the administration concocted a story on how some video caused the uprising.  The administration used one of its collectivist members, U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice to spread this story by appearing on five Sunday shows.  The President even apologized in his message to the U.N. for the video.  The administration also arrested the producer of the video, not for producing the video, but for some other charge.  The man remains in jail to this day. 

The AP and now Fox News scandal involving the media also demonstrates the collectivist administration’s desire to silence any opposition.  The administration alleges that certain members of the media published leaked information.  Of course, rather than going the leakers in the administration, the administration goes after the media that published the information.  I understand the importance of going after people that leak information.  However, why not go after the leakers instead of targeting the people receiving the leaked information, who were only doing their jobs?  The answer, in my opinion, is that the collectivist administration needs to scare the media in order to insure they only publish information authorized by the collective.

Then we have the IRS scandal.  Every citizen of the United States that earns income must report annually to the IRS.  In the process of our annual reporting, we share our personal information with the IRS including our name, address, birthdate, and Social Security Number.  We also share our income and various deductions including medical expenses, mortgage interest, work related expenses, and if we are self –employed, information on business deductions. 

According to law the IRS is only to use this information to determine taxpayers tax liability but the recent scandals demonstrate that there are people working at the IRS that have little reservation in using the information they possess to target potential opposition to the administration.  The scary thing is that beginning in 2014, the IRS will also be in charge of enforcing the new healthcare regulations giving them access to additional personal information. 

The IRS is part of the unelected forth branch of our government that through the years has grown to become a monster that threatens the rights and liberties of citizens.  The collectivist administration seems to be using the unelected forth branch as an enforcement arm designed to silence opposition through onerous regulations.  That is why we must begin dismantling this forth unconstitutional branch of our government.  Since Congress formed and authorized funding for these agencies, we need to elect people to the House and Senate that are willing to defund and dismantle these intrusive agencies. 

Over the next several posts, I will be proposing ways we can begin dismantling this leviathan of regulatory agencies that threaten our freedom.  I encourage everyone to contact their Representatives and Senators with these ideas.  If they are unresponsive, I then encourage everyone to support candidates in the 2014 election that will support these ideas, even if that means running yourself. 

Together we can begin dismantling this leviathan but we must act now before it grows so big we cannot defeat it and we find ourselves forced to assimilate into the collective.