It’s about service

Another post from August 2009

 

I had a nice chat with Congressman Boswell’s local representative Greg today (August 25, 2009). He seemed a bit testy but then, I have been riding Congressman Boswell pretty hard as well so I can understand his touchiness. I don’t envy him his job.

My primary complaint is simply that the folks of Benton County deserve the chance to sit and chat with the good Congressman before he votes on the healthcare bill. This seemed to genuinely puzzle Greg. He pointed out that there were over 100 attendees at Sigourney a couple of weeks ago. Really, 100? Wow! Current census records indicate that there are over 600,000 residents of the 3^rd district. Are 100 people representative?? I don’t think so.

The call-in town hall seemed to have its bumps as well. I called in, put my name on a list and promptly at 6:30 on the 19^th my cell phone rang. I answered and there was a recording of Congressman Boswell expressing his regret at missing me and asking me to call his office, visit his website or subscribe to his newsletter for more information. Nice.

I also reminded Greg that I had invited the Congressman to our community meeting on healthcare on the night of the 20^th. Neither Mr. Boswell nor Greg seemed to be able to find time to put in an appearance. We had a good turnout, about 40 folks. And, we heard the concerns of the healthcare providers that take care of us. It is humbling to listen to them talk about their efforts to make sure we all get the best care. Isn’t this who Congressman Boswell should be listening to? Rather than ruling from Washington, perhaps visiting with the professionals in his district would provide more insight.

My conversation with Greg continued for about 15 minutes. He assured me their offices knew of my concerns. No wonder, I make it a point to call at least once a week to share my frustrations with Congressman Boswell’s choices. He asked for specifics on the healthcare bill – I gave him three. But, during this process I realized my frustration had nothing to do with specifics in the healthcare bill. Nor is it important what he said in the town halls he has held (two – imagine that – two for over 600,000 people). No, what it came down to was a simple exchange with Greg while he was writing down a specific issue of mine. “So Bill, you will be satisfied if Congressman Boswell comes to Vinton for a town hall?” In that moment I realized what was off. Honestly, it has nothing to do with me, Vinton or Benton County. It has to do with service.

Congressman Boswell is in service to us, the residents of his district – all the residents. My suggestion was that he hold a three hour town hall in the evening in each of his counties. Greg pointed out it was a big district (yet it is the smallest in the state). It was difficult to get around to everyone. Really? Over the period of a month he can’t get to twelve counties? How about a road show? Drive to a county, have dinner in a local restaurant, have the meeting, have a beer at the local bar or country club, stay with a local constituent, and then drive to the next county the next day? If he were truly in service to the folks in his district, wouldn’t this be fun, exciting, enjoyable? The process of actually chatting with the people you serve should just be a natural part of serving your district, Congressman.

And that’s what’s off, Congressman Boswell – you’re no longer in service to the people of your district. You serve the masters of your party in Washington instead. I find this profoundly disappointing.

A Destroyer of Worlds

Still reviewing old posts and found another from March that still seems appropriate today

A Destroyer of Worlds

 

Prior to the elections much was made of just who Obama was. For those willing to set aside the god-like adoration and honestly look at those he associated with, they found radical leftists like Sal Salinsky and his “Rules for Radicals”. His pastor of 20 years Jeremiah Wright whose bigoted rants from the pulpit provided a clear window to his spiritual soul. Bill Ayers, the unrepentant Weatherman bomber acted as a mentor from his early days at Columbia through his entry into politics.

His state legislative record provided insights as well. His inability to make a decision was clearly on display in his 125+ times voting “Present”. A willingness to allow fetuses born alive during a botched abortion to simply die gave us an early indication of the value he places on the lives of those most helpless in our society. A persistent desire to limit the position of fire arms indicated Obama cared little for our second amendment rights.

Conversations with “Joe the Plumber” clearly showed his intention to seize the earnings of the “rich” and “spread the wealth around” to those who are less productive.

There was also his fondness for exaggeration. He billed himself as a law professor in constitutional law. Actually, he was a guest lecturer. There were many others: his introduction of legislation regarding reporting of small nuclear plant leaks (he didn’t), his parents fell in love during their march on Selma ( yet he was born 4 years prior), he played up his community organizing abilities (he opened a single employment office and had asbestos removed) were but a few “accomplishments” he hailed during the campaign.

Since election he has hired numerous lobbyists, after vowing they would have no place. He promised to make Washington swear off earmarks, yet his most recent spending bill has over 9,000 of them. Four of his appointees have had substantial tax problems – one of which now runs the IRS.

Perhaps we could conclude he was less than honest about who he was, what his core values were and the direction he would take our country.

In a brief period of only 8 weeks, it has been clear who we have elected to – as his lovely wife Michele declared – rule over our nation. In the Hindu religion the third god is Lord Shiva – the Destroyer of Worlds. This is the persona President Obama has seen fit to take on, Lord Shiva.

In an amazing and mind numbing series of proclamations, spending bills, bail-outs, and flat out usurpations of power our new Dark Lord has single handedly destroyed 2.1 Trillion dollars of wealth from Americans retirement plans, pensions, investment portfolios and 401Ks. It’s far from over. He has given no indication that he is even aware that people are looking to him for some level of confidence that he understands the problem. In stead he declares the “profit/earning” ratio is getting good enough and we should consider buying stocks. The fact that there is no such thing as “profit/earning” ratio seems to have slipped his mind. His unwillingness to address the toxic housing inventory, the lack of credit for small businesses, the implosion of the auto industry, the failing state budgets and pension plans do nothing but accelerate his task of destroying America’s economy.

To arrest the plummeting revenues collected by the Federal Government, he has decided to increase taxes on “the rich” (tell me, doesn’t 60% feel just a bit high??), eliminate tax breaks on the evil oil companies just as their profits are plummeting, repeal the Bush tax cuts (increasing taxes on those making $45,000 per year by 13%), adding a cap and trade policy sure to drastically increase the cost of electricity and fuel, impose new CAFÉ standards on the auto industry as it falls apart in their hands, remove deductions for interest on homes as we are trying to buck up the real-estate market and remove deductions for charitable giving as charities see the pending money squeeze coming.

Thus President Obama takes his place as our first Lord Shiva, the destroyer on the American economy. And we have another three years and 10 months to look forward to. Our grandchildren will sit and wonder why we elected such a man as our President.

Consent of the Governed

This is a post I put up this past April on another blog.  Yet, with the Obama's march on citizen's rights accelerating, it seems to fit as much today as it did back in april

Consent of the Governed

 

When our founders were drafting the Constitution and determining the form of government they wanted for this new country, they evaluated two primary types, Democracies and Republics. Their paramount concern when choosing a path for this new government was that the leaders and direction would be determined by the “consent of the governed”. Let that phrase sink in for a moment: “consent of the governed”. They were particularly interested in Greek democracy and its failure. This was their primary example for a direct democracy - where virtually all decisions were made by the direct and individual vote by each citizen. They decided that its failure in Greece came about in part because it was impossible for each citizen to be fully informed on each and every topic and that their votes, while certainly cast by the governed, were cast by people knowingly ignorant of the issue and thus cast without a full understanding of what they were voting for.

They chose as their direction a Republic. The governed would be represented by individuals that were directly elected by them or by individuals selected by people the governed had elected. These were local people, people they had the opportunity to know, to talk to. People raised in their region that shared their sense of values. People whose primary reason for standing for election was a sincere desire to serve their friends by serving in their nation’s government, and then leaving office and returning to their community – to be replaced by another civil servant. This rotation of people was to ensure that those elected would remain tied to their home communities rather than being consumed by the power of the federal government. Thus the “consent of the governed” would be refreshed with each new legislator sent off to the federal government.

The other advantage of a republic was that this elected and trustworthy neighbor would be able to devote their efforts to understanding the legislation presented for consideration. Rather than each individual citizen of the 13 colonies being required to understand the content of each and every bill introduced, argued and voted on, the belief was that since the elected representative and each selected (in the early days) senator would naturally have the best interests of their constituents at heart and cast their vote with these interests in mind.

This approach then met the test of “consent of the governed”. The Representative Republic was born.

So how is this working today? Honestly, I have more than a few concerns. While I am certainly as partisan as they come, and proudly so, this particular issue rises above partisanship and directly effects the ability of our country to survive as the Representative Republic it was meant to be. Let me share a few examples that concern me:

This week’s ruling by the Iowa Supreme Court that gay marriage is an “equal treatment under the law” issue and now legal within the state of Iowa. My frustration is not with the verdict, though I support civil unions and not marriage for gays, but with the simple fact the people of Iowa had no say in the matter. This was an argument generated out of whole cloth by a single court verdict and elevated to the Supreme Court of Iowa level. A decision made, not by the people of Iowa, but by a single court. This is not “consent of the governed” but rather a single branch of government imposing its will on the governed.

Next, the current flurry of bailouts throughout our country. I have run my small business in Vinton for nearly 28 years. At times, frankly, I have struggled mightily. Yet, if I would have reached a point where I could have not continued, I would have simply been forced to close my doors and fail. Now, we find that TRILLIONS of dollars of the American taxpayer is being used to prop up companies that are failing. The housing bailout called TARP was created in weeks this past fall, ran over one thousand pages in length and was voted on without a single Legislator or Senator having actually read the bill. It passed. And was promptly changed by then Secretary Paulson without the consent of congress. And it still isn’t working with over 25% of newly refinanced home loans already in default for a second time. How does voting for a bill, without fully reading and understanding it, costing trillions of our hard earned dollars, pass the “consent of the governed” test?

Third, the Federal Reserve printing a TRILLION dollars in money to purchase even more bad loans from banks on the brink of bankruptcy. This was an act, executed with no debate at all. Article 1 of the Constitution clearly states that all bills regarding raising revenue must begin in the House of Representatives. Honestly, I am unclear how the Fed can simply print a trillion dollars. Regardless, again, how does this decrease in the value of the dollar, without any debate by any elected official represent the “consent of the governed"?

Forth, the auto bailout. We, the people, now own GM and Chrysler. And we paid too much – over 30 BILLION to date. If you went on the stock exchange, purchased every piece of stock – EVERY SINGLE, SOLITIARY PIECE OF STOCK AVAILABLE ON THE PLANET – you would only spend $1.28 billion as of Friday, April 3^rd. We have spent 23 times more on GM than it is worth. By what possible description is this a good deal?? And, they are asking for more – much more. Was there a single vote for the initial round of GM bailout money? Nope, not a single vote, only then President Bush’s signature. Again, referring to the goal of the founders that our elected representatives would serve the best needs of their constituents, how does spending this amount of American’s hard earned money on a company in failure meet the “consent of the governed”? Would you buy GM stock??

Let’s not forget our energy needs. The people of America have spoken in a loud voice, use our own resources and stop depending on foreign countries with anything but our well-being on their mind. And yet, even with the expiration of the off-shore drilling ban this past October, members of congress are moving quickly to reinstate it. How does this further our national security? Our resources – oil, coal, natural gas, nuclear – should be used to their fullest to ensure our ability to grow and exist as a nation. I am confused when a clear majority of Americans are in favor of using these resources and the Congress’s stubbornly resisting this meets the “consent of the governed” test.

Illegal immigration and the security of our borders. This is certainly a hot-button issue that has its flames fanned by both sides of the issue. However, it is a perfect example of how “consent of the governed” could quite simply resolve the issue. The issue has never revolved around the idea of immigration. All of us are here because, originally, one of our ancestors left the “old country” and immigrated to the US. And, we have long had laws in place that handled this exact issue. There are very clear procedures in place that states the process that needs to be followed when immigrating to the US as well as quotas from each country. If these laws need to change, if the quotas need to be raised – then present these to the American people. Have the legislators discuss this with the people of their district – and the change them. Offering a blanket amnesty of people who have violated the laws of our country does not – by any stretch of the imagination – meet the “consent of the governed”. Additionally, the vast majority of Americans want a secure border with Mexico – period. One of the basic duties of the government of the United States is to secure our borders. The fact that our Congress and numerous administrations fail to do this single task seems to fly in the face of the “consent of the governed”.

There are a large number of other examples where I, or friends, have commented that they simply didn’t know how the government could do “that” – whatever “that” was in the moment. The truth is, they can’t. Our elected officials serve at our pleasure. They are expected to listen to the folks back home, to actually read the bills they vote for, to understand the effects of the legislation they pass and to honor their position as servants of the people each and every day they are in office. They have forgotten. Our federal and state governments are in the midst of a spending orgy the likes of which we, as a country, have never seen. The Obama administration is proposing a budget that spends more money than all of the previous administrations combined. Their own CBO has estimated annual budget deficits of over a TRILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR as far as they can predict into the future. We will be passing on to our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren a debt that they will simply be unable to pay. I do not believe, in my heart, that this is the wish of any American. We need to remind ourselves that these folks are in office by the “consent of the governed” and that they answer to us. If we, as citizens, are expected to live within our budgets, we expect to have our government do so as well.

Representative Boswell’s and the Democrats war on small business.

I was puzzled this past summer by Rep. Boswell’s praising small business when the Democrat Party and Rep. Boswell are at war with small business. Since the election, there has been a systematic attack on America’s small business that has been unceasing. A few examples:

Repeal of the capital gains exemption: The canard the Democrats and Rep. Roswell are fond of is that this affects only those earning over $250,000 dollars. Nothing like a little class warfare. However, what they leave out is that many small business owners are subchapter S corporations and their company earnings are part of their family earnings. So rather than the gains from their efforts going towards growing their business and hiring employees, Rep. Boswell and President Obama would rather take that money and give it to failing businesses and banks.

Repeal of President Bush’s tax cuts: Again, the canard of “only those earning over $250,000 dollars per year” raises its head. In fact, if they are all repealed people earning as little $45,000 per year will see their tax rate climb 13%. While I am sure Rep. Boswell and President Obama will find deserving recipients, those creating jobs will have to do with less.

An out of control budget: Rep. Boswell and President Obama are quick to point out the deficit of nearly $400 billion at the end of the Bush presidency. This after 9/11, two wars and 8 years of defending America against Islamofacists intent on our destruction. However, they fail to point out that President Obama’s projected deficit for the first year is $2 TRILLION dollars. That’s 5 times larger than President Bush’s - in just his first year. Projections are for $1 TRILLION dollar per year deficits year after year with no end in sight if Rep. Boswell helps to pass President Obama’s budget. This has to be paid by someone – and the small business owner will be expected to lead the way. How will they be able to do that when their most important resource – capital – is being consumed at an unsustainable rate by the Obama administration and their out-of-control spending?

America’s plunging credibility on the global financial stage: President Obama and Rep. Boswell must borrow $1 for every $1 they spent to finance next years budget. Just take that in – they must borrow one-half of everything they want to spend from the global market. They need to borrow $1 TRILLION dollars for this year alone. Who will lend it to us? Last month the US was forced to pay 4.5% interest on $130 Billion in bonds. This is an auction that takes place every month. What will it be like in a few years with our deficit soaring and budget shortfalls as far as they eye can see? What country, in their right mind, will loan us money if they can not see any way our country will be able to pay the money back? This past weekend a number of banks in England have considered curtailing taking US investments because of President Obama’s interest in taxing profits of US corporations in foreign countries. How will pay this tremendous increase in debt? Well, the “rich” of course, all those earning over $250,000 – the small business owner.

President Obama and Rep. Boswell’s fondness for a “Carbon Tax”: The save the planet mantra is alive in well in the Obama administration. In order to force the American people to pony up the money for this folly (does it bother anyone else that the MSM fails to point out the earth has been cooling for over 10 years??) a Carbon Tax in near passage. Anything that puts out CO2 will be taxed: coal power plants (1/2 of all energy produced in the US comes from coal), any vehicle that burns gas, ethanol or diesel, industries involved in any type of manufacturing and, of course, any home that uses electricity. The result? Current estimates are that this will cost the average family from $1,300 to $3000 per year. How about small businesses that ship product, run trucks, run manufacturing companies? Again, money taken out of the pockets of citizens and small business to squandered by those who “know best” such as Rep. Boswell and President Obama.

The trashing of corporate law: The banks and the Chrysler takeover has been instructive. The government created a panic, forced the banks to take money and when they did, changed the rules so they could not pay the money back. This tack, endorsed by Rep. Boswell, is more familiar in 3^rd world countries like Venezuela rather that America. The result – President Obama now controls America’s largest banks, the largest insurance companies and two of three of original American auto companies.

Chrysler has likewise been interesting. Perhaps the most stunning was the administration simply disregarding the first position of bond holders and moving less secured stock holder up, then, giving nearly 50% of the company to the unions. All under the guise of “speculators” being unwilling to bend. The fact is the bondholders were willing to take a 50% hit when they were not required to take any. These bond holders are retirees, pension funds, and state retirement funds. Rep. Boswell appears to agree that corporate law can simply be ignored if it is at odds with the will of President Obama. How does this affect the small business man?? If corporate law means nothing, how can they negotiate a contract or attract investors? How do smaller companies merge if corporate law in meaningless? How do they attract venture capital if there is a fear the government could step in and change the rules on a whim?

At every turn Rep. Boswell’s party seems intent on punishing innovation, punishing profit and punishing expansion and punishing the small business owner. How is this working? The small business community is abuzz with small business owners dialing back, taking fewer risks and holding back on expansion. Why work more to simply have it seized by an out-of-control government? Honestly, it’s not worth it. As of April, federal tax revenues were down nearly 40% from last year – 40%. Rep. Boswell and President Obama should get used to it. They are doing nothing to expand the economy. Small businesses are sitting this out until sanity returns to Washington. Perhaps Rep. Boswell might want to call a truce in his war on small business and encourage President Obama to put a stop to destruction of the American economy.

Where or where art thou??

As our country plunges towards the oblivion that is our national debt – I wonder. Where are our elected officials so we can chat about our concerns? In particular, where is Congressman Boswell? I have met with Greg, his local representative. Of course, he could not speak for Congressman Boswell, did not know his positions and did not know when he would be in the area.

I have been waiting for the congressional recess (aren’t these folks a bit old for “recess”??). Since Congressman Boswell represents the residence of the 3^rd District I thought surly during the month he will be home we could look forward to chatting with him about our concerns. So I have been checking his website – it has not been updated since June. I called his Des Moines office – “check his website” was the reply - followed by “well, I don’t have a schedule for him”. I received the same response from his offices in Washington.

I received a call from Greg this morning. While I was assured that there were many items on Congressman Boswell’s agenda – promised visits with unnamed individuals and organizations – it would seem his availability to his constituents does not seem to be very high on his list. So, where is he holding open meetings for the voters in his district?

Grundy Count – no public meetings scheduled.

Tama County - no public meetings scheduled.

Benton County - no public meetings scheduled.

Polk County - Meeting Held

Jasper County - no public meetings scheduled.

Poweshiek County - no public meetings scheduled.

Iowa County - no public meetings scheduled.

Marion County - no public meetings scheduled.

Mahaska County - no public meetings scheduled.

Keokuk County – Sigourney Public Library, 8/13/09 2 PM – 3 PM

Lucas County - no public meetings scheduled.

Monroe County - no public meetings scheduled.

Greg did say the schedule was not finalized for the second half of the recess and public forums may be added. Yet, it seems odd that they are only being scheduled now. Did this recess sneak up on the good Congressman?? Did he simply forget that he was coming home to his district this August/September??

So here we are. The Congress is on the cusp of changing and taking control of our entire healthcare system. Congressman Boswell has already voted for the massive tax increases sure to follow with the passage of Cap and Trade. And his party seems intent on spending the next generation’s hard earned money before they are even born.

And, still, he can only find a single hour to meet with the citizens he represents in the twelve counties he represents.

Is this what he was elected to do?? Really??

There is no strength in weakness

The past nine months have been illustrative of President Obama’s world view. He believes a weaker, diminutive and withdrawn America is preferable to a strong, vibrant and assertive one. This certainly is in line with the liberal viewpoint of American politics during President Bush’s two terms. While taking on those that planned and executed 9/11 in Afghanistan was tolerated, the elimination of the tyrannical regime of Saddam Hussein was not. Throughout the 6 years of engagement with al-Qaeda troops that poured into Iraq and the establishment of a government that met all the stated goals of the Bush administration – elimination of the Hussein regime, able to defend itself and willing to hold free and open elections – President Bush was hammered for the wrong war, an illegal war, an unjust war. Yet, we were successful in all three areas finally giving 25 million Iraqis the chance to choose their own destiny. This is a good thing. We achieved this success through clear, focused and direct American power. Obviously President Obama agrees with this.

Prior to election and throughout his campaign he clearly stated that he would begin withdrawing troops immediately after election. His position has become more “nuanced”, shall we say, with troops beginning to be withdrawn by March 2009 – or maybe we will have all combat troops out by August 2010 – or by the end of 2010 – or maybe by the end of 2011. Or, maybe we may have 50,000 support troops in Iraq well into the future. Obviously “hope and change” are at work in the Obama administration.

I was also glad to see the “Global War on Terrorism” ended in March 2009. What a burden off our country. Had President Bush known he could simply end it by the simple use of his voice, the global threats to us and other countries throughout the world could have been restored on 9/12 without all the intervening combat. Of course, President Obama has recognized that there is still an "Overseas Contingency Operation" going on - one that claimed 10 of our soldiers in Afghanistan on October 3^rd in the deadliest day of fighting in more than a year. Michelle and Barak enjoyed a nice night out at the Blue Duck Tavern that evening. I wonder if they discussed the 40,000 troops that Gen. McChrystal is asking for.

It would seem that the enemies of the Afghan people have decided that President Obama is not going to send the troops, much less make a commitment to defeat them, so it’s safe to take on the US military again. In order to make the US military friendlier, there are new Rules of Engagement that have gone into effect. For example – if the Air Force sees insurgents planting bombs, they must first buzz them to scare them off rather than killing them. If enemy forces are spotted and there is the possibility of hurting a civilian they can not be engaged. (Ever wonder why these animals hide in civilian areas?) Our soldiers are now ordered to “break engagement” (run away) in the event there are civilians in the area. Not only that, they are denied air cover or artillery in the event these may cause civilian casualties. If you are interested, read about the events surrounding Marine Lance Corporal Joshua Bernard. These rules led to his death. More, many more will follow. Weakness will not lead to a victory in Afghanistan.

President Obama’s performance in the Mideast is no less hesitant. This week the IAEA of the United Nations leaked a report that Iran has everything in place to produce a nuclear weapon. President Ahmadinejad, while addressing the UN, invoked the name of the Mahdi, or the 12th Imam. The particular sect that Ahmadinejad belongs to believes that if they can bring about chaos on earth, this will hasten the Mahdi who will bring about the apocalypse and subject all on earth to the rule of Islam and kill those that do not submit. He has stated that his personal goal is the elimination of Israel and that he would gladly sacrifice up to one-half of his population to do this. We have also learned that they have a second processing plant for nuclear weapons material that President Obama has known about since his transition. President Obama has decided that his oratory skills are significant enough that he can talk Iran back from the edge while Iran presses forward towards the end that most pundits now accept as inevitable – the acquisition of a nuclear weapon. I find I take no comfort in President Obama’s teleprompter skills in light of this.

Or, perhaps, he sees no threat from Iran. After all, he has canceled our national agreement with Poland and the Czech Republic to provide a defensive missile shield to protect them from attacks from rogue nations (read Iran). This seems to have been a hat tip to Prime Minister Putin of Russia. It was particularly poignant since the cancellation occurred on the 70^th anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Poland. Given that Iran now has short range missiles that can reach Israel, medium range missiles that can reach well into Europe and long range missiles that can reach the US (remember, they launched a satellite into orbit) President Obama must be dead-on certain that Iran poses no near-term nor long-term threat. Enough so that he is removing defensive systems meant to mitigate their threat.

Of course, other weapons systems need to be curtailed as well. The F22 fleet no longer needs to be expanded. A new satellite system to replace aging equipment has been scrapped. A new rescue chopper is also scrapped. All-in-all, the standard “cut military spending” mantra is once again being sounded throughout Washington.

What does all this mean? Simply put, in President Obama’s mind, a weak America is a more secure America. If we ignore terrorism throughout the world and simply call our efforts in Afghanistan an "Overseas Contingency Operation", we will be less of a threat to our enemies and they will not harm us. If we remove defensive weapons from Europe, Iran will feel less threatened and will not attack Israel or other Mideastern countries. If we reduce our tactical capabilities and weapons systems, our enemies will see no need to build up their arms and pose a threat to us. If we simply kneel before the world, bare our chests and confess our misdeeds – the world will forgive us and once again see us as the shining land upon the earth and simply fall in love with us all over again.

I believe the reality is a bit different. This weak-kneed response is emboldening our enemies. Russia, rather that halting construction of Iran’s nuclear facilities (you knew the Russians were building them – right?) it continues apace with Iran resolutely saying they have no intention of stopping their enrichment plants. France’s Sarkosy has called President Obama’s approach to Iran “utterly immature” and “naïve”, publicly saying he wished President Obama would present a firmer approach with Iran. The people of Poland and Czech Republic now know that security agreements signed between America and their countries are worthless – as do the leaders of Iran and Russia. The Taliban of Afghanistan is now emboldened, actively using our own rules of engagement against our troops. While the First Couple looks over the menu at the Blue Duck Tavern, the Taliban is drooling over a target list of poorly manned and supported US troop installations.

Threats are not confined to foreign soil. This past month four separate terrorist attacks were foiled within the US with more surely in the works. Meanwhile, North Korea has introduced and tested a variety of medium and long-range missiles while their nuclear weapons plant is back on-line as well. We were also witness to a very large military parade celebrating the 60^th anniversary of the communist revolution of China. President Obama found it necessary to congratulate China on this milestone. I suspect the 30+ millions that died under Mao might have a different take.

It’s been a busy 9 months for the President. These are simply international issues. There were all the domestic items as well. However, they all lead to the same destination for President Obama – a weakened America is a safe America. The smaller our footprint on the world stage, the less we confront evil, the less we defend our friends, the more we withdraw – the safer we will be.

We will pay a terrible price for this lunacy.

Have you checked “your” checkbook lately???

 

It has been quite a slide for “your” checkbook over the past 70 years, especially in the non-discretionary spending department. Beginning with the enactment of the Social Security Act in 1935, the groundwork was laid for a transition from personal reliance to dependence on the government. It was all done with the best of intentions of course, dressed in the language of compassion and caring. Yet, for the great grandchildren of the people who enacted this policy, it is bringing stark poverty at an alarming rate.

President Johnson’s “war on poverty” was next in line in 1963. Once again, with the language of compassion and caring, the workers of America have seen vast amounts of their wealth seized and transferred to those “less fortunate”. Trillions have been taken and distributed. Rather than being able to grow their nest egg, the “needs” of the present unfortunate souls removed the opportunity for real savings. Of course, the government will take care of everyone, so what is the harm?

Once the dam broke, new programs showing Americans’ compassion have abounded. Medicare, Medicaid, lunch programs, breakfast programs, student aid – the list is so long that the government even has a website dedicated just to searching for benefit programs you may qualify for: http://GovBenefits.gov. They proudly claim over 1000 programs to give away money seized from the American tax payer to be doled out at their whim.

The past 12 months have proven to be a dizzying plunge into the realm of government largess. It began with the bank bail-outs in the summer of 2008. With the election imminent, it was much better to look like Congress was doing something rather than just watching our economy circle the drain – so they spent our money at a stunning rate.

Hundreds of billions for AIG, Wells Fargo, BoA – it was a long list. Of course there was TARP in September. With but three pages of documentation – that magically ballooned to nearly 1,000 pages, the Congress funded nearly $800 BILLION in troubled asset relief – mainly for defaulted home loans that should have not been made to begin with. Then, within weeks, they were informed that the money was used in an entirely different way – that remains unaccounted for today.

Yet another dam had burst. This was followed with a $485 BILLION emergency budget after the Obama inauguration, a $723 Billion stimulus bill, and deficit budgets now projected a decade into the future. Deficits coming to $1 TRILLION per year!

And, finally, the specter of a government controlled healthcare system that, given its track record in fiscal responsibility, will certainly cost trillions more than current estimates would indicate.

But, of course, it’s government money – so what’s the harm?? The government can afford it! Well – not so much.

This brings us back to the family checkbook. If the men reading this are honest, I suspect many will admit the feminine soul in the family runs the finances. It has been so with our family for our 37 years together. My lovely wife does not tolerate “red ink”. Family needs, desires, toys and trips are carefully budgeted. And, in the event of pending “red ink” – spending stops. Period.

How is our federal checkbook doing? Well, the information is easily available – but hard to believe or comprehend. Here is a quick rundown of our checkbook balance:

Current National debt: $12.2 TRILLION

Non-Discretionary spending for the next 30 years: $100 TRILLION

(this includes S/S, Medicare, required government

programs)

Estimated Obama federal shortfall over next 10 years: $10 TRILLION

This is money that is spent. Period. You, the taxpayer, are obligated to pay these debts. They are not negotiable. They can not be ignored. You, the taxpayer, have NOT chosen wisely as how you have spent your money and you are now severely in “the red”. So what amount does each citizen owe? Well, let’s do the math. $122.2 TRILLION Dollars divided between the 300 million citizens comes to: $407,000 for each and every man, woman and child living today. $407,000. A family of four owes $1.2 MILLION. The average annual income for a family of four is $67,000.

To pay off their debt of $1.2 MILLION dollars, if their entire earnings are seized by the government, it will take 18 years to work off their current debt. Of course, they have to eat and survive. Let’s say we take the European model and the government seizes 50% of their wages - $33,500. This time is then slashed to only 35 years. However, there is a bit of a fly in the ointment. That will not cover annual government costs. What will they be??

Excluding the non-discretionary spending we have already chatted about (about $2 Trillion per year), the annual cost of government is about $ 1.4 TRILLION per year or nearly $5,000 for each citizen or $20,000 for a family of four. This leaves our family of four with approximately $13,500 for food, shelter and their remaining expenses.

So, for all the efforts of a family of four to earn their $67,000, they will only be allowed to keep $13,500.

Perhaps, rather than taking on health care, our elected officials should address their spending habits and get them under control first.

Continuing in the spirit of fairness

Once my curiosity was piqued by Greg this morning, I wondered how may townhalls that our good Congressman was holding were taped and posted to YouTube.  Here is what I have found, in no particular order

 

 

 

 

 

This seems to be the list.  I will add to it as I find them. 

 

Ya know Congressman, you could make this much, much easier.

In the interest of fairness

I went to see Congressman Boswell's local rep at the Vinton Library this morning.  Honestly, he seemed a bit testy.  But, to be fair, I am hammering on the good Congressman pretty good.   I will post a summary of our meeting a bit later.  But, first in fairness to the Congressman, an effort to get the Congressman's comments out.  I shared with Greg a frustration that nothing was posted at the Congressman's website showing video of the Sigourney meeting.  Greg assured me the video was "out there".  I repeated that it was NOT at the Congressman's website.  He suggested that I google it and sure enough, there are 9 segments on YouTube.  Not of the Congressman's doing, but of an attendee.  Why is that??  Why are we doing the Congressman's work?  In any event, in the spirit of fairness, here are links to the most complete set of videos I found.

I also shared with Greg the frustration that some our attendees that went to Sigourney were frustrated at the small number admitted to the library.  In their estimate, around 40 or so.   A review of the video clearly shows there were more than that.  I have not done a head count from the video but Greg estimated over 100 and I see nothing to dispute that number.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Healthcare Town Meeting

We had a great evening Thursday night.  About 40 folks came to listen to our local healthcare providers and to have their questions answered.

For those that couldn't make it, the following are the videos of the night.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

The following is a series of six videos that cover the questions asked by the folks that attended.  Each is around 10 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

New 2nd Amendment attack

Should Blair Holt's HR 45 become law, it would be illegal to own any firearm (excepting antiques) without a federal firearm license.

H/T Snopes.com

A link to HR 45

 

Pay particular attention to "Title I - Licensing" beginning on page 5. 

8 (2) QUALIFYING FIREARM.—The term ‘‘quali9
fying firearm’’ has the meaning given the term in
10 section 921(a) of title 18, United States Code, as
11 amended by subsection (b) of this section.
12 (b) AMENDMENT TO TITLE 18, UNITED STATES
13 CODE.—Section 921(a) of title 18, United States Code,
14 is amended by adding at the end the following:
15 ‘‘(36) The term ‘qualifying firearm’—
16 ‘‘(A) means—
17 ‘‘(i) any handgun; or
18 ‘‘(ii) any semiautomatic firearm that
19 can accept any detachable ammunition
20 feeding device; and
21 ‘‘(B) does not include any antique.’’.

Any handgun.  Any semiautomatic with a clip.

Hello???  Anyone??  Hello???

Bailouts could cost U.S. $23 trillion

Wow!!

 

Bailouts could cost U.S. $23 trillion

A series of bailouts, bank rescues and other economic lifelines could end up costing the federal government as much as $23 trillion, the U.S. government’s watchdog over the effort says – a staggering amount that is nearly double the nation’s entire economic output for a year.

The devolution of a war hero.

There is no doubt that Congressman Boswell is a true war hero. His medals speak for themselves even without reading the citations. For those of us old enough to have ridden into LZs with these unbelievably brave men, there has never been any doubt – they were either totally insane or incredibly brave. It was usually a mix of the two. Too have served two tours takes Congressman Boswell’s bravery to a level few exhibit and act on. For this, he has my undying respect.

What I want to know is – what’s changed?

There has been one vote on Cap and Trade and an upcoming vote on healthcare that will have a stunning effect on the US economy, small businesses and individual families. That these bills have either reached, or are about to reach, the floor of the House and Senate indicate their importance. They deserve debate, analysis, reflection and input from the folks back home. Yet, it appears that Congressman Boswell will not come home and chat with us before these votes. He certainly did not before Cap and Trade and a call to his office this morning indicates that, if the vote is presented, he will vote on the healthcare bill, without talking to us. I have read many parts of the House version of the bill. I find them tremendously disturbing. Many do. We deserve his ear. I expect this of my elected representative.

When I put pen to paper, I choose my words carefully. They are meant to accurately describe what I mean –precisely. This particularly applies to individuals such as Congressman Boswell and the execution of his duties as our representative.

Regarding his unwillingness to come home and chat with us about these votes in particular a single word comes to mind that describes Congressman Boswell – cowardice. For all his bravery facing hostile fire throughout two tours in Vietnam, he does not seem to have the courage to visit his district, hold meetings in each county and take feedback about his position while listening to our concerns. This is tremendously disappointing.

This is cowardice. Congressman, do the right thing, delay the vote, talk to us and explain yourself. That is the duty of an elected representative. And that is what I expect of you.

Bill Keller

CNSNews.com - Federal Government Was Culprit in Housing and Economic Crisis, Says Congressional Report

This has  been common knowledge since 2001 and Bush’s first budget proposal to congress.  Time for Franks to do a little time!

CNSNews.com - Federal Government Was Culprit in Housing and Economic Crisis, Says Congressional Report

Wednesday, July 08, 2009
By Fred Lucas, Staff Writer

Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee. (AP Photo)

Washington (CNSNews.com) – Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were the chief culprits in the housing crisis because they encouraged people who could not afford payments to borrow money, according to a congressional report released Tuesday.

 

Results of our first meeting June 23, 2009

On June 23^rd, 2009 a number of concerned citizens gathered in Vinton, Iowa to discuss where our country was headed. We focused our attentions on four primary areas; Healthcare, Small Business, the Economy and National Defense.

Individual discussion sessions lasting 10 minutes each were held for those attending to simply detail their own individual concerns. At the end of the 10 minutes each person moved to another group insuring they had an opportunity to express their thoughts in each of the four groups. The moderator for each group took notes. The following is a summary of each groups thoughts and concerns.

Healthcare

• Rushed debate – no honesty.
• What do we expect out of medicine? Better chance of survival and better care.
• Do we really want to force anyone/everyone to have health insurance?
• Universal health care will increase cost, lower quality and diminish access.
• No debate – not allowing opposite views to be full expressed.
• Illuminate illegal alien access to health care, Medicare and Medicaid.
• Less respect for life – will lead to euthanasia.
• Dictating doctors for patients – will lead to a loss of choice.
• Government imposed regulations – grading, physicians connected to the pharmaceutical industry.
• Inefficiencies will grow as in all government programs.
• Need to advocate alternative health care.
• Need to accommodate people on alternative health care.
• Universal health care:
  • 65% of people are happy/satisfied with their health care and do not want universal healthcare.
  • Insurance is not the answer to health care.
  • Insurance companies are to make money for their investors. Those are added dollars on the populace.
  • Universal health care will cover everyone including people living unhealthy life-styles.
  • Universal health care has not worked in other parts of the world. Socialized health care increases pain and suffering. It does not meet the health needs of the people.
• Need for educating the people as to their responsibility for their own healthcare. This education should include information that is truthful and not “pharmacy agenda” oriented.
• Look at other countries and their results.
• Put politicians on the same plan they are proposing to test it first.
• Separate perception of healthcare and insurance.
• Socialized medicine will shift costs from non-payers to payers.

Small Business

• Level of taxes:
  • Not friendly to small business
  • Seem to be going higher.
  • $250,000 income level easily within range of Sub Chapter S corporations.
  • Cuts innovation and growth – no reason to grow and risk if profits go to the government.
• Small business creates most new jobs – new administration obviously hostile to small business.
• Cap and Trade tax estimates are approaching $3,000 per family.
• Small businesses are difficult enough to start. New government policies are making it even more difficult.
• Government is now becoming a direct competitor with small businesses. Auto dealers, financial institutions, insurance agencies, employment for young people.
• The volume of regulations for small business continues to rise.
• Health insurance mandate will force many to layoffs or put them out of business
• Output is already decreasing to avoid increase taxes. More will follow as regulations increase.
• The new government programs and stimulus packages need to be paid for – this will be done in large part by increased taxes on small businesses.
• There is an increase in government intervention in farming and agriculture.
• There has been a dramatic increase in government intervention in mining – even small surface mines – increasing business costs.
• Fines for the mining industry have increased 6-fold since 2006 increasing mining costs throughout the industry.
• DNR continues to impose new regulations on industry including farming and mining again increasing costs.
• There is a general anti-employer mind-set at the state and federal level.
• A tremendous amount of frivolous spending at the state and federal level while businesses suffer.
• Government should be promoting businesses and facilitating their growth to provide more jobs and more income to their employees.
• There seems to be very little actual planning being done at the state or federal level.
• An actual fear that this administration is determined to eliminate the small business person.
• Tremendous duplication of programs between the state and federal government again increasing costs.
• Fear of the future, uncertainty of government policy, uncertain state and federal monetary policies are leading to a slow down in small businesses.
• Tremendous lack of actual business experience at both the state and federal level.
• NO ONE IS LISTENING TO THE SMALL BUSINESS MAN AND WOMAN!!!!!

The Economy

• "Terrified" at the rate of spending.
• Priorities are questionable
• Solving problems by spending money and adding more rules and regulations that hurt small business.
• Retirement plans and nest eggs have been ruined.
• Increase in the number of government employees
• Too many special interest groups disregarding the interests of the whole.
• Spending is bottomless - no control.  Pulling money out of the air.  Terrible impact upon grandchildren and beyond.
• Bailouts should never have happened.
• "They" ignore "us"
• Responsibility falling on the middle class to pay.
• Temptation is to=2 0say the hell with it and join the "dependent" class.
• Inflation is coming and our credit rating will be going.
• Federal Reserve can't account for $9 trillion that is "missing."  But, the FR is being given additional power.
• Federal government is way too big.
• Not adhering to the precepts of the Constitution.
• Money being spent is going to supporters - political pay offs
• The US has given money and aid over the years to many countries but little has come back to us.
• Money winds up in the hands of people who don't really need it.
• We're going to have to "clean house" - getting "them" to change won't happen.
• Term limits for all in government and the judiciary.
• GOP needs to create a new identity.
• Waste is compounding as government gets bigger.
• Earmarks - everyone out to grab what they can for themselves.
• Lawmaker benefits are rich compared to average citizen.
• Travel budgets should be cut.
• Spending has become a political issue rather than an issue of merit.
• Too much money in the welfare system without accountability.
• Don't cut the military.
• Return to the citizen politician not the "professional."
• Need to return to "country first."
• Government should be setting the example and leading the way in the role of thrift and savings.
• Solution seems to be to always throw money at the problem.
• Bailouts are anti-capitalism.
• You want stimulus?  Put it in the defense industry.
• What has happened to common sense?
• Not in favor of helping the banks, car companies, etc.
• There are no controls.
• Abandoning capitalism in favor of socialism.
• Too many liberal judiciaries, particularly at lower levels.
• The media is out of control.

National Defense

Group 1

#1 worry --- open borders. We are rewarding wrong behavior, and providing welfare to non citizens. Mark Levin points out in his book Liberty and Tyranny that these payment can total $30,000 per year. Cost of providing illegals health care, education, etc. is unsustainable. Many firms or individuals that hire these people pay substandard wages, and do not provide a good working environment. (editorializing) management and others that hire these people knowing they are illegal should be charged with the appropriate crimes. No one is listening to our concerns.

One participant was worried that our Medicare Cards have Social Security numbers instead of a randomly chosen number. Concerned about identity theft. Note, the State of Iowa is able to do this with Drivers Licenses on request.

Another was worried that schools are not teaching accurate history, and culture. Worried also that patriotism is being left out of the mix. i.e. no flag in the class room - no saying the pledge of allegiance.

Group 2

Are we showing strength or weakness in our Foreign Policy. The worry is that we are indeed showing weakness, which will probably embolden our enemies. The U.S. has done much to militarily and financially aid Muslims with no thanks or credit given. President Obama’s so called apology tour did not give any credit to the good things we have done for the World.

North Korea? What’s next. They have nukes. They have missiles. Hawaii and Alaska are or will be in range. And yet we are decreasing Defense spending. We are decreasing research and spending on missile defense. Not good ideas. We have trillions to spend on bailouts and TARF and social programs, but priorities seem to be screwed up. North Korea a terrible threat to South Korea. (editorializing) also Japan. There is a deep seated hatred of Japan because of WWII.

Group 3

Internal security? One participate suggest we use the Armed Forces to protect our Southern border. The birth rate of our core is too low. We will soon be outnumbered by the minorities. This is the best reason to make should these peoples are fully integrated into our culture, values, history, and the proper function of government. Europe is being overrun by Islam. Muslims in these countries seem to show no interest in adapting to the culture of their home country.

Group 4

Immigration - New immigrates are not adapting to our culture, language, history, founding (Republic). If we are to educate these people then we need to do it right.

We should not be a hyphenated population. We should be one people – Americans.

We did not elect a Black President – we elected an American President? At least we hope he is natural born citizen, and in compliance with the terms of the Constitution.

One of the best stimulus is Defense Spending. (Rockwell) Our military equipment is old and weary. Our front line fighters are 30+ yrs old. Our primary bomber (B-52) is forty + years old. (editorializing) The fly away cost of our new air superiority fighter (F-22) is $144,000,000 each. The more that are built the more the per each cost goes down. In order for the F-35 to fulfill its mission effectively the Sky must be secured. This means opposing Air Forces as well as Air Defenses. Third world countries are updating their older missiles (by the Former Soviet Union or the New Russia) with newer technologies. This makes the skies over Afghanistan or anywhere else for that matter to be more dangerous for our airmen. From the end of the first Gulf War to the beginning of the second Our Air Force has been in constant Combat. Saddam’s air defenses constantly illuminated our forces patrolling in the No Fly Zone or on occasion fired at our planes. Numerous times as the beginning of the second Gulf War approached. DOD has authorized the building of 187 F-22. Many highly experience former Air Force people regard this number as “high risk” – meaning too low a number to carry on our many missions..

Group 5

Close the borders. Immigrants can come here legally. Illegals should not be part of the census. No welfare, no schools, or free health care. President Obama should not apologize. Defense will take a money hit for social programs.

We do not have the National Will to keep us safe.

Note: Most of the participants did not have any real knowledge of defense matters, but they feel in their gut that something is not right.

What’s Next???

The June 23^rd meeting was proposed by a core group of folks that have formed a reading group focused on these current issues. We meet monthly and will continue to do so. At our next meeting the end of July we will block out our next steps.

In the mean time, we encourage everyone to create and complete a single action item in each of the four areas. These may be any of the following:

• Write an opinion piece for the local paper.
• Attend a Congressman’s or Senator’s regional meet and greet.
• Call your representatives on some of the issues they are voting on.
• Write them an email or letter expressing your thoughts and opinions.
• Evaluate your own individual situation – both personal and professional – and learn how new legislation will directly effect you.
• Read one of the books listed on the http://notwithoutourconsent.blogspot.com website.
• Participate in the website, become a contributing writer.
• Share your thoughts with friends and neighbors – have them join our group.
• Come to our meetings, read the books and learn along with us.

Many of us believe our country is headed in a dangerous direction. This is NOT about party but about choices being made by our elected government. Please, jump in and help us reign things in. Review these notes, pick an action item, complete it and attend our July meeting. Check the blog or wait for an email and we will let you know time and date.

Thank you very much for your participation.

"Tyrannosaurus Debt" ~ Schoolhouse Rock

Perhaps a cartoon would be understandable to our Congressmen.

What a terrific job!!!

A gathering of concerned citizens.

So we are having a gathering of folks that are concerned about the direction of our country. Spending seems to have no limits. Small businesses are under attack. We seem to be reducing our efforts on national defense. And our healthcare system is on the verge of a massive change. How do you feel about all this?

Here is our invitation to come and chat about your concerns. We hope to see you there!

Memo to Capitalists: Be Very Afraid - HUMAN EVENTS

One has to ask, when and how will Obama's new found love of tyranny end?  The answers are not easy to contemplate.

Memo to Capitalists: Be Very Afraid - HUMAN EVENTS

by  David Limbaugh

05/09/2009

Lately, MSNBC's Chris Matthews has been on a childish tear, taunting Republicans to admit their belief in the biblical account of the Creation. Someone ought to ask this paragon of smug self-satisfaction why, if he's so brilliant, he unquestioningly echoes the demagogic hyperbole of global warming fanatics hellbent on destroying the economic system responsible for producing unprecedented prosperity in the advanced industrialized world.

I Can Only Hope This Proves To Be Inflammatory Nonsense | finem respice

Are we descending into fascism??

I Can Only Hope This Proves To Be Inflammatory Nonsense | finem respice

RealClearPolitics - Cold, Cold Health Care

Looking at the future of healthcare under the Obama administration.

Cold, Cold Health Care

By Carol Peracchio

And he's not cool. He's cold. This is a cold, cold guy.
- Rush Limbaugh

Last year I read that Barack Obama not only voted against, but vigorously fought the passage in Illinois of the Born Alive Infant Protection Act (BAIPA). This bill addressed the situation when an abortion results in a live baby. BAIPA stated all live born babies are guaranteed the same constitutional right to equal protection whether or not they were wanted. The Federal version of this legislation passed the Senate unanimously. Yet Barack Obama voted against this legislation not once but several times.

Dem Congresswoman Admits Obama Health Care Plan Will Destroy Private Health Insurance Industry

“I know many of you here today are single payer advocates and so am I … and those of us who are pushing for a public health insurance don’t disagree with this goal. This is not a principled fight. This is a fight about strategy for getting there and I believe we will,” Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) told a group of government-run health care supporters on April 18.

RealClearPolitics - The Attack On Doctors' Hippocratic Oath

At least the Obama administration is consistent on treatment of the gravely ill - just let them die.

The Attack On Doctors' Hippocratic Oath

By Betsy McCaughey

Patients count on their doctor to do whatever is possible to treat their illness. That is the promise doctors make by taking the Hippocratic Oath.

But President Obama's advisers are looking to save money by interfering with that oath and controlling your doctor's decisions.

Ezekiel Emanuel sees the Hippocratic Oath as one factor driving "overuse" of medical care. He is a policy adviser in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and a brother of Rahm Emanuel, the president's chief of staff.

TARP: The Looming Debacle

It seems the $700 BILLION TARP program has grown a bit - say 4 times.  Anyone getting to vote on this??  Any debate before Congress??  Any ability for the common man to have their say through the vote of their representative??  Is that really too much to ask??

TARP: The Looming Debacle

Share Post Print

April 27, 2009 Posted by John at 8:00 AM

On April 21, the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program Act of 2009--"SIGTARP"--submitted his quarterly report to Congress on his office's activities in relation to the TARP program. The report is a disquieting document that should be read by every American--certainly be every taxpayer.

The Inspector General's report documents the stunning and at least partly illegal expansion of TARP from the $700 billion originally allocated by Congress to what is now a $3 trillion complex of programs. This chart shows the various programs that are now included within SIGTARP's oversight, and how they have expanded from the initial $700 billion. Note that some of the programs are still incipient; $3 trillion is by no means a final number. Click to enlarge:

CANADIAN DOCTORS DEMAND MORE PAY - New York Times

What will your doctor be willing to work for under a socialized healthcare system?  Would they work for $53,000 per year??

CANADIAN DOCTORS DEMAND MORE PAY - New York Times

By HENRY GINIGER, SPECIAL TO THE NEW YORK TIMES

Published: April 25, 1982

Medicare, Canada's publicly financed comprehensive health system, is once again being battered by thousands of angry doctors agitating for higher incomes.

In Ontario, Canada's largest province, 15,000 doctors have been staying away from their offices or refusing to perform some services, such as prescribing drugs by telephone. Some 5,500 general practitioners in Quebec, the second largest province, are threatening to close their offices for a day next week.

........

Well before the cuts, doctors' incomes were losing ground to those of other professional groups, the Medical Association says. It cited tax figures indicating that between 1971 and 1977 lawyers, dentists and accountants increased their incomes at a much faster rate than doctors. In Ontario, according to an association spokesman, the average net income for a doctor is about $53,000 a year.

Article | A Canadian Doctor Describes How Socialized Medicine Doesn't Work

A glimpse of our future healthcare system.

A Canadian Doctor Describes How Socialized Medicine Doesn't Work

July 26, 2007

By David Gratzer

I was once a believer in socialized medicine. As a Canadian, I had soaked up the belief that government–run health care was truly compassionate. What I knew about American health care was unappealing: high expenses and lots of uninsured people.

My health care prejudices crumbled on the way to a medical school class. On a subzero Winnipeg morning in 1997, I cut across the hospital emergency room to shave a few minutes off my frigid commute.

Swinging open the door, I stepped into a nightmare: the ER overflowed with elderly people on stretchers, waiting for admission. Some, it turned out, had waited five days. The air stank with sweat and urine. Right then, I began to reconsider everything that I thought I knew about Canadian health care.

Iowa's Attorney General expects Iowans to ignore their conscience or face criminal charges.

I live in a wonderful state filled with kind and hard working people.  It is a state that lives family values, one of which is a belief that marriage is a sacrament that unites a man and a woman.  Through the results of a trial and the decision of our Supreme Court, we Iowans now discover that this is simply an error in our judgement and that beginning April 27th court recorders that refuse to issue marriage licenses may be prosecuted.  Of course, Iowa has a "right of conscience" statute but it seems the AG has little interest in that.  I suspect this will lead to more court time, more trials, more judicial decisions.  How about this - let the people vote or, at the least, let their elected legislators vote.

State threatens locals: Marry 'gays' – or else

Attorney general: 'We must live by and follow what the courts decide'

---

Posted: April 24, 2009
12:10 am Eastern

By Bob Unruh

Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller

Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller is warning the county recorders' offices in his state that workers must process "marriage" licenses for same-sex duos or face possible charges in a court of law.

"If necessary, we will explore legal actions to enforce and implement the court's ruling, working with the Iowa Dept. of Public Health and county attorneys," he warned on his website.

But an announcement today from a statewide pro-family organization and a public interest law firm with a reach that goes around the world means the issue of same-sex weddings eventually could end up back in court.

The statements from Miller relate to the state Supreme Court's decision that Iowa must provide same-sex couples access to the state's marriage processes.

Obama legal team wants defendants' rights limited

The continued assault on American's rights by The Big "O".

Obama legal team wants defendants' rights limited

By MARK SHERMAN
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Obama administration is asking the Supreme Court to overrule long-standing law that stops police from initiating questions unless a defendant's lawyer is present, another stark example of the White House seeking to limit rather than expand rights.

The administration's action - and several others - have disappointed civil rights and civil liberties groups that expected President Barack Obama to reverse the policies of his Republican predecessor, George W. Bush, after the Democrat's call for change during the 2008 campaign.

Newsmax.com - Hillary Clinton Defends Worldwide Abortion Rights

The American dream now includes the culture of death. My tax dollars are now being used to kill the unborn world wide. Is that what we, as a nation, stand for?

Hillary Clinton Defends Worldwide Abortion Rights

Thursday, April 23, 2009 6:55 PM

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, testifying in Congress, defended the right to abortion worldwide and the Obama administration's decision to finance family planning overseas.

Clinton stood her ground against Christopher Smith, a Republican lawmaker from New Jersey who strongly opposes abortion.

Smith, speaking during Clinton's first hearing in the House Foreign Affairs Committee since she became top diplomat, asked if President Barack Obama's team sought to influence African and South American countries on abortion.

"Congressman, I deeply respect your passionate concern and views which you have championed and advocated for over the course of your public career," Clinton told him.

"We, obviously, have a profound disagreement," the chief US diplomat said.

The deliberate weakening of our sovereignty by the Obama administration continues.

Janet Napolitano decides crossing our border without authorization is not a crime - no, really - it's not a crime.  Via Malkin from the weekend interview of Napolitano on Larry King:

She said this on CNN over the weekend:

KING: A lot of Democrats in Congress want to you investigate [Joe Arpaio]. They think he is over the line. He says he is just enforcing the law and the problem is the federal government.

NAPOLITANO: Well, you know, Sheriff Joe, he is being very political in that statement, because he knows that there aren’t enough law enforcement officers, courtrooms or jail cells in the world to do what he is saying.

What we have to do is target the real evil-doers in this business, the employers who consistently hire illegal labor, the human traffickers who are exploiting human misery.

And yes, when we find illegal workers, yes, appropriate action, some of which is criminal, most of that is civil, because crossing the border is not a crime per se. It is civil. But anyway, going after those as well.

Yes, California, There Is an Individual Right to Keep and Bear Arms (Cato @ Liberty)

More on the 2nd Amendment win in California.

Yes, California, There Is an Individual Right to Keep and Bear Arms

Posted by Ilya Shapiro

Well, today the Ninth Circuit (the federal appellate court covering most Western states) ruled that the Second Amendment restricts the power of state and local governments to interfere with individual right to have guns for personal use.  That is, the Fourteenth Amendment “incorporates” the Second Amendment against the states, as the Supreme Court has found it to do for most of the Bill of Rights.  I rarely get a chance to say this, but the Ninth Circuit gets it exactly right.

Is Your Minister a 'Hate Crime' Peddler? - HUMAN EVENTS

Congress begins the attack on free speech.  Hello?  America?  Anyone out there???

Is Your Minister a 'Hate Crime' Peddler? - HUMAN EVENTS

by  Andrea Lafferty

04/21/2009

The George Orwell congress resumed its session yesterday.  Not content to attempt to end the secret ballot by the “Employee Free Choice Act,”  the House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to mark up and pass the equally-Orwellian “Hate Crimes” bill, HR 1913.
Just as the “Employee Free Choice Act” would end free choice, the “Hate Crimes” bill would criminalize free speech.  No, it’s not another version of the “Fairness Doctrine” – which is fair to all except conservatives.  The “Hate Crimes” bill wants to criminalize speech that insults politically-fashionable minorities, such as gays.

A win for the 2nd Amendment - from the 9th Circuit no less.

A solid finding for the right to bear arms - from the 9th Circuit Court no less. 

http://volokh.com/posts/1240247034.shtml

Consent of the Governed

When our founders were drafting the Constitution and determining the form of government they wanted for this new country, they evaluated two primary types, Democracies and Republics. Their paramount concern when choosing a path for this new government was that the leaders and direction would be determined by the “consent of the governed”. Let that phrase sink in for a moment: “consent of the governed”. They were particularly interested in Greek democracy and its failure. This was their primary example for a direct democracy - where virtually all decisions were made by the direct and individual vote by each citizen. They decided that its failure in Greece came about in part because it was impossible for each citizen to be fully informed on each and every topic and that their votes, while certainly cast by the governed, were cast by people knowingly ignorant of the issue and thus cast without a full understanding of what they were voting for.

They chose as their direction a Republic. The governed would be represented by individuals that were directly elected by them or by individuals selected by people the governed had elected. These were local people, people they had the opportunity to know, to talk to. People raised in their region that shared their sense of values. People whose primary reason for standing for election was a sincere desire to serve their friends by serving in their nation’s government, and then leaving office and returning to their community – to be replaced by another civil servant. This rotation of people was to ensure that those elected would remain tied to their home communities rather than being consumed by the power of the federal government. Thus the “consent of the governed” would be refreshed with each new legislator sent off to the federal government.

The other advantage of a republic was that this elected and trustworthy neighbor would be able to devote their efforts to understanding the legislation presented for consideration. Rather than each individual citizen of the 13 colonies being required to understand the content of each and every bill introduced, argued and voted on, the belief was that since the elected representative and each selected (in the early days) senator would naturally have the best interests of their constituents at heart and cast their vote with these interests in mind.

This approach then met the test of “consent of the governed”. The Representative Republic was born.

So how is this working today? Honestly, I have more than a few concerns. While I am certainly as partisan as they come, and proudly so, this particular issue rises above partisanship and directly effects the ability of our country to survive as the Representative Republic it was meant to be. Let me share a few examples that concern me:

This week’s ruling by the Iowa Supreme Court that gay marriage is an “equal treatment under the law” issue and now legal within the state of Iowa. My frustration is not with the verdict, though I support civil unions and not marriage for gays, but with the simple fact the people of Iowa had no say in the matter. This was an argument generated out of whole cloth by a single court verdict and elevated to the Supreme Court of Iowa level. A decision made, not by the people of Iowa, but by a single court. This is not “consent of the governed” but rather a single branch of government imposing its will on the governed.

Next, the current flurry of bailouts throughout our country. I have run my small business in Vinton for nearly 28 years. At times, frankly, I have struggled mightily. Yet, if I would have reached a point where I could have not continued, I would have simply been forced to close my doors and fail. Now, we find that TRILLIONS of dollars of the American taxpayer is being used to prop up companies that are failing. The housing bailout called TARP was created in weeks this past fall, ran over one thousand pages in length and was voted on without a single Legislator or Senator having actually read the bill. It passed. And was promptly changed by then Secretary Paulson without the consent of congress. And it still isn’t working with over 25% of newly refinanced home loans already in default for a second time. How does voting for a bill, without fully reading and understanding it, costing trillions of our hard earned dollars, pass the “consent of the governed” test?

Third, the Federal Reserve printing a TRILLION dollars in money to purchase even more bad loans from banks on the brink of bankruptcy. This was an act, executed with no debate at all. Article 1 of the Constitution clearly states that all bills regarding raising revenue must begin in the House of Representatives. Honestly, I am unclear how the Fed can simply print a trillion dollars. Regardless, again, how does this decrease in the value of the dollar, without any debate by any elected official represent the “consent of the governed"?

Forth, the auto bailout. We, the people, now own GM and Chrysler. And we paid too much – over 30 BILLION to date. If you went on the stock exchange, purchased every piece of stock – EVERY SINGLE, SOLITIARY PIECE OF STOCK AVAILABLE ON THE PLANET – you would only spend $1.28 billion as of Friday, April 3^rd. We have spent 23 times more on GM than it is worth. By what possible description is this a good deal?? And, they are asking for more – much more. Was there a single vote for the initial round of GM bailout money? Nope, not a single vote, only then President Bush’s signature. Again, referring to the goal of the founders that our elected representatives would serve the best needs of their constituents, how does spending this amount of American’s hard earned money on a company in failure meet the “consent of the governed”? Would you buy GM stock??

Let’s not forget our energy needs. The people of America have spoken in a loud voice, use our own resources and stop depending on foreign countries with anything but our well-being on their mind. And yet, even with the expiration of the off-shore drilling ban this past October, members of congress are moving quickly to reinstate it. How does this further our national security? Our resources – oil, coal, natural gas, nuclear – should be used to their fullest to ensure our ability to grow and exist as a nation. I am confused when a clear majority of Americans are in favor of using these resources and the Congress’s stubbornly resisting this meets the “consent of the governed” test.

Illegal immigration and the security of our borders. This is certainly a hot-button issue that has its flames fanned by both sides of the issue. However, it is a perfect example of how “consent of the governed” could quite simply resolve the issue. The issue has never revolved around the idea of immigration. All of us are here because, originally, one of our ancestors left the “old country” and immigrated to the US. And, we have long had laws in place that handled this exact issue. There are very clear procedures in place that states the process that needs to be followed when immigrating to the US as well as quotas from each country. If these laws need to change, if the quotas need to be raised – then present these to the American people. Have the legislators discuss this with the people of their district – and the change them. Offering a blanket amnesty of people who have violated the laws of our country does not – by any stretch of the imagination – meet the “consent of the governed”. Additionally, the vast majority of Americans want a secure border with Mexico – period. One of the basic duties of the government of the United States is to secure our borders. The fact that our Congress and numerous administrations fail to do this single task seems to fly in the face of the “consent of the governed”.

There are a large number of other examples where I, or friends, have commented that they simply didn’t know how the government could do “that” – whatever “that” was in the moment. The truth is, they can’t. Our elected officials serve at our pleasure. They are expected to listen to the folks back home, to actually read the bills they vote for, to understand the effects of the legislation they pass and to honor their position as servants of the people each and every day they are in office. They have forgotten. Our federal and state governments are in the midst of a spending orgy the likes of which we, as a country, have never seen. The Obama administration is proposing a budget that spends more money than all of the previous administrations combined. Their own CBO has estimated annual budget deficits of over a TRILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR as far as they can predict into the future. We will be passing on to our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren a debt that they will simply be unable to pay. I do not believe, in my heart, that this is the wish of any American. We need to remind ourselves that these folks are in office by the “consent of the governed” and that they answer to us. If we, as citizens, are expected to live within our budgets, we expect to have our government do so as well.