We have been saying 2012 will not be 2010 until I'm sure all our readers are sick of hearing it….There are any number of reasons for this mantra. Obama, has effectively divided the people of this nation. This division is not simply along the lines of 'Liberal' VS 'Conservative any longer,' but 'Good' VS 'Evil,' 'Old VS Young,' 'Wealthy' VS 'Poor, 'Workers' VS 'Business', 'Federal Government' VS 'State Government' and under these basic headings most radical groups can find a home and support for each of their missions….With a righteousness of all radicals they believe the end always justify the means.
Did Obama create these divisions or did he simply use his skills to clearly define or simply offer a banner for radical groups to rally under? Whether by design or not that is what has happen. (Over the last couple of years I have recommended a few book on a 'must read' list. Creating a New Civilization by Alvin and Heidi Toffler is on the top of that list. To under how Obama so effectively has divided and conquered is what this book is about and was published in 1994 long before Obama had a teleprompter. Please, give it a read. Will take no more than an hour.)
Many of us thought the unions were dead, a part of our history that had been set aside. Only six percent of American workers outside of government are union members and even this small percentage was enough to destroy the most powerful auto industry in the world with the voters picking up the cost of their outrageous union contracts. (Taxpayers bailing out the auto industry.)
It seem voters in America took a long nap and unions moved into every nook and cranny of Federal and many State governments. Unions member bought and paid for the election of so many elected officials. To the surprise of many these same politicians became ardent supporters of unions. Who would have guessed it?
Government is union's last stronghold.
Early in World War Two Roosevelt personally had to go to John L. Lewis, who had his coal union members out on strike, and ask him to end the strike because it was hurting the war effort. Lewis responded that it was Roosevelt's job to protect the nation and it was his job to protect union workers. We have all watched this same attitude play out in Wisconsin these past weeks. With Wisconsin's Dem Senators, rather that dealing with their state's financial problems related to union workers and union workers benefits, left the state avoiding their responsibilities and are still hiding out. So between Roosevelt's experience and Walker's experience it appears as if nothing has changed in the minds of union leaders over the past half century. What we have been able to see is to what extent unions have bought congressmen at state and federal levels.
The John L. Lewis episode with Roosevelt was a tipping point. Government realized that big unions were dangerous. Like so many other lessons time has blurred the lesson.
Rasmussen Reports
A plurality of Wisconsin voters think voters should have the right to approve or reject new pension plans agreed to by government officials and union members if they'll lead to increased government spending. They are evenly divided as to whether approval should be required for public employee pay raises that push spending higher.
If public employee unions and elected state officials agree to a union contract with increased pension benefits that would lead to higher state government spending, 48% of likely Wisconsin voters think that contract should require voter approval before it can be implemented. A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey finds that 39% disagree, and 14% are not sure.
Below is a letter that has been sent to many of Wisconsin's congressional members that voted on this Union bill.
"Please put your things in order because you will be killed and your families will also be killed due to your actions in the last 8 weeks. Please explain to them that this is because if we get rid of you and your families then it will save the rights of 300,000 people and also be able to close the deficit that you have created. I hope you have a good time in hell.
WE want to make this perfectly clear. Because of your actions today and in the past couple of weeks I and the group of people that are working with me have decided that we’ve had enough. We feel that you and the people that support the dictator have to die. We have tried many other ways of dealing with your corruption but you have taken things too far and we will not stand for it any longer. So, this is how it’s going to happen: I as well as many others know where you and your family live. It’s a matter of public records. We have all planned to assault you by arriving at your house and putting a nice little bullet in your head. However, we decided that we wouldn’t leave it there. We also have decided that this may not be enough to send the message to you since you are so “high” on Koch and have decided that you are now going to single handedly make this a dictatorship instead of a demorcratic process. So we have also built several bombs that we have placed in various locations around the areas in which we know that you frequent. This includes, your house, your car, the state capitol, and well I won’t tell you all of them because that’s just no fun. Since we know that you are not smart enough to figure out why this is happening to you we have decided to make it perfectly clear to you. If you and your goonies feel that it’s necessary to strip the rights of 300,000 people and ruin their lives, making them unable to feed, clothe, and provide the necessities to their families and themselves then We Will “get rid of” (in which I mean kill) you. Please understand that this does not include the heroic Rep. Senators that risked everything to go against what you and your goonies wanted him to do. We feel that it’s worth our lives to do this, because we would be saving the lives of 300,000 people. Please make your peace with God as soon as possible and say goodbye to your loved ones we will not wait any longer. YOU WILL DIE!!!!"
This guy talked tough but didn't have the courage to sign his letter.
The Highwayman: Stand and deliver or you will die.
Another threat came from Richard Trumka, the President of the AFL-CIO. He said this was shameless behavior on the part of the Republicans in Wisconsin and in 2012 they will pay for their behavior…. I'm not sure just how he intends to do this given the amount of money and phone bank people the union brought into Wisconsin for the last election and lost. However, they will do more. If the unions lose their foothold in government that would more or less be their demise.
Everything has a season and the season for unions has passed. Most workers will not join unions but Obama and group are standing firmly with them.
Just a note: Seven union bus drivers in Madison were identified in a article I was reading by Ann Coltour. All made over 100,000.00 last year and one made 159,000.00. Retirement benefits for these drivers run about 80% of highest three years salary and this includes health care. (I don't know what everyone else is going to do but I am packing my bag.)
Civil unrest comes to England:
"Hundreds of tax protesters storm the courtroom in England and attempt to make citizens' arrest of a judge.
Raymond Saintclair, who organized the Birkenhead protest, said: "Today was day-one. This is going to happen again and again and again. We have sent a message to this court as one nation and one voice until change comes."
The BCG's main aim is a rallying call for "lawful rebellion." Leaflets handed out by the crowd said: "We, the British People have a right to govern ourselves. "
Novel idea….. Don't you wish we had thought of it...
Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced Wednesday the Department of Education estimates the number of schools not meeting stated federal targets will skyrocket from 37 to 82 percent in 2011 because states are toughening their standards to meet the requirements of the federal law.
So, an estimated 82 percent of U.S. schools could be labeled as "failing" under the nation's 'No Child Left Behind' requirements.
Does anyone wonder what the percentage of schools were failing to do their job before the 'No Child Left Behind' law kicked in? Or possibly, the law kicked in because the same 82 percent were already failing to do their job?
Got an e-mail the other day from a reader who said, "You keep harping on 2012 being harder than 2010. What more do you think we can do?" I wrote him back and asked, "What do you think you can do?" I wasn't trying to be curt in my response but trying (in my poor way) to say Tea Party is just the name given to a grass roots movement... A good one I think.. Grass root movements are simply about one person taking a stand on their beliefs and values along with others who hold similar beliefs and values. When we call our Senator's office that is one voice…The calls are counted one voice at a time. At some point, in every congressional office, there is a tipping point in the numbers. When that point is reached, the congressmen starts paying attention to what's being said.
Returning to the question, "What more can we do?" Well, running the risk of being naïve, let me suggest that if we can't or don't any longer trust our government to run our country and protect the people and our businesses from foreign nations then we must. (Other than WE, I don't see any other hands being raised.) A simple idea we could take on is 'international trade deficits.' (Just for fun.) Lets say 10,000 Tea Party folks in Mississippi chose to not buy $20.00 of foreign made products each week that would equal $200,000.00 in the reduction of the nation's trade deficit. Is this a drop in the bucket? Yes…BUT in a month that number could grow into a million dollars. By the end of the year it could be as much as nine million dollars. Still a drop in the bucket….Here again, just for fun, suppose 500,000 Teaers across this nation participated till the 2012 election lets round this off to about 90 weeks. This equals $900,000,000.00 …BAM...now this number starts to take on real meaning. There are many ways one person plus others who want to make a difference can…Simple choices, over time, will put us back in the driver's seat. If the Teaers were to do such a thing word would get out into the general population. The idea is so simple and the goal so clear that maybe some liberal Republicans, DEMs, and independent voters might come on board with another million people. No matter how the liberal media and the Washington folks spin what the group is doing the fact would be the national 'trade imbalances' particularly with China would start dropping on a daily basis.
For those who are still with me on this math let me point out there is yet another up side to all this…Every dollar we spend on products made in America our GDP goes up even more and with the rise so does the hiring of unemployed Americans.
Its our country and we are going to take it back and keep it safe. Vote with our bucks in one other way each voice can be heard…This a powerful vote.
(Note: When oil reaches about 110 to 120 dollars a barrel the Mideast takes about two billion a week out of our nation and the dollars comes out of each of our pockets. We must get our financial house in order.)
Maine's State constitution required that all men have guns. Those men and those guns were the first line of defense in the protection of the state. I see the Tea Party in similar ways though not with guns but with votes. The vote is the weapon of choice today and the only weapon politicians fear.
The last election the DEMs discounted the Tea Party movement. They will not make that mistake again. They will come after us and anyone we support. They have the money, muscle, and the national liberal media to lead the attack. It will be a full frontal attack….Its going to be ugly and relentless... (Look at Wisconsin these last few weeks. Did that not look like a game of hardball that Walker was in?)
Jumping back to the question, "What more can we do?
We have our State Legislature full of liberal members. So long as they feel safe in their positions they will do what they want. The moment they start getting pressure from their district voters they will start questioning what they are doing. For the most part the people in their district that voted for them have no idea what their congressman is doing. All of these districts have local newspapers. Often read by many voters and then talked about in coffee shops. I think we should start playing hard ball with them on their home turf. Trying to deal with them in hallways in the capitol building is not impacting. Get articles written giving the congressman's voting history. Tell what they voted for and the impact the law has on the voters in their district. If the local papers don't have a real interest in running these articles then pay the paper to run the article as a ad along with their other advertisers. Not just one but a series of articles…Keep the pressure up until the people in the district start questioning their congressman.
Most voters, according to polls, don't have a great deal of confidence in their congressional folks at the state or federal level. However, if the voters knew what their congressman is doing it would seem what little confidence they have would quickly melt.
CNBC
March 8: "Welfare State: Handouts Make Up One-Third of U.S. Wages"
"Government payouts—including Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Welfare programs, and unemployment insurance—make up more than a third of total income, wages and salaries of the U.S. population, a record figure that will only increase if action isn't taken before the majority of baby boomers enter retirement."
I can't imagine how this news flash got out on CNBC. Could it be that some part of the national media is waking up?
Be sure and watch these two videos….It may take awhile to the load the first video. Also note, this report was not done by the national media nor, to my knowledge, been covered by any of the national media.) The second video will speak for itself. (You may just want to copy these in your browser. If you do this step it will be easy from you to send them to friends…and maybe unschooled voters you might know.)
http://www.wsbtv.com/video/25764282/index..html
http://www.youtube.com/embed/tsH8xvjTAlo
A government for and by the people will be The New Norm.
Ron
docnick37@gmail.com
Http://theoxfordteaparty.blogspot.com
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Does Debt Matter?
Government never of itself furthered any enterprise, but by the alacrity with which it got out of its way. Government does not keep the country free. Government did not settle the West. It does not educate. The character inherent in the American people has done all that has been accomplished. (Not sure who said this.)
BUT government for years has gotten in its way….From the thirties on government has entwined itself into the lives of people and business. Little bit here and there till finally a tipping point has been reached. Now what is left is this generation of voters who can't imagine their lives without some form of government social program. This talk of reducing the size and scope of government even somewhat is frightening and I can understand why it frightening. This is not just about this second or third generation welfare recipients but through the mired of social programs, family tax credits, SS, colleges grants, etc.. Many families, if not most, are dependent on government for their standard of living. The effect of just cutting back here and there on the programs will have a impact to some degree on them. With this said, who then is left to make the sacrifice?
Latest and greatest non-politically funded poll:
There are widespread misperceptions about the state of the federal budget. A majority of voters incorrectly believe the federal government spends more on defense/foreign aid than it does on Medicare and Social Security (63%).
Also, a similar majority (60%) incorrectly believes problems with the federal budget can be fixed by just eliminating waste, fraud and abuse. Voters do not casually agree with these untruths- at least 40% strongly agree.
Further, less than half (44%) believe Medicare and Social Security costs are a major source of problems for the federal budget (49% disagree).
The waste in government is a strong concern to voters – again 60% believe fixing the waste will solve the nation’s budget problems, and voters say that 42% of each federal dollar is wasted.
Voters are comfortable with significant cuts to the federal budget. First, a majority (53%) of voters have paid “a lot” of attention to the debate over federal budget cuts, and a mere 21% say the $60 billion in cuts that Congress is considering is too high. A plurality (36%) say the cuts are too low, with 31% saying they are about right. (21 % + 31% = 52% )
The political impact for a member(s) who is in favor of the cuts appears to be a net positive. A majority (52%) are more likely to support their members of Congress if he or she supports these cuts, while only 28% are less likely. Support for re-electing a member who votes in favor of these cuts is high among Republicans (67%), and reaches majority support among Independents (54%). At the same time, 45% say they will be negatively impacted by the cuts, while 33% will feel no impact and 13% believe they will be positively impacted.
Voters who said they would be negatively impacted were asked a follow-up, open-ended question, on how they would be impacted. The top response was that it would hurt Social Security and Medicare benefits (22%), followed by “unsure” (17%), and that it would generally cut government services (14%).
Voters are divided on who they would blame if the government is forced to shut down for not having a budget. While 37% would blame the Republicans in Congress, 20% would blame the Democrats in Congress and 22% would blame Obama.
Polls are nothing more or less than a snapshot but here we are trying to get more or less a token cut in spending and there is no real will in the country to do so. Certainly no overall will to do so in our Senate…
What seem most incredible is the folks who benefit most from these social programs seem to have no awareness that the money they receive is taken from their neighbor. What is also incredible is the neighbor doesn't seem to realize the money is taken from them by their government and given to these recipients. Some do....Most don't think about it… Nor do they question all the other ways governments spend their money.
This country is not about to go under but with the passing of each day our standard of living slips. Or national and individual debt goes up. This economic downturn has decimated the middle class the very families who pick up a huge part of the national tax burden.
Last year we added 1,853,000 new people to the country
Labor force dropped 312,000
Those not in the labor force rose to 2,165,000
In Jan (2011) 319,000 dropped out of the work force
In Feb (2011) 87,000 dropped out of the work force
Best estimate is 40 odd million people are on some government support program. Everyone associated with government tells us things are looking better. (I meant to mention to our readers that I got this great buy on the bridge from Vicksburg over into Arkansas. I'm willing to sell an interest in the bridge if anyone wants to get into this really good deal.)
Has anyone noticed that the GOP in both houses are keeping as quiet about what they are doing as the DEMs did? Rand Paul and a couple of others are the exceptions.
More time that passes the more it seems we must raise our goals of electing a majority in both houses and in the process we must be selective and replace many of the old guard…. Time is not on America's side… A welfare system, our medical system, and the national printing press is all under the control of a government that is not responsive to us and do not behave responsibly. A fourteen trillion dollars debt is looming and this group of leaders are fiddling.
Does Debt Matter?
Americans are not pessimists. A their core American are optimists. However, lots of trees makes a forest and what so many American are looking for is a few good trees. Like congress and main stream media voters get caught up in the euphoria of finding the one small tree. (I.E. a 60 billion dollar cut and a 4 trillion dollar budget.) Heaven help us.
Does debt matter? It was and is growing debt and excessive credit that brought this nation to a financial tipping point. National and international credit, for the past ten years, has grown at an annualized rate of approximately 11%, while real GDP has grown approximately 4% over the same timeframe, meaning credit and debt growth has outgrown GDP growth by an astounding 275%.
Many American families have topped even these numbers. So the question of whether or not debt matters can be answered in the number of home foreclosures. If we, the voters, do not keep our family house in financial order we should not expect/demand our government to keep the national house in order. We haven't for the most part and our government certainly hasn't. We intend to balance our check book and they do not. (Turn on any nightly news and listen to our leaders rational.)
Over our history we have endeavored and our perseverance has brought us through many difficult times. During those earlier times we were a different people. We were a group that no one in their right mind wanted to mess with. Our leaders could say we are all going up 'that hill' and we all went up that hill. We did because there was a sense of trust. That trust has been betrayed. The betrayal has fragmented the people. There are no longer shared common beliefs, values,or principles.
A few can't do the lifting for the many.
Once a congressional member has been reelected twice they are very difficult to unseat. Yet,these are the ones we need to re-vet… Do the members have the vision and courage to do the things that needs to be done to put our national financial house in order?….
Historically leaders 'show up' in crisis. Look closely at some of these new governors…. Look at some of the new house members… The leadership that is needed is out there. We just need to find them.
Look ar some of the poll numbers above. Elections are 606 day, 4 hours, 4 minutes till the polls on 2012 elections. If all the Teaers enlighten one person per day, on average, 2012 will become a perfect storm. There are plenty of Rand Paul's out there. We just have to find them and that is our job, our mission, and the nations hope.
A note from our Federal Government.. (CBO)
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT POSTS LARGEST DEFICIT EVER
According to the Congressional Budget Office, the federal government will post a $223 billion deficit for the month of February, making it the largest monthly deficit ever posted in U.S. history. (Just a little add-on to brighten your day.)
If its to be its up to we….
Ron
Docnick37@gmail.com
http://theoxfordteaparty.blogspot.com/
BUT government for years has gotten in its way….From the thirties on government has entwined itself into the lives of people and business. Little bit here and there till finally a tipping point has been reached. Now what is left is this generation of voters who can't imagine their lives without some form of government social program. This talk of reducing the size and scope of government even somewhat is frightening and I can understand why it frightening. This is not just about this second or third generation welfare recipients but through the mired of social programs, family tax credits, SS, colleges grants, etc.. Many families, if not most, are dependent on government for their standard of living. The effect of just cutting back here and there on the programs will have a impact to some degree on them. With this said, who then is left to make the sacrifice?
Latest and greatest non-politically funded poll:
There are widespread misperceptions about the state of the federal budget. A majority of voters incorrectly believe the federal government spends more on defense/foreign aid than it does on Medicare and Social Security (63%).
Also, a similar majority (60%) incorrectly believes problems with the federal budget can be fixed by just eliminating waste, fraud and abuse. Voters do not casually agree with these untruths- at least 40% strongly agree.
Further, less than half (44%) believe Medicare and Social Security costs are a major source of problems for the federal budget (49% disagree).
The waste in government is a strong concern to voters – again 60% believe fixing the waste will solve the nation’s budget problems, and voters say that 42% of each federal dollar is wasted.
Voters are comfortable with significant cuts to the federal budget. First, a majority (53%) of voters have paid “a lot” of attention to the debate over federal budget cuts, and a mere 21% say the $60 billion in cuts that Congress is considering is too high. A plurality (36%) say the cuts are too low, with 31% saying they are about right. (21 % + 31% = 52% )
The political impact for a member(s) who is in favor of the cuts appears to be a net positive. A majority (52%) are more likely to support their members of Congress if he or she supports these cuts, while only 28% are less likely. Support for re-electing a member who votes in favor of these cuts is high among Republicans (67%), and reaches majority support among Independents (54%). At the same time, 45% say they will be negatively impacted by the cuts, while 33% will feel no impact and 13% believe they will be positively impacted.
Voters who said they would be negatively impacted were asked a follow-up, open-ended question, on how they would be impacted. The top response was that it would hurt Social Security and Medicare benefits (22%), followed by “unsure” (17%), and that it would generally cut government services (14%).
Voters are divided on who they would blame if the government is forced to shut down for not having a budget. While 37% would blame the Republicans in Congress, 20% would blame the Democrats in Congress and 22% would blame Obama.
Polls are nothing more or less than a snapshot but here we are trying to get more or less a token cut in spending and there is no real will in the country to do so. Certainly no overall will to do so in our Senate…
What seem most incredible is the folks who benefit most from these social programs seem to have no awareness that the money they receive is taken from their neighbor. What is also incredible is the neighbor doesn't seem to realize the money is taken from them by their government and given to these recipients. Some do....Most don't think about it… Nor do they question all the other ways governments spend their money.
This country is not about to go under but with the passing of each day our standard of living slips. Or national and individual debt goes up. This economic downturn has decimated the middle class the very families who pick up a huge part of the national tax burden.
Last year we added 1,853,000 new people to the country
Labor force dropped 312,000
Those not in the labor force rose to 2,165,000
In Jan (2011) 319,000 dropped out of the work force
In Feb (2011) 87,000 dropped out of the work force
Best estimate is 40 odd million people are on some government support program. Everyone associated with government tells us things are looking better. (I meant to mention to our readers that I got this great buy on the bridge from Vicksburg over into Arkansas. I'm willing to sell an interest in the bridge if anyone wants to get into this really good deal.)
Has anyone noticed that the GOP in both houses are keeping as quiet about what they are doing as the DEMs did? Rand Paul and a couple of others are the exceptions.
More time that passes the more it seems we must raise our goals of electing a majority in both houses and in the process we must be selective and replace many of the old guard…. Time is not on America's side… A welfare system, our medical system, and the national printing press is all under the control of a government that is not responsive to us and do not behave responsibly. A fourteen trillion dollars debt is looming and this group of leaders are fiddling.
Does Debt Matter?
Americans are not pessimists. A their core American are optimists. However, lots of trees makes a forest and what so many American are looking for is a few good trees. Like congress and main stream media voters get caught up in the euphoria of finding the one small tree. (I.E. a 60 billion dollar cut and a 4 trillion dollar budget.) Heaven help us.
Does debt matter? It was and is growing debt and excessive credit that brought this nation to a financial tipping point. National and international credit, for the past ten years, has grown at an annualized rate of approximately 11%, while real GDP has grown approximately 4% over the same timeframe, meaning credit and debt growth has outgrown GDP growth by an astounding 275%.
Many American families have topped even these numbers. So the question of whether or not debt matters can be answered in the number of home foreclosures. If we, the voters, do not keep our family house in financial order we should not expect/demand our government to keep the national house in order. We haven't for the most part and our government certainly hasn't. We intend to balance our check book and they do not. (Turn on any nightly news and listen to our leaders rational.)
Over our history we have endeavored and our perseverance has brought us through many difficult times. During those earlier times we were a different people. We were a group that no one in their right mind wanted to mess with. Our leaders could say we are all going up 'that hill' and we all went up that hill. We did because there was a sense of trust. That trust has been betrayed. The betrayal has fragmented the people. There are no longer shared common beliefs, values,or principles.
A few can't do the lifting for the many.
Once a congressional member has been reelected twice they are very difficult to unseat. Yet,these are the ones we need to re-vet… Do the members have the vision and courage to do the things that needs to be done to put our national financial house in order?….
Historically leaders 'show up' in crisis. Look closely at some of these new governors…. Look at some of the new house members… The leadership that is needed is out there. We just need to find them.
Look ar some of the poll numbers above. Elections are 606 day, 4 hours, 4 minutes till the polls on 2012 elections. If all the Teaers enlighten one person per day, on average, 2012 will become a perfect storm. There are plenty of Rand Paul's out there. We just have to find them and that is our job, our mission, and the nations hope.
A note from our Federal Government.. (CBO)
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT POSTS LARGEST DEFICIT EVER
According to the Congressional Budget Office, the federal government will post a $223 billion deficit for the month of February, making it the largest monthly deficit ever posted in U.S. history. (Just a little add-on to brighten your day.)
If its to be its up to we….
Ron
Docnick37@gmail.com
http://theoxfordteaparty.blogspot.com/
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