Agents of Change

I know it's getting late and everyone is busy with Christmas shopping. So for any of you who been thinking about what to get me for Christmas, I thought I would sent you a list of items I really want. You could pick and choose.

At first reading this list may not seem very personal and slightly outside the Christmas present box but these are the things I want.

Also, these happen to be the very same things the 'new' conservatives in Congress want. (Some of you may have seen their list…..)
   
• Corporation for Public Broadcasting Subsidy. $445 million annual savings.
• Save America 's Treasures Program. $25 million annual savings.
• International Fund for Ireland . $17 million annual savings.
• Legal Services Corporation. $420 million annual savings.
• National Endowment for the Arts. $167.5 million annual savings.
• National Endowment for the Humanities. $167.5 million annual savings.
• Hope VI Program. $250 million annual savings.
• Amtrak Subsidies. $1.565 billion annual savings.
• Eliminate duplicative education programs. H.R. 2274 (in last Congress), authored by Rep. McKeon, eliminates 68 at a savings of $1.3 billion annually.
• U.S. Trade Development Agency. $55 million annual savings.
• Woodrow Wilson Center Subsidy. $20 million annual savings.
• Cut in half funding for congressional printing and binding. $47 million annual savings.
• John C. Stennis Center Subsidy. $430,000 annual savings.
• Community Development Fund. $4.5 billion annual savings.
• Heritage Area Grants and Statutory Aid. $24 million annual savings.
• Cut Federal Travel Budget in Half. $7.5 billion annual savings
• Trim Federal Vehicle Budget by 20%. $600 million annual savings.
• Essential Air Service. $150 million annual savings.
• Technology Innovation Program. $70 million annual savings.
• Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Program. $125 million annual savings.
• Department of Energy Grants to States for Weatherization. $530 million annual savings.
• Beach Replenishment. $95 million annual savings.
• New Starts Transit. $2 billion annual savings.
• Exchange Programs for Alaska , Natives Native Hawaiians, and Their Historical Trading Partners in Massachusetts . $9 million annual savings
• Intercity and High Speed Rail Grants. $2.5 billion annual savings.
• Title X Family Planning. $318 million annual savings.
• Appalachian Regional Commission. $76 million annual savings.
• Economic Development Administration. $293 million annual savings.
• Programs under the National and Community Services Act. $1.15 billion annual savings.
• Applied Research at Department of Energy. $1.27 billion annual savings.
• FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership. $200 million annual savings.
• Energy Star Program. $52 million annual savings.
• Economic Assistance to Egypt . $250 million annually.
• U.S. Agency for International Development. $1.39 billion annual savings.
• General Assistance to District of Columbia . $210 million annual savings.
• Subsidy for Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. $150 million annual savings.
• Presidential Campaign Fund. $775 million savings over ten years.
• No funding for federal office space acquisition. $864 million annual savings.
• End prohibitions on competitive sourcing of government services.
• Repeal the Davis-Bacon Act. More than $1 billion annually.
• IRS Direct Deposit: Require the IRS to deposit fees for some services it offers (such as processing payment plans for taxpayers) to the Treasury, instead of allowing it to remain as part of its budget. $1.8 billion savings over ten years.
• Require collection of unpaid taxes by federal employees. $1 billion total savings.WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Prohibit taxpayer funded union activities by federal employees. $1.2 billion savings over ten years.
• Sell excess federal properties the government does not make use of. $15 billion total savings.
• Eliminate death gratuity for Members of Congress.
• Eliminate Mohair Subsidies. $1 million annual savings.
• Eliminate taxpayer subsidies to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. $12.5 million annual savings
• Eliminate Market Access Program. $200 million annual savings.
• USDA Sugar Program. $14 million annual savings.
• Subsidy to Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). $93 million annual savings.
• Eliminate the National Organic Certification Cost-Share Program. $56.2 million annual savings.
• Eliminate fund for Obamacare administrative costs. $900 million savings.
• Ready to Learn TV Program. $27 million savings..
• HUD Ph.D. Program.
• Deficit Reduction Check-Off Act.

Give or take a million dollars here and there, these cuts would come to a few trillion in spending. If all these programs were cut I don't think I would miss any of them. Why don't we drop each of the 'new' congressmen a Christmas note and say something like, "I also think it’s a good idea to cut the HUD Ph.D. program." As well as anything other programs you have strong feeling about.

We need to stay in touch with the 'new' congressmen. These little 'thank you notes' coupled with Christmas wishes would remind them they are governing at our consent and best wishes….

We need to keep our hand on their shoulders in every way we can think of and at every opportunity.

Between now and January 2012 I have decided I am going to make a concerted effort to have a positive attitude about everything our federal government says and does…I decided this two days ago and this morning I read the latest release from the FED: The average U.S. household lost $21,261 of net worth over the summer months, they informed us in their quarterly just released Household Report.. OK…(A promise is a promise…) So I have decided to look at these numbers and say, "Well these numbers are not as bad as they could have been." ( Note: There are more reports scheduled from the FED this coming week so I don't know how long I can keep this up.)

This time of year we celebrate the simple fact that God loves us for who he is, not for who we are….A time when start focusing on the people in the inner circles of our lives. We let them know how special they are to us. This bonding mostly has to do with blood ties along with a handful of friends thrown in for good measure.

There is another powerful and strange bonding taking place not based on blood ties but ideas and beliefs. In many ways this bonding is not new to us as American citizens but more of a rebirth. The bond is growing with new decisions we make and the accomplishments we achieve. The old Tea Party event was simply a clarion call to battle. That battle was won with men and rifles. The call today for this new generation of Tea Party members is being fought in the streets of every city and the climax will be in every voting's booth in every polling station in the nation.

The question might be why are we having to fight this fight. Do we not have enough enemies around the world? Isn't there something better we ought to be doing? Yes…. Soul searching… We are the ones who let our beliefs slip and and our values erode. It was our job to keep the watch. The enemy has been at the gate a long time and no bell have been rung.

This little video is a lesson in values and culture. I think you will like it.

Merry Christmas Mr. President… Have a wonderful vacation in Hawaii, kick back and count the number of days till the 2012 elections.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGab38pKscw&sns=fb

Ron
 
docnick37@gmail.com
 
http://theoxfordteaparty.blogspot.com/