ATHEISM AND THE DOCTRINE OF NOTHING

I continue to see  and read in the news about atheist organizations which bring suit upon suit against municipalities, schools and other public institutions and it got me to wondering; what is it that these people want?  And then it hit me like a thunderbolt, they want us to believe in the same thing they believe in.  You see... atheism is a belief system like any other.  Unlike theism, or the belief in God (or gods), atheism is believe in no god.  You may think that I am stating the obvious, but when you use the suffix -ism, by definition it is a belief or doctrine.  Think about it! Mono-theism is a belief in one god.  Poly-theism is belief in many gods.  Buddahism is belief in Buddah as god.  Protestantism is the belief in one of the protestant religions. Judaism is the belief in the Jewish religion. Catholicism is belief in the Catholic religion, and so on.  But it isn’t just religion, per se; there is agnosticism, mysticism, capitalism, socialism, and communism.  All of these are belief systems of one type or another and they all have a doctrine to which they are beholden. 

So what is the the doctrine of atheism, aside from the obvious disbelief in a god.  Well, that is where it gets interesting.  As far as I can tell they believe in nothing.  Christians, Jews, Muslims, all believe that one God created the earth. I am not sure about Buddism, Hinduism and other religions, but I assume they all have a “creation” doctrine.  Atheists believe that nothing created the earth. All of this is merely some sort of accident, without explanation, and from that everything evolved, or some other explanation.  But the bottom line is that they believe that no matter how the earth came to be, God didn’t do it.   That’s fine they can believe that.  

But here is my question, why must the government shut out my belief system and give priority or pre-eminence to the atheist belief system.  The government has unwittingly become an agent of a belief system of unbelief,  a belief system of nothingness.  The government is endorsing the religion of atheism.  A religion that has as its central belief the belief that there is no god.  And the government by forcing the removal of religious displays is endorsing the religion of nothing.   

Atheists don’t want anything to have meaning beyond themselves.  They can believe that there is nothing beyond themselves, that is not at issue.  But, since atheists believe in nothing; they have displays supporting their belief system in front of every courthouse, municipal park, public building  and school for most of the year.   Because for most of the year in front court houses, libraries, schools, and public buildings there is... NOTHING.  All I am saying is that Christians, Jews and any other religion should also be allowed displays which support their beliefs.   We as believers in God (or many gods or mother earth, etc...) should not be forced to deny our God because someone doesn’t believe in anything.  Just because atheists don’t believe in God, does not mean that He does not exist; and it certainly doesn’t mean that the government should surrender to and endorse their doctrine of nothingness. 

Atheists see a cross and it is an offense to them;  since they are unwilling or unable to find in that symbol any meaning to their lives beyond their current existence. It is quite sad, really.   Christians find solace in the cross, whether it is on a mountain top or a grave.  What do atheists put on their graves???  Nothing.  Their journey ends with death, where as a Christian believes that death is merely a weigh station on his journey to a much brighter and happier place.  For an atheist the world ends when he dies.  Since there is no after life and God doesn’t exist... then his family doesn’t exist; his children, his friends, the whole world, all die with him.

Atheists look at the world and see the world.  I look at the world and see all the wonders that God has created.  Trees that live off the the air that I breath out and, in turn, create the oxygen that I breath in.  Hummingbirds and bees that shouldn’t be able to fly but do.  Children whose curiosity never ends and whose lives are just beginning.  I see God in everything and in everyone, although I forget Him much more than I should.  I understand that no matter what I do or what I say or how badly I mess things up, I can turn to God and He will give me comfort and He will give me aid; and when I die, there is a better place, a joyous, happy place where I will see my dad once again, and be with all my loved ones. 

That is what the Nativity scenes are about, they are about hope.  Hope in He who came to the earth to redeem me through His sacrifice.  Christ knew that His life on earth was about more than just Himself, it was about redemption for all of us.  I thank God everyday for without Him my life would have no meaning.   At the end of the day that is what these atheist extremists want to do; take away anything that will remind us of God’s existence and of His sacrifice.  All they accomplish is to remind me even more of my faith and the importance of God in my life.



Have a Merry and Blessed Christmas, and have a Blessed Hanukkah!!!

La Enfermedad

**This blog entry was written previously and is being reposted here in an effort to consolidate all articles in one location**

He estado viendo las discusíones sobre la nueva ley de Arizona #1070.  Es necesario aclarar muchas de las malas representacíones al respecto de esta ley.  Pero mas que eso, todo la discusíon evita enfrentar lo que es realmente el problema. El problema de la inmigracíon illegal es simplemente un sintoma de una enfermedad mucho mas grande.  La política económica y el ambiente de negocios en México.  Roma se quema y nadie ve el humo.

Nadie quiere reconocer lo que es mas obvío de la situacíon, la razon por la cual vienen millones de immigrantes a los Estados Unidos es que la economia en Mexico no esta suficientemente estable o fuerte para mantener empleados a todos sus ciudadanos.  Y la razón por la cual las empresas no van a Mexíco es por las reglas y la inseguridad de hacer negocios. Hay ciertos hechos que se tienen que presentar.

El dinero enviado por los trabajadores mexicanos en Estados Unidos a sus familias alcanzó la marca de 12 mil millones de dólares en el 2003.  Los envíos “son nuestra principal fuente de ingresos extranjeros, mucho más que el petróleo, el turismo o las inversiones extranjeras”, dijo (Presidente) Fox a la prensa luego de reunirse con empresarios méxico-estadounidenses. 1   En 2009 la suma de remesas a Mexico era de 21.1 billones de dólares, 15.7% menos que en el año 2008. 2  México obtuvo divisas por turismo de 11.275 billones de dólares en el 2009, menores a los 13.289 billones de dólares del año previo.3 

PEMEX anuncio que perdió 16.6 billones de pesos (1.3 billones de dólares) en el ultimo cuatrimestre del 2009 que resulto en una suma de  48.5 billones de pesos de pérdidas para él año.4 

La politica economica de Mexicoesta a la raíz del problema.  Nos tenemos que preguntar, ¿porque?
¿Porque teniendo tantos recursos naturales Mexico no sale adelante?
¿Como es posible que en esta economia global una empresa petrolera pierde dinero?
¿Que tiene la economia Mexicana que su pueblo no ve oportunidad o forma de salir adelante?
¿Porque se le hace dificil a las empresas extranjeras establescerce en Mexíco?

Hay muchas preguntas pero al fin de cuenta el problema sigue siendo el ambiente de negocios en Mexíco. Por ejemplo, el porcentage de los impuestos que le cobra el gobierno Mexicano a una empresa son 51%5  y el promedio de dias que toma un pleito comercial son 415 dias 5    para resolverse.Las grandes empresas, tal vez, estan dispuestas a soportar semejantes costos. Pero una empresa apenas formandose o una empresa de tamaño mediano, no tiene los recursos o no esta dispuesta a aceptar tan grandes desventajas y buscará otro lado para poner su negocio. 

Cada uno de nosotros quiere salir adelante y proveer para nuestros hijos algo mejor que lo que tuvimos.  En este sentido entiendo porque se vienen los latinos de todas partes.  Pero ningún país puede permitir que se ignoren sus leyes y vengan y vayan inmigrantes cuando y como quiéran.  Es hipocrecía que Mexíco, y en particular, presidente Calderon regañe al estado de Arizona cuando la verdad es que las leyes migratórias de Mexico son sumamente mas estrictas que las de los Estados Unidos o el Estado de Arizona.  Y ademas, el problema no es la ley de los Estados Unidos, mucho menos la ley de Arizona, el problema es Mexíco.
La solucíon no es ni va ser fácil, pero tiene que empesar con el gobierno de Mexico.  Los Estados Unidos pueden poner todas las leyes que quieran, pero eso no cambia las situacíon en Mexíco.  El gobierno Mexicano tiene que tomar responsabilidad de lo que pasa, y de lo sucedido desde hace muchos años.  Pero siempre se le hace mas fácil dejar las cosas como estan; en parte porque no le cuesta nada al gobierno Mexicano, al contrario recibe el pais una gran cantidad de ingresos y el gobierno no tiene que invertir nada. Y al fin el pueblo se haya entre la espada y la pared, o se quedan en Mexico en la pobreza o se van ilegalmente a los Estados Unidos a buscar oportunidad y la posibilidad de una mejor vida para sus hijos.  La desgracia es que su gobierno prefiere culpar a los Americanos en vez de verse al espejo y tomar la responsabilidad por sus politicas que no le permiten el exito a su gente.

No entiendo porque se niega la gente ver que toda la situación es economica, y la entidad responsable es el gobierno de Mexíco.  El exportacíon principal de Mexíco, desgraciadamente, no es petróleo, ni madera, es su gente. Exporta su pueblo a cambio de dinero en la forma de remesas.

Systematic Immigration Reform (STEP III)

**This blog entry was written previously and is being reposted here in an effort to consolidate all articles in one location**
This is the Third and final part in a series outlining a strategy to address illegal immigration.  Please see Step One here and Step II, here.
Now that we have covered both stopping the flow of illegal immigrants and the regularization of those that are here; we can begin to discuss the accommodations for those caught up in the middle, through no fault of their own.  I am specifically talking about illegal immigrants that were children brought illegally to the United States by their parents.  You must separate the individuals into a two categories.

1. Those that are still minors at the time the legislation is passed.
2. Those that have resided in the United States since childhood but are now adults.

Documentation must be presented to determine into which category the individual will be placed.  This can be easily done with report cards from elementary, middle and high school.  If the individual cannot prove that he/she was brought to the United States as a minor he/she will be subject to the previously outlined conditions of the CERIC (Conditional Employment and Residency Identification and Card).
Regardless of Category everyone will be processed per the CERIC requirements to include fingerprints, DNA, and photo identification.  They must meet the conditions for the CERIC, i.e. they have no warrants, no felony convictions and other condition previously stipulated.   If they fail to meet the requirements they will be processed for deportation.
Category 1- Minor Children would be issued a CERIC.  If these individuals graduate high school and have no previous criminal record they will be eligible and may apply for permanent residency at age 21.  If they fail to graduate from high school they will continue under the CERIC until age 23 after which time they may apply for permanent residency. 
Category 2-  If the individuals in this category can show proof of graduation from US education through high school, they will have a two-year CERIC requirement and then will be eligible to apply for permanent residency status through existing procedures.  Those individuals in this category who did not graduate high school will have a five-year CERIC requirement and would subsequently be eligible to apply for permanent residency.
Other special conditions that should be implemented include the following:
Any person that is eligible for a CERIC and can meet the requirements for military service may enter into the United States Armed Services.  Upon honorable completion of a 4-year active duty commitment, those individuals will immediately be eligible to apply for US citizenship.
The last and final step to Immigration reform is to make the hiring of illegal immigrants prohibitively expensive in future years.  This would easily be accomplished by implementing one clear, precise and ironclad law for all businesses: If you knowingly or negligently hire an illegal alien, after the implementation of this program, you shall be fined $500,000 per incident.  This will make it prohibitively expensive to break the law.  No business in their right mind will risk the fine to save $2.00 an hour in labor costs.  This will protect the workers from exploitation and prevent future waves of illegal aliens from crossing the border looking for work.  If they know that there is a close to zero chance of finding a job because no business will hire them, they will cease to look north as a viable option.  Businesses will also benefit; businesses will be on an even playing field and competiveness will increase across many industries in the economy.  Because all the new CERIC card holders will be legal, businesses can no longer undercut the competition by using illegal laborers.  The net result will be a more reliable work force and safer working conditions for all workers.  This will all happen in the marketplace, on its own.  This can only be looked upon as a net positive. 
In order to facilitate the verification of workers, an E-Verify type system would be set up with the information from the CERIC.  Upon entry of the CERIC number the system would show the employer a photo of the owner of that number/card along with a physical description.  The employer could then be assured that the individual was in fact legally eligible to work in the United States. And, absolve him of legal repercussions should fraud be subsequently discovered.  This process must be simple and quick along with being inexpensive.  There are no technological reasons this cannot be done.  The only obstacles to establishing these policies for the employer are and will undoubtedly be political.
The underlying theme to SYSTEMATIC IMMIGRATION REFORM and the CERIC is that it is CONDITIONAL!  The conditions are straightforward, fair and achievable.  This is not and should not be misconstrued to be a “trap” to catch and deport anyone.  It is merely a method by which illegal immigrants can prove what they never tire of telling people: “I am law-abiding and I just came here to work.”  They must abide by the law, period.  If they break the law, by committing a felony crime, commit a third misdemeanor crime, or a 2^nd DUI, they will be processed for deportation.  It is not unreasonable to ask that these immigrants follow our laws as a condition for legal status in the United States; and I believe many of them would be happy to accept these terms and end the constant anxiety of being caught and deported.
I believe that this country is the greatest nation ever devised and established by man.  I wholeheartedly understand the manic rush of people to come to this great country.  They are looking for, what we as Americans sometimes take for granted; the freedom to pursue life, liberty and happiness.  But, while I may empathize with their motivations, I cannot condone their lack of respect for the rule of law.  I firmly believe that a great majority of Americans would be supportive of legislation that would adopt the concepts outlined in this series and would embrace a new wave of LEGAL immigrants, while at the same time forgive and give those who would necessarily be required to register themselves under this program an opportunity to prove that they are, in fact, law abiding and worthy of the chance to become US citizens.  The People of the United States have always been and continue to be the most open, understanding, and charitable people in the world; they only ask that the laws, borders and sovereignty of the United States be respected.
This road map is not a complete solution; obviously, many details would have to be worked out.  But if the general concepts were adopted and the conditions unambiguously established, it would make political, practical and common sense.  Whatever its final version, the key to its success is simplicity; adding another 1000 pages of regulation and bureaucratic red tape to the already dizzyingly complicated immigration statutes would serve no purpose and would only exacerbate the problems we face today.
Finally, I must reiterate that the first and most critical step in this Systematic approach is to SECURE THE BORDER.  Much like the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, you can send hundreds of skimmers and emplace hundreds of miles of barriers and booms and build all the sand levies you like, but at the end of the day they still had to stop the leak.  Stopping the leak is just the first step.  True recovery would have been impossible until the leak was stopped, and there is still a long recovery process forthcoming.  In the same way, all the laws and regulations for both immigration and enforcement at all levels of government that are enacted won’t solve the problem if you are unwilling to stop the leak.
I challenge any and all politicians to use this roadmap of ideas as a true guide to once and for all solve the illegal immigration problem in the United States.  But it will take intestinal fortitude and daring.  Those that are weak of heart need not apply.  The only way this problem is going to be solved it to tackle it directly and to ignore the petty political bickering and backbiting.  This will take determination and a concerted effort, but it can be cone and it should be done; not only because it will solve or many of the issues associated with illegal immigration, but because it is the right thing to do.

Systematic Immigration Reform (Step II)

**This blog entry was written previously and is being reposted here in an effort to consolidate all articles in one location**

This is the second part in a continuing series outlining a strategy to address illegal immigration.  Please see Step One here. 

After step one is complete.  It is now possible to begin the arduous task of sorting out those individuals that are in the country illegally.  But, before we go any further there must be one absolutely understood aspect of my proposal; NO AMNESTY!! And, citizenship opportunities will be the exception not the rule, but those instances will be discussed later in the series.
The second step must be an effort to register as many illegal aliens in the country as is possible.  This would be accomplished by establishing registration sites where illegal aliens could register.
One of the most common things illegal immigrants express is– the only law they have violated is crossing the border illegally.  Well, this program will give all illegal aliens the opportunity to demonstrate their respect for the laws of this country and to prove that they are willing to abide by those laws in exchange for the opportunity to work and make a living to provide for their family.
The federal government should establish an open window of time; say 12 months, for all illegal aliens to register.  This includes adults and children (illegal immigrant children will be addressed in future steps).  The individual will have to pay a fine and an application fee (the schedule for this can be determined at a later date, the important issue is that they must be registered for the purposes of identification). At the end of the registration process the individual will be presented with a Conditional Employment and Residency Identification Card (CERIC) which will include a tax identification number.  Additionally, a CD/DVD with quick essential English lessons should be distributed, this will encourage assimilation. There may be arguments for requiring that individuals take a simple test for English at some point after issuance of the CERIC, this would only cover the most basic “survival” words and phrases. This is a debate which must be had and resolved.
Any person who fails to register within the appointed time and cannot present the CERIC after the window has closed will be summarily designated for deportation.  Most of those unwilling to register are likely the same people unwilling to abide by the law and should be dealt with accordingly.   At this point illegal aliens will be unable to use the worn out, overused meme that they “are law abiding except for crossing the border,” as an excuse/explanation for their illegal status.  They must either abide by the law as a condition for residency and employment or face deportation.
The Card will allow the individual to work in the United States for three years; at which time the individual must reapply and must be re-screened before renewal of the CERIC is granted.  This re-screening will allow the Federal Government to determine if the individual is abiding by the conditions for the residency permit; if not the individual shall be processed for deportation.  If ANY individual fails to reapply for the CERIC after the initial three years, they have, ipso facto, violated the conditions of the CERIC and shall be detained and processed for deportation.  All holders of the CERIC will be afforded habeas corpus, but upon a felony conviction or a third misdemeanor crime (not to include traffic violations except DUI) the individual should be complete his/her sentence and be subsequently deported.
The Tax ID number will be used to track and collect individual annual federal and state income tax.  There shall be NO opportunity for the individual to apply for collect or otherwise receive any social security benefits from the United States government or state governments to include food stamps, Medicare, Medicaid, Welfare, or housing assistance. In other words, the only benefit they will receive through the temporary worker program is the opportunity to find employment, period. The card will also allow the immigrant to get a bank account, driver’s license, insurance and other civil actions.  There will certainly be those that argue that this is unjust, but illegal immigrants themselves consistently say that all they want is the opportunity to work and make a living. 
The registration process will allow for identification of the person, to include fingerprints, DNA sample and photo identification.  The card should be equipped with either a magnetic strip, bar code, or micro-chip with all identification information embedded for use by law enforcement.   Additionally, the individual will be screened for any outstanding warrants and civil subpoenas, as well as a criminal record check.  Any one found with a felony conviction or more than three misdemeanor convictions shall be denied a work permit and be processed for deportation.  Anyone with an outstanding arrest warrant shall be arrested and extradited to the corresponding jurisdiction for prosecution and subsequent deportation.
All individuals, who desire to become a resident, and subsequently a citizen, must repatriate to their home country and apply for a visa and/or residency through already established processes.
And finally, I would immediately increase the quota for visas from Central and South America and Europe as well, and allow 200-300% more immigrants a year to enter the US.  If Mexico and South American and European countries are going to willingly allow their citizens to seek out economic exile, which has the resulting effect of draining those countries of their best talent in all areas, then we should expedite and facilitate the assimilation and absorption of all these people as soon as practicable.  It is in the interests of the United States to bring in as many engineers, doctors, dentists, IT professionals, nurses, scientists and businessmen as soon as possible into the country which will fuel small business and the overall economy.
The problem is not with immigrants coming into this country and finding a new way of life by complying with immigration laws.  Americans welcome legal immigrants with open arms. I for one would like the process to be easier and quicker. Additionally, I would like the process expanded to more people, and afford them a shot at the American Dream, as it was afforded to my parents and to me; through a process of assimilation into the culture.  What I don’t want is entire segment of the population who has shown blatant disregard for the law to be rewarded.  A population of illegal aliens who will take advantage of the opportunity, liberty, and freedom this country provides while at the same time denigrating the country that provides it.  What I don’t want is a segment of society made up of illegal aliens who will tell you of the lawlessness and disrespect for the rule of law in their country of origin as they shamelessly ignore the laws and create evermore lawlessness in this country.
This concludes step two.  The next step will begin to address the “exceptions” and a “path to citizenship” for certain subsets of individuals.  After all the United States as a country has traditionally been and continues to be the most compassionate and welcoming country in the world.

SYSTEMATIC IMMIGRATION REFORM (SIR) – STEP ONE

**This blog entry was written previously and is being reposted here in an effort to consolidate all articles in one location**

This is an open letter to Conservatives. Please stop
engaging in debates on the subject of comprehensive
immigration reform. Conservatives and anyone with common sense should oppose, not only comprehensive immigration reform, but ANY legislation where comprehensive is part of the title. This includes comprehensive banking reform, comprehensive health reform (too late for that one), comprehensive election reform, and comprehensive energy policy.

I use the example of having an old 68 mustang in your garage. You can not and will never be able to comprehensively fix that car. It is impossible. Even if you had a garage full of ASE certified mechanics and restorers, and you told them all to begin it would be impossible.

Why? Because even then they would all  be eager to get started they would only get in each others way. One group would want to jack the car up. Someone would be taking out the dash, while still others would be trying to take out the interior. It would be chaos. Yet that is what the government did with healthcare, and now wants to do with the banking industry and immigration policy.

The real answer is systematic reform. In our example, the most logical thing to do is to check the frame and ensure that it can sustain and accommodate all the rest of the subsequent repairs and/or modifications. A rebuilt engine that runs great means nothing if installed on a bent or rusting frame. It is not until after the first step that you can move on to the engine and rebuild it, install fresh gaskets, and rings and anything necessary to get running well. Once that is done you pull the transmission, etc… Usually, you go through the restoration systematically to ensure each change progresses toward the ultimate goal. Occasionally, it is to be expected that some part doesn’t quite fit or needs to be rebuilt in order for the previous repair or change to work properly within the context of the restoration.

All these concepts apply to immigration reform. The reformation/restoration of immigration policy must be done systematically. The first step is to find the area in dire need of fixing and attack that isolated problem. It will do no good to try and fix everything at once. In the case of immigration reform, the number one most pressing problem is the actual border. That is what must be fixed before any other problem can be addressed, much like the frame in our example, it does absolutely no good to write policy without first addressing the issue that makes the policy necessary in the first place.

We must build a wall! Not a virtual wall, a real 20-40 foot wall that will serve as real deterrent to illegal aliens attempting to enter into the country illegally. I would even go as far as suggesting a double wall where the first wall and second wall create a “dry moat” along the border so that those that cross over the border are

trapped between the two walls which would give border patrol agents time to intercept and detain illegal border crossers. This wall, contrary to popular belief, would not stop ALL illegal border crossers, but it would deter a great majority of them. Obviously without a wall we will never know exactly how much the deterrent effect might be, but I would speculate that it could cut illegal border crossers by 65-75 percent. Many will argue that the fence will do no good. But in a Congressional Research Service report to Congress it was reported that “After the IIRIRA’s mandate for increased enforcement along the Southwest border
in 1996, including construction of the triple-fence, apprehensions dropped rapidly in the San Diego sector in the late 1990s — from 480,000 in FY1996 to 100,000 in FY2002. The reduction in apprehensions was even more marked in the areas where fencing was constructed within San Diego sector. The USBP’s Imperial Beach and Chula Vista stations saw their apprehensions decline from 321,560 in FY1993 to 19,035 in FY2004 — a reduction of 94% over the 12 year period.” Whenever someone makes this argument they should be immediately asked why they have doors and locks on their houses and fences around their property. Physical barriers work and are very effective, period.

In order to get this done, Congress must allow for the construction of the wall in National Parks and refuges along the border. For those that argue that this would destroy habitat and the natural beauty of the environment must only be shown pictures of the devastation of garbage left by illegal border crossers to understand what really causes the destruction of the natural beauty of the desert. Congress should allow for the construction of the fence, all other laws notwithstanding. Once Congress makes the necessary exceptions to allow the construction, it should immediately introduce legislation to appropriate funds for construction of the wall. This would have some very positive effects for the nation and the economy. First, companies would have to bid and hire workers to supply the materiel, rent or buy the equipment, and install the fence. Second, the mere action of building the wall and will project a perception that the United States is shifting from tacit approval of illegal immigration to a concerted effort to enforce immigration law; this will itself create an environment whereby illegal immigrants will sense a turning of the tides and many will ultimately make a decision to self deport. Third, this will allow the border patrol to use its resources more efficiently and concentrate on the remaining illegal border crossers which are more likely to be gun traffickers, drug runners, and human smugglers.

Along with the building of the border fence Congress should simultaneously increase the budget for the Coast Guard for additional personnel and equipment to include a drastic increase of boats. What is the reason for that? Because as soon as you complete the border fence, the easiest way for illegal aliens to cross into the United States will be by boat; off the coast of San Diego and in the Gulf of Mexico in Texas.

Once the American public is assured that the borders are secure with a genuine physical deterrent, they will be more receptive to the idea of regularizing the status of those that are left in the country; but not until then! The American public has learned its lesson and will no longer accept empty promises that the border fence will be addressed and that funding will be appropriated at a future date the way they did in 1986. Americans are tired of waiting on Congress to comply with and appropriate the funds for legislation which has been signed into law such as the Secure Fence Act of 2006. Through their actions, first by the State of Arizona as stated in the new AZ1070 law, and then through their will, as reflected in poll after poll, the American people want Systematic Immigration Reform, and they will accept nothing less.

So please… Stop allowing progressives and liberals set the conditions for the argument. The only way to fix a problem, any problem, is to do so thoughtfully, deliberately, and systematically. Building the border fences is STEP I. Nothing can proceed without accomplishing that first critical step. A thousand mile journey begins with a single step… Let’s get started.

Let's elect a LATINO president.

As the race develops and candidates are throwing their hat in the ring or dropping out, there is a lot of discussion about who is the better candidate. the process has already begun to vet each of the candidates in the race for the republican nomination. The problem is that conservatives are also quickly forming into a circular firing squad. Conservatives have to resist the temptation of attacking every candidate they personally dislike and start looking for the best LATINO candidate. Nooo.... I am not waiting breathlessly for Marco Rubio, although I wouldn't necessarily be opposed if he decided to run. Nope, I have developed my own little list of qualities that I am looking for in my next president. I want him to be LATINO and nothing else will do. Call it a litmus test if you want but it is the only way I can be comfortable giving him or her my vote. Yep he/she must be LATINO.

L - Limited government - I want president who believes that government works best when it is confined to a very limited scope and authority. I want the president who believes that the federal government should not tell me what type of light bulb to buy or force me to buy health insurance that I don't want or I don't need. A federal government that will restrain itself from expanding its power over the people and its growth and cost to the American taxpayer. I want a president that will cut the size, scope and reach of government in the everyday lives of all Americans.

A -Adherence to the Constitution and to the rule of law- and by that I mean an originalist vision to the words in the constitution. For example: if the first amendment says "Congress shall make no law" that's what it means. The liberal meme that there was no internet in the times of the founding fathers is moot. If all politicians, not just the president, would always adhere to and be bound by the Constitution our nation would be infinitely better off. In the same vein, we as country would be better off if we would just follow the law; from illegal immigration to “legalized” marijuana to food stamp fraud and the rest.

T - Traditional values- what I am talking about is exactly what you think I am talking about; old fashioned morality. Morality and faith in God are what this nation was founded upon, there is no way any intellectually honest person can deny that fact. And the further any society drifts from morality the more it descends into debauchery. We are seeing this happen before our eyes. When a 16 year old gets pregnant out of wedlock is celebrated while a girl who wants to remain a virgin until marriage is ridiculed, we as a society have to step back and really question what we have become. We are teaching our children that promiscuity is acceptable and even giving them the means by which they can be more so. We are teaching an entire generation that dependence on government is OK, rather than trying to instill a good work ethic and teaching the value of job well done and an honorably earned dollar. This lack of morality has decayed our institutions and our culture. Hedonism is not something we as a society and nation should strive for. We must return to an age when we looked out for each because it was the right thing to do, when honor meant something.

 

I -Individual liberty and responsibility- People should be allowed to succeed and fail on their own merits. Our next president must have the strength to leave people alone, and let each person struggle, fail and/or persevere. The government has for too long coddled the American people. What we need is tough love. If you can work then get out there and work and quit making excuses for why you can't. The federal government has slowly and almost imperceptibly made great strides in denying its citizens their liberty through taxation and regulation. Americans seeking to better their lot are hamstrung and restrained by the power of government bureaucracies and mountains of regulations. Meanwhile many Americans are encouraged to neglect their responsibilities as parents, husbands and fathers through a myriad of social programs, which in the end only encourages more dependence on government and further inhibits liberty and opportunity.

N -National defense that is strong, flexible, and dynamic- It only makes sense. Peace through strength is the only real solution. When America shows weakness there is always some despot who will try and poke a stick in her eye. I am by no means giving the DoD carte blanche but there is no doubt that our military should be the most modern, best equipped, best trained fighting force on the planet. The freedoms we enjoy are only sustainable so long as the American military continues to be the premier fighting force in the world and America continues to be a respected super-power.

O - Open markets and free trade- The world is a market and there is one indisputable fact in life: Competition is the incubator for better, less expensive, higher quality goods and services. The next president must realize that the federal government has, for over 70 years, disrupted the free market capitalist system in the United States through subsidies and federal government programs which pick winners and losers. This includes farm subsidies, taxes code loopholes, grants of every sort, as well as laws written to benefit one industry over another, and certain groups of people over others. This must stop. Any time the government at any level interferes or manipulates the market, the only people hurt are consumers, and by that I mean everyone. I want a president that believes in the ingenuity and industriousness of the American people. A president that trusts not only people, but the market to do the right thing. I want a president that believes the power of the market is stronger than the power of government to act in the best interest of people.

A LATINO candidate will be sure to cut across demographic boundaries and should be supported by social conservatives, fiscal conservatives, TEA Party activists, Independents, as well as minorities.

It is time to make history and elect our first LATINO president.

Don't Call Them Drunk Drivers

Here we go again. In an “opinion” piece from June 23, Linda Valdez of the Arizona Republic re-enforces the tried (or should I say tired) and true method of the left; vilify Americans while at the same time beatify illegal immigrants.

If people want to make an argument for unfettered, uncontrolled, unmonitored immigration then they should just make it. But please stop glorifying illegal aliens as some sort of altruistic population of innocents who should be exempted from criticism because they are "trying to provide a better life" for their kids or family or by using the "we wouldn't have any onions, lettuce,oranges, etc... if it weren't for illegal aliens," meme. give me a break.

First you have to swallow the supposition that the people that cross the border, in violation of federal law, are "migrants." Well the cold hard fact is this: these people are illegal aliens, criminals; just because they are not violent does mean that they do not commit crimes.

Second, even if you recognize that they are illegal aliens, you must somehow absolve them of any wrongdoing once they are in the country. Notice how the illegal alien mother people love to imagine in these hypothetical scenarios, apparently, bears no responsibility for putting her own son in danger of being arrested for violating the law, just so she can get a loaf of bread and a gallon of milk. What kind of parent are we talking about here? How much more selfish could she possibly be? Here are all these illegal immigrants in this country and Ms. Valdez seems to believe that illegals should be allowed to come and go as they please without any fear of being arrested or deported. That there shouldn't be any consequences for there actions because they pick onions.

And finally you must delude your self into thinking that crossing the border illegally is the ONLY crime/violation of the law they have committed; never taking into account that illegals drive without valid driver's licenses, drive without insurance, present fraudulent documentation to get jobs, steal social security numbers and other identification, fail to pay taxes, and may even commit fraud in order to collect government benefits such as food stamps.

Let us, for a moment, imagine that we use this same logic on drunk drivers. But please, don't call them drunk drivers, call them inebriated chauffeurs. No wait! How about impaired vehicle operators. No, no, no. Stop being so judgmental! They are just commuters. They are just regular people trying to get to work so they can support their families. You shouldn't try to pass laws that further force commuters to go into the shadows. And if a 18 year old commuter is taking his mother grocery shopping he shouldn't fear being arrested for taking his mom to get milk; never mind that his blood alcohol level is .136 and he has been arrested twice before for DUI. Nope. He is just trying to get his momma some milk.

And if you support laws that would prosecute commuters then you must be prejudiced against them and you are only writing these laws to try and get them to stop commuting in your state. Because they aren't doing anything bad, they are just driving under conditions that your average American refuses to drive under. They shouldn't be punished for driving when others refuse to drive. Never mind that in addition to driving while intoxicated they run red lights, fail to yield, speed, fail to signal, and fail to maintain reasonable and prudent distance from the vehicle in front of them. Those are just harassment laws designed to persecute commuters. and putting breath-analyzers in cars is just pure persecution; no one should have to "prove" their sobriety before commuting. We shouldn't pass laws that would discourage commuters from driving. Leave commuters alone.

Silly? Absolutely!! But that is the argument from the left; it doesn't make any logical or common sense when applied to any other group of people or any other type of law, and yet they continue to make it.

How sad.

Money Can't Buy You Love or Education

I read an article in the Arizona Republic that relates what former Intel CEO Craig Barrett said at a meeting of the Arizona Commerce Authority.   Mr. Barrett took the opportunity to talk about the quality of education in Arizona and implied a cause and effect relationship between that and the State budget cuts in education proposed by Governor Brewer.  I don’t think that there is a correlation between the amount of money spent on education and the quality of education received.  This is borne out in study upon study across the United States.  The Heritage Foundation compared federal education spending to National Assessment of Educational Performance and found there was no connection between the two.

But I decided to look up some data myself and see if this was actually the case.  Using data from the US Department of Education I compared the by-state expenditure per pupil in the year 2006-2007 and compared that data to by-state SAT mean scores of college bound seniors for 2007-2008 (the years didn’t match up); the conclusion of this simple comparison is that there is no direct correlation between higher per pupil spending and higher SAT scores.  Washington D.C. scored the highest in per pupil spending at $20,596, yet scored 50^th out of 51 (Maine scored last in all three categories but this is likely due to the fact that all juniors are required to take the test, not just those interested in going to college) in all three SAT categories (reading, mathematics, and writing).  Iowa ranked 40^th in spending ($9,114) and ranked 1^st in reading and mathematics and 2^nd in writing.  South Dakota ranked 42^nd in spending ($8,821) and scored 3^rd, 9^th, and 7^th in reading, mathematics, and writing respectively. 

Arizona was 46^th in spending ($8,335) and scored 30^th in reading and mathematics and 31^st in writing.  I am not saying this is great, and there is certainly room for improvement.  But consider that Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Idaho, and Utah were 47^th, 48^th, 49^th, 50^th and 51^st in spending per pupil and all of them achieved better results than did Arizona; Oklahoma scored in the top 15 in all three categories.

Of the top ten states in spending per pupil (New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wyoming, Connecticut, Alaska, Massachusetts, and Maryland) none of them had scores in the top 10 in any of the three categories.  Arizona scored better than six of them in reading and mathematics and better than five of them in writing.

What does this indicate?  That throwing money at education is not the answer.  The real answer lies in how kids are spending their time in the classroom.  I continue to see articles about different curricula and how the newest technique will make great strides in educating children.  But I think that we as a society should just concentrate on the basics; reading, writing and mathematics.

Teach kids phonics; school districts should get corporate licenses for “Hooked on Phonics” or other phonics teaching systems.  It is the easiest way for kids to learn the language; that is true for reading and for writing.  There are 26 letters, six vowels, and 44 sounds and once kids learn them there is practically nothing they can’t read.  I can still remember my teachers and my parents telling me to “sound it out” whenever I saw a word I didn’t previously know; that’s the beauty of phonics.  If school districts switched to a phonics curriculum they would also save tons of money; there is no reason to buy new books every third year, since phonics don’t change.  The only things that a district would need to purchase are workbooks. 

Make kids memorize multiplication tables and other standard "non-changing" building blocks to include geography (states and capitols), history (the preamble to the Constitution, the Gettysburg address) and biology (taxonomy).  Through route memorization kids will be able to easily retrieve information, and as they get older the comprehension and application will come much easier.   Make mathematics a priority, math is critical for higher learning, plus it is very valuable in every day use as we get older. 

There are a myriad of ways to improve education in Arizona or anywhere else for that matter, but the key is to focus and stop all the distractions; chief among them is that spending more money will get you a better education.  Quit changing the curriculum every year and changing teachers every two hours. Encourage healthy competition, both in the class and on the playground, and push kids to outperform their peers.  Reward children that excel and give extra time to the ones that are putting forth the effort but don’t see the results. 

And finally, stop giving kids an excuse to underperform.  I always read about how inner-city or minority kids are at a disadvantage.  This very may well be, but it is not because the child is incapable of achievement. It is because we inculcate that child with the idea that he is handicapped by his environment.  Rather than teach children that their achievement is limited by their environment, we as a society, should endeavor to teach children to triumph through achievement in spite of it.  

Society should make a quality education a common denominator for our children rather than a socio-economic divider.

Why Somos (We Are) Republicans Aren’t

An acquaintance of mine sent me a link to an article titled “Somos Republicans” will not be endorsing Gabriela Mercer in which Somos Republicans expressed that they would not support Gabriela Mercer in a race against Raul Grijalva.  I have read about Ms. Mercer’s announcement to run in Arizona’s 7^th Congressional District, but I was curious as to why “Somos Republicans” won’t endorse her candidacy.  I didn’t understand why any Republican organization would immediately rule out an endorsement without even waiting to see how many candidates there are and which one best aligns with its values.  I didn’t know much about “Somos Republicans” so I went to their website and started to analyze it.  The more I dug in the more I believe that this group should not be called “Somos Republicans” (We are Republicans) rather “Apenas Republicans” (Barely Republicans).   How did I come to this conclusion? Well… 

First let’s discuss Somos Republicans’ Principles.  Let me just say that I also believe in the Right to Life; free market capitalism, low taxes, small government, the Second Amendment, and traditional marriage.  It isn’t until you get to the last “principle” that you begin to understand Somos Republicans’ real raise d’être; Amnesty!  Below is the final principle for “Somos Republicans”:
Humane Viable Immigration Solution. Tough immigration is not a conservative “value” but rather an issue.  This issue needs to be dealt with in a manner that directly affects the well-being of our community. We believe this issue has been largely ignored, and it has placed Republicans and our community in a predicament which is inconsistent with the economic realities of our Free Market Capitalism, labor demands, and humanitarian tradition. Therefore, it is imperative that we promote a viable solution to this dilemma that is in concert with our economic demands. Such humane and viable solutions ought to resonate with ideals of President Reagan, Bush, and Conservative Think Tanks–such as the Goldwater Institute, the Hoover Institution, and CATO–that, too, have argued that a solution to this predicament is long overdue.

I tried to ignore the incoherence of the statement and try to dissect what “Somos Republicans” is trying to say.  But this is tough, because as far as I am aware, Immigration is solved.  A person that wants to immigrate into the United States goes to their local consulate or embassy, gets in line and submits an application for entry into the United States, they wait for a visa and when they get it they are free to enter the country and proceed to apply to become a permanent resident and ultimately a US citizen.   I believe what they probably wanted to address in the “principle” is “a humane and viable solution to the illegal immigration issues facing our nation.”  So why don’t they say that?
“Somos Republicans” then states that “tough immigration” is not a “conservative ‘value’” but an issue; “tough immigration” isn’t an issue either, it is an adjectival phrase absent a noun to modify, but I digress.  I assume they are talking about tough immigration policy or laws or legislation or proposals.  Anyway, it isn’t tough immigration they are talking about; it’s really “tough anti-illegal immigration policy” that they are addressing.  And again “Somos Republicans” fails to use the word illegal.   Their “principle” then goes into some rambling about putting “our community” into a predicament. 

The bottom line is: There is nothing inconsistent with people wanting the law to be adhered to and enforced.  The fact that “Somos Republicans” addresses labor demands and economic demands in the statement proves the shortsightedness of the group; with the national unemployment rate over 9% there is no “labor demand.”  I know, I know, illegal immigrants do jobs that Americans won’t do, but if that was the case before it sure isn’t now.  “Somos Republicans” also talks a lot about being “humane,” and a “humanitarian tradition.”  Has anyone at “Somos Republicans” done some research on the Chinese when they came over to build the railroads or the Irish or the Italians to compare the “humane” treatment they received?  The only tradition that I know of is one of working.  People worked and they either found some measure of success or they didn’t.   And the most important part is that the great majority of immigrants prior to the 1960’s all came to the United States legally.  Illegal immigration as a policy issue is a rather recent phenomena.
Finally “Somos Republicans” throws around names like Presidents Reagan and Bush, sprinkle in the Cato and Goldwater Institutes, and the Hoover Institution and Presto! “Somos Republicans” has established its bona fides as a Republican entity. 

But let’s get back to why “Somos Republicans” won’t endorse Gabriela Mercer.  Well they NEVER TELL YOU!!  They mention Ms. Mercer twice in the article; once in the Headline and once in the first sentence when they mention that the Republican Party needs to find a better candidate.  This is a bloggers version of a drive-by shooting.  
“Somos Republicans” leaves the reader contemplating Ms. Mercer’s candidacy while they continue on with statistics from a Pew Hispanic Center survey trying to convince the Arizona Republican Party, and anyone else unfortunate enough to be reading the article, that 80% of Hispanics are against “SB1070 type of laws”.  (An assertion that is specious at best and dishonest at worst.) And, that no one should support any candidate that favors SB1070.

There is only one problem.  The Pew study that “Somos Republicans” diligently cites over and over again was conducted in 2008.  As a refresher, SB1070 was passed and signed by Governor Brewer in 2010.  So whatever questions were asked by the Pew Hispanic Center, they were not in regards to SB1070. 

In addition to this small, seemingly insignificant fact; is the fact that in the same Pew Study, only 44% of the over 2000 people that were interviewed, were US citizens and registered to vote. 
“Somos Republicans” then let’s their target audience, the Arizona Republican Party, know that any Hispanic who supports SB1070 is a “token” “yes-man” and that these Hispanics don’t know how Latinos really feel.  This is the tired old meme taken right out of the leftist book of tactics and is nothing more than an attempt to marginalize and silence anyone who disagrees with “Somos Republicans” view on illegal immigration: if you can convince everyone that pro-SB1070 Hispanics are “tokens” then they aren’t worth listening too because they are a super small minority. To discredit the people who disagree with you by calling them names is something worthy of a 4^th grade playground; How truly juvenile. 

Then… the coup de grâce!!  “Somos Republicans” tells the Republican Party that it must “prove to the increasing number of Hispanic voters that all Republicans are not a bunch of bigots who want to empty a clip on “illegals.” So, the burden of proof is on Republicans to prove they are NOT a bunch of bigots.  This can be accomplished by denouncing those that “Somos Republicans” says should be denounced. (For the Record: I do believe that Virgil Peck should be held to account for what he said.)  And then mention Russell Pearce, J.D. Hayworth, Tom Tancredo, and Steve King, so no one gets confused about who “Somos Republicans” considers extremists.  And finally…. the digestif to wash the whole thing down, “Somos Republicans” reminds everyone that they are Ronald Reagan Republicans and want to restore the Party of Abe Lincoln. 

First, to the Republican Party:  Be aware of what this group stands for: AMNESTY! If you are pro amnesty then you have found the right Latino group for you. If you chose to affiliate yourself with “Somos Republicans” be aware that you are taking the side of illegal aliens over law abiding immigrants and citizens (Somos is anti-SB1070 and Pro-Sanctuary City), you are taking the side of illegal students from foreign countries over US Citizens from out of state (Somos is Pro-DREAM Act), and you will be affiliated with the pro-amnesty movement. I am a Hispanic that believes in the rule of law and supports efforts such as Arizona SB1070 to control the illegal immigration crisis in the United States. I am one of the tokens of whom “Somos Republicans” speaks, but I am not alone. Ignore me at your peril. 

To Gabriela Saucedo Mercer:  I do not know you personally but, as they say; you can tell a lot about a person by who his/her “enemies” are.  And if Somos Republicans is your “enemy” then I support you in your efforts to unseat Raul Grijalva in Arizona Congressional District 7 as should every republican in the state.

Service to Country

 **This blog entry was written previously and is being reposted here.  I will post all of my previous articles here as a method to consolidate all articles in one location**

Whatever happened to the ideal that this nation once held, expressed in the words of John F. Kennedy? Which words you ask?

“Ask not what your country can do for you ask what you can do for your country.”

The idea of serving one’s country, somewhere in recent history, has become antithetical to the psyche of most of today’s American politicians.  Politicians are supposed to represent us, the people.  You may be asking yourself, how are politicians relevant to the conversation with regards to service to country?

Well, politicians should have service to country as their number one priority. The problem is that most politicians believe that the “country” is the federal government; actually the country, the nation, is the people.

We the people are what make this the United States of America.  Unfortunately, all too often what we hear about our senators and representatives is what they do for their district or their state and nothing about what they do for their country, for our country.  There are literally hundreds of examples where those in Congress put their district/state above country; these examples are called earmarks. Earmarks, whatever you want to argue, do not benefit the United States as a whole.  They may benefit certain people in certain geographical areas, maybe. John Murtha of Pennsylvania, through the earmarks process, has essentially built his own personal airport to make it convenient for him to fly back and forth to Washington D.C.  Aside from the less than 50 people who work to keep the airport open, the airport benefits no one.

Congressmen and Senators have forgotten their raise d’être.  Our representatives act more like agents on behalf of the federal government rather than agents of the people who elected them.   My view is that the original purpose of our representatives was to hold the line against the federal government taking and/or infringing on the rights of the individual based on state or region.  The congress was supposed to represent states rights against the power of the federal government.  Congressional representatives from each state were supposed to stand up to the federal government and ensure that their constituency would not be disadvantaged among the states with respect to the passage of any law.  And, that any laws that they passed had been vetted by all representatives of all the states to ensure that the benefit of those laws was for all the states, and for the nation as a whole.  Congressmen and Senators have morphed into a group of elitists who, in cooperation of the federal government, pass legislation which has steadily worn away at the rights of individual citizens.   Politicians have forgotten that their purpose is not to facilitate federal policy but to protect the people from it.

And it is not just the politicians who are at fault.  We, the American people are also responsible.  People need to understand that even though their congressman gets 15-20 million dollars for some project in their district, they still must pay the 10-20 billion dollar price tag for all the other projects in the legislation passed.  The bottom line is that it is not a very good investment.

The problem is this: Most people justify this spending with kindergarten logic.  “Everybody else is getting something, why not us.”  So constituencies may actually encourage their representatives to request earmarks and thereby waste more of our collective money. This is also true for subsidies, of all kinds.  People want the government to stop spending money, except when it comes to the money that benefits them.  The government subsidizes wheat farmers, sugar farmers, Amtrak, energy companies, tech companies, etc. In an article in 2006 the Cato Institute had the number of Federal Subsidy Programs at 1696. 

The American electorate is starting to educate itself.  But beyond education we as a nation must start to wean ourselves from the federal teat of subsidies and earmarks.  Communities must express their disdain for earmarks and subsidies both inside and outside their congressional district.  And hold their representative accountable for driving the nation further into debt.  This may affect the community in the short term, but in the long term it is very good for the country, for the USA.

The bottom line is that WE, all Americans, must stand up and tell our representatives that what we want is not more from the federal government, but less.  That what we want is the government to get out of the way of ideas and innovation; not create more obstacles and red tape.  That we know better what our communities need than the federal government; that any subsidy to any organization, group, region, or state, is money that is taken from us, collectively.  We don’t need handouts to succeed; we can do it ourselves, through hard work, sweat and effort.  It is through individual effort and achievement that all of us can serve our country.  Let’s stop asking our government to do for us what we should be doing ourselves and for our nation; once we are free of the addiction to government largess we can begin to use our talents and energies to serve our country.

Representatives in Congress beware.  It is no longer good enough for you to bring home the bacon.  You had better figure out how to cut the fat.  The electorate has awoken and will now hold you accountable for dragging the nation further into the open pit of debt created by this Congress, and the ones before it.  If you, as representatives, want to serve your country then do it by protecting your constituency from taxes, excessive regulation and an ever intrusive government and creating an environment conducive to small businesses, entrepreneurs and working people.

Today we probably need to modify what JFK said. Ask not what your country should do for you; ask what your country is doing for you that you should do yourself.  Because it is only through action of a free people that liberty is able to flourish, grow and expand.

THE TYRANNY OF TAXES

 **This blog entry was written previously and is being reposted here.  I will post all of my previous articles here as a method to consolidate all articles in one location**

Have you ever asked yourself how much the government really takes from you on a monthly basis? And I am not just talking about the federal government but the state, county, and municipal governments.  None of us really think about all the taxes and fees that come out of our pockets.

Think about it.  You pay taxes on your income every paycheck; if those were the only taxes you paid life would be great.  But that is only the beginning, unless you live in Florida or Texas, you also have to pay state income taxes.  You go home with your check lightened by federal and state income taxes, Medicare, and social security taxes.  So you are driving home and realize that you need gas for you car; you stop at the gas station and fill up. You pay anywhere from 30-60 cents for each gallon of gas (that is between $4.50-$9.00 on a 15 gallon tank and $7.50-$15.00 on a 25 gallon tank.)  You get home and sit at the kitchen table with a calculator and the bills that have arrive by mail. You start writing checks; you pay your electricity bill plus taxes; natural gas bill plus taxes; water bill plus taxes and fees for sewer service; cable or satellite service plus taxes; internet services plus taxes; phone bill plus taxes and 911 fees; cellular phone service plus taxes plus taxes and surcharges.  You pay your mortgage and pay taxes through the escrow account.  With the money you have left you go out to eat and pay taxes on that. Buy a fountain drink at the convenience store and pay taxes on that. Buy a six-pack of beer or a bottle of wine and pay taxes on that.  Buy clothes for you and your kids and pay taxes on that.  You buy tickets to a baseball game and pay taxes on that.  Go to the movies and pay taxes on that.  You pay taxes on all the consumables you need for your home from toilet paper to soap to toothpaste.  Any service that you need, from an oil change to a haircut, is taxed.  You can’t even take a vacation from it because your airline ticket, hotel and rental car are taxed.  Not a day goes by that you aren’t taxed in one way or another.  Obviously some places are worse than others.

It is a wonder we have any money left at all. We as a people need to demand a stop to all this taxation, demand relief from those whom we have empowered to represent us.  We are essentially suffering the same fate as the colonists prior to the revolution, with a twist: Taxation with misrepresentation. But it is our fault.  We have subjected ourselves to this tyranny. And we must take responsibility as a nation and as an electorate, to get ourselves out.  The Tyranny of Taxes is slowly taking away our liberty. We are evermore becoming indentured servants to the leviathan we call the Federal Government.  Worse yet, we are enslaving our children and grandchildren to a life of making the minimum payment on a multi-trillion dollar credit card just to keep ahead of the interest.

We work everyday in an effort to achieve the American Dream and instead of government that encourages our efforts we have one that impedes them.  Instead of creating an environment that is conducive to innovation the government has done everything it can to stifle it.  Rather than lower taxes to stimulate growth and expansion of the economy, our government raises taxes and discourages investment and entrepreneurialism.

Look around and ask yourself, is my money well spent?  Is it invested well?  Should I be forced to help pay for someone else’s house or brand new car?  Should I have been forced to by General Motors, Chrysler, or AIG?  Could I have used that money more efficiently?

Put it in perspective, since 2008, the federal government has spent:

  30 billion to bailout Bear Stearns

400 billion to bailout Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

180 billion to bailout AIG

  25 billion to bailout GM and Chrysler

700 billion to bailout banks through the TARP program

787 billion in the “stimulus package”

    5 billion in earmarks included in the Omnibus bill

According to the US Census Bureau there were 281,421,906 people in the United States in the year 2000.
For easy math let’s say that there are currently, 300,000,000 legal citizens and residents today.  That would mean that if you added up all the spending, just for the programs and bailouts listed above, the government could have sent out a $7090 check to every man woman and child who is legally in the United States.  For a family of four, that would mean $28,360.

HOW WOULD YOU SPEND $28,360!!

Ask yourself who knows better how to look after your family; you or a collection of 500 individuals in Washington D.C. who have never seen you, never talked to you, and seem unwilling to consider your future and the future of your children and grandchildren.  And don’t seem to understand that what they are doing not only affects us the people but our nation.  They are jeopardizing the future of the United States of America.