Monday, March 18, 2013
PRAY! One Nation Under GOD...Let's get back to that!
In light of the conviction of two teen boys who raped a girl who was passed-out drunk at a party, and the craziness of the reaction by mouthpieces in the main-stream media pitying the CONVICTED RAPISTS, and added to the breaking news that there have been threats against the VICTIM, I want to take a moment and ask that EVERYONE take a moment and pray...
PRAY for the victim, that she may heal and find peace and live a happy life.
PRAY for the convicted rapists, that they might repent of their crimes, use their experiences to become role models in society and be redeemed by God for that purpose, that their lives are not lost or wasted. If God can make use of the failed beings he used in the Bible, He can redeem these two boys.
PRAY for the talking heads that they might find common sense and human decency; that they might find the courage and character to condemn these acts as evil and depraved; that they might become voices for justice, morals, and character.
PRAY for the girls now in custody for making threats against the victim.
PRAY for our society that we learn to all be better people. That we are strong enough to speak against depravity. That we are strong enough to stand against the popular and the accepted for what is truly, morally right. That we are wise enough to see evil and find ways to fight it.
PRAY that no more girls are victimized by out-of-control peers who are taught that there is no such thing a personal responsibility; that nothing is their fault; their failures are not theirs.
PRAY that more parents teach their kids the be people of character.
PRAY that the "Self-Esteem" movement finally dies, because it weakens and fails our kids, and has for nearly 3 decades.
PRAY for our society, nation, and world to become people of morals, character, decency, and strength.
Most importantly...just PRAY.
Our schools, and our kids, took a nose-dive when we took God out and replaced Him with Government.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Let's Fix our Country...
I know how to fix the country. All of these ideas will help to fix economy, solve the debt, end the deficit, and put America back on track to prosperity.
1) Legalize marijuana in all American territories. Regulate it. Then tax the heck out of it. I propose a 90% federal sales tax and a 6% state sales tax on marijuana.
2) Ban all lobbyists. They use money to puppeteer elected officials, causing the average American's voice to be drowned out.
3) Make all unions non-profit organizations who are banned from using member money for the purposes of lobbying or to support any candidate, committee, or PAC.
4) Make it a federal crime, retroactively, for an elected official to use insider knowledge for profit. (i.e. using knowledge of an upcoming bill to inspire certain stock purchases or sales, using government programs that make once worthless land into rich property [See Harry Reid's portfolio...]).
5) Term limits for all elected officials. The founding fathers never intended for public service to be a lifetime career.
6) Only those elected officials who reach their term limit are eligible for pensions and benefits after their final terms. IMMEDIATELY stop paying full salary pensions PLUS full benefits to former Congressmen, Senators, and others who were voted out. (This would include Jimmy Carter's incredible pension as well as George Bush's (41). )
7) Stop ALL ethanol subsidies. This limits the amount of corn available for food, both for human and livestock consumption. When you limit supply, demand requires prices to rise. Food prices rise as a direct result of ethanol subsidies.
8) Stop with the "blend" requirements for fuel. There is ZERO conclusive proof that these "blends" do anything other than drive up the cost of fuel. Go with one blend. Lower the cost of fuel.
9) Reopen and reissue the expired leases in the Gulf of Mexico. THEN, open off-shore drilling on the continental shelf. BP disaster? Ok, let me ask you this. Is a leak easier to control at 100' depth in the ocean...or 5,280' depth?
10) Approve the already cleared, researched, and properly prepared-for 'Keystone Pipeline' project. On July 6, 2008, President Bush announced that he was opening the coasts of Virginia and California to further exploration. Seemingly within minutes, gas plummeted. (Gas was back down to $1.84 +/- when Bush left office...). The sheer announcement of exploration panicked OPEC. The election of kowtowing Obama relinquished that fear.
11) Apply the Texas legislative schedule to the federal government. Texas' legislature meets something like once every other year. If the feds met once a year, and were required to work in their home districts the rest of the time, they would be far less likely to pass stupid laws and would be more motivated to get things done...especially since they would be in their home districts, hearing far more from constituents than from lobbyists.
12) Close the borders. Make the discovery of illegal immigrants employed by your company devastating to your bottom line. Make the attraction to break our laws to come here less attractive.
13) Once the borders are closed, modify and pass the Dream Act. (Read on, conservative...I have not sold out. But, I am a realist. ) In the new Dream Act, there is a sunset date on registration for the program. Here are the details of the program:
-Within 6 months of passage, all illegal immigrants must register with the program.
-One able-bodied member of each immediate family must register for, and complete, either 5 years of Military Service; a Masters Education Degree in a Math, Science, or Arts program with a commitment to work in low-income schools for 5 more years; earn a degree in the field of healthcare and commit to 5 years in high-need areas.
-All adult members of the immediate family must complete 1,000, hours of community service within 2 years of registry (any real community service such as mentoring, reading to children, assisting elderly, etc.)
-All members of the immediate family must learn English.
-All members of the immediate family must take an oath of loyalty to the United States of America.
If you do not register within 6 months of the passage of the program, you are ineligible. Any illegal not registered under the Dream Act within that 6 month period will be deported. If you don't have a deadline, the flow of illegals to take advantage would be overwhelming. Close borders first! THEN, require those here the option of serving this country to stay on permanent VISAs (not citizenship), or they can leave voluntarily.
14) If Congress fails to perform its duties in any calendar year (i.e. not passing a budget, creating a deficit, etc.), all members will be fined 50% of that year's salary, and will work, without pay, until such duties are completed.
15) If the President signs into law a bill that puts the nation in long-term debt, he/she will forfeit one year's salary up until he/she signs a bill that covers that debt. This would include the pension due the President after his/her term.
16) All Higher Court decisions must refer only to US law and the US Constitution. Referring or using the laws or dictates of foreign nations is not to be done and is grounds for impeachment as a Judge or Justice.
These 16 steps would be painful, but mostly to the moochers who live off the taxpayer and dictate to us how to live.
Monday, December 26, 2011
2011 Wrap up, 2012 Preview...
It’s been a long time since I’ve actually put out a complete blog. I have spent a lot of time resorting to Tweets and Facebook updates. However, as we wrap up 2011, I want to discuss the coming election year and the importance of conservatives uniting and standing on principles.
In 2011, the GOP establishment continued to miss the point of the 2010 elections and what the Tea Party and conservative mandate meant. John Boehner and Mitch McConnell have both been incredible let-downs in leadership. I have felt betrayed and disappointed in the Republican Party in 2011. If we want a chance at real change in 2012, some attitudes will need to change, some spines will need to stiffen, and some leaders will need to stand up.
The debt ceiling debacle was a colossal failure. There is no way the government collapses if the ceiling is hit. Perhaps some services will need to be temporarily closed, but there is a monthly income of approximately $392 BILLION. The President of the United States and the US Treasury Department have sole discretion over how monies are spent should there be an uncovered portion of the budget and Congress has not given authorization for additional borrowing. Therefore, boys and girls, had the GOP stood strong and fought to the bitter end for real spending cuts, not gotten it, and the debt ceiling had been reached, Obama and his Treasury guru Timothy Geithner would have to decide how to spend the $392 BILLION. So, if they opted not to send Social Security checks or checks to the military, it would have been Obama’s responsibility and choice to do that. Yet, instead of getting that message, you know, the TRUTH out, the GOP buckled. For some reason, Boehner and the GOP establishment just don’t get it. They still think giving in to the left will somehow garner favor and fairness from the mainstream media and Obama himself. Not going to happen.
The GOP is still dying for a leader who will step up and lead and not buckle to pressure. The stakes are too high now for us to continue to be weak in the knees. ObamaCare will, in fact, destroy what’s left of our healthcare system. Health Care needs REAL reform, and not a bunch of bureaucracy that will put government between people who need care and the doctors they want to see. ObamaCare is making it harder for insurance companies to be viable. It is designed to force insurance companies out of business, thus forcing a need for a “public” system. Which is just an awesome idea. Look how well the government can deliver mail on time, or how profitable Amtrak has become, or how well the VA system meets the health needs of all veterans. The government cannot get FEMA trailers into New Orleans for weeks after a hurricane they knew about 6 days ahead of time. Yet we want them to take over health care and life and death decisions? Really?
Health Care needs reform. Lawyers have too much power and influence the cost of health care more than anything else. Yet, because most of the Democratic Party is run by lawyers, no one dared address lawsuit abuse in the health care bill. The GOP needs to fight and make the repeal of this travesty the number one priority on January 20, 2013. Second priority is the repeal of Dodd-Frank. Third priority is to open the way for the pipeline from Canada to the gulf. Getting those three priorities accomplished would do wonders for the economy. Here’s how…
Repealing ObamaCare will release billions of dollars in bureaucracy off the backs of businesses, big and small. Even if the company tries to save some money by dropping coverage and paying the fine, they would still be paying people to deal with the red tape and bureaucracy to pay those fines. Now, without that burden, they could afford to recruit and retain the best people for their company. With the best people performing and content with their jobs, their productivity improves, the company improves, and more jobs can be created. Not to mention the thousands of people who work for insurance companies whose jobs would really be saved (as opposed to the fictitious saved or created jobs we keep hearing about.).
Dodd-Frank is terrible law. It makes banking, seeking loans, and anything financial excruciatingly painful, especially if you are a small business. Dodd-Frank is killing jobs on a daily basis. Banks are laying people off in 2011 to get ready for policies within Dodd-Frank that take effect over the next two years. Dodd-Frank is bad law, not to mention it’s complete lack of reform to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac (of course having nothing to do with those two failed institutions undying and exorbitant financial backing of Democrat candidates, particularly Chris Dodd, Barney Frank, and Barack Obama). The repeal of Dodd-Frank will alleviate the immense pressure being brought to bear on the business community. If it’s easier to operate, it’s easier to produce, it’s easier to create profit, and then it’s easier to grow and hire.
President Obama is holding 20,000, jobs hostage until after the 2012 elections. The Keystone pipeline, by itself, would create a buzz in the American economy. This pipeline would run from Canada to Texas. It would create a minimum of 20,000 jobs. It would lead to a lessening of America’s dependence on Middle Eastern oil. American construction technology would make it one of the safest pipelines in the world. We have a so many pipelines in the harsh conditions of Alaska. Does anyone know the last time one of them burst? Wouldn’t building in the mid-west be far less risky? Yet, despite already recorded and reported environmental studies giving the pipeline the O.K., Obama is giving in to environmentalist wackos and holding these jobs and economic buzz hostage for political reasons.
So, when a Republican is sworn in on January 20, 2013, authorizing the pipeline would open the proverbial floodgates to some economic improvement in the nation. On Monday, July 28, 2008, George W. Bush announced the lifting of the executive moratorium on the harvesting of oil shale in the western US. That day…THAT DAY…gas prices dropped. Gas prices dropped all the way through the election. Gas was $1.85 when Obama was sworn in on January 20, 2009. $1.85. Just think how fast prices would drop again with the announcement that we’re going to give ourselves access to more Canadian oil that’s cheaper.
Think…how much better would your holidays have been if you were paying under $2/gallon at the pump?
As I look at the field of GOP Candidates, I am slightly disappointed. Instead of running against Obama, they have taken to tearing each other down. I have not chosen a candidate out of the remaining field. My pick was Herman Cain. However, the hatred of a black conservative was too much for him to put his family through. And that is a shame. Lies and baseless accusations can prevent a black conservative from running for office. Had Cain been a liberal, the women making the accusations would have been vilified as racists and had their worst, darkest secrets exposed on the mainstream media.
However, out of the field remaining, I wish Rick Santorum would gain more traction. Romney and Gingrich leave me slightly uneasy. Their records suggest they are prone to some of the problems I have with Boehner and McConnell in the Congress. They seem vulnerable to giving in and getting weak-kneed when pressured by the media and liberals in Washington. Michelle Bachmann is great in the House, but she does not have the strength or delivery in presentation to defeat Obama. Ron Paul is a crazy, hapless hack. When he is lucid, he makes some sense on domestic economic issues. Foreign policy, however, is his weakness and, if elected to the White House, would spark the third world war, while we sit at home and wait for the evil of the world to come calling. As for Huntsman, his daughters are very pretty, but that’s the only thing he’s brought worthwhile to the campaign. That being said, I do not want this guy anywhere near the GOP Convention next fall. He is NOT conservative. He is barely Republican.
So, of the field, my endorsement at this time goes to Santorum. He is the real conservative leader in the pack, no matter how much Charles Krauthammer or the other pundits in conservative media want to bury him and pretend he’s not a candidate. However, because, for whatever reason, he is not getting the traction he needs, I think thanks in no small part to Fox News burying everyone BUT Romney and Gingrich, I will probably go with writing in Gingrich on my Virginia ballot.
Nonetheless, whoever gets the GOP nomination will need to step up and lead. He or she will need to absorb the slings and arrows from the left. He or she will have to stick to their principles. If they stand up, run against Obama and his failed policies, hammer home the idea that Obama had all three branches of government under his control until January 2011, when the GOP took the House (thus getting through everything he really wanted to), and showing how America is worse off than it was in 2008, we can win a Republican Supermajority and get rid of ObamaCare, Dodd-Frank, and clear the way for the Keystone pipeline. Those three agenda items would set the foundation for a revived economy…if only the GOP has the intestinal fortitude to do it.
In 2011, the GOP establishment continued to miss the point of the 2010 elections and what the Tea Party and conservative mandate meant. John Boehner and Mitch McConnell have both been incredible let-downs in leadership. I have felt betrayed and disappointed in the Republican Party in 2011. If we want a chance at real change in 2012, some attitudes will need to change, some spines will need to stiffen, and some leaders will need to stand up.
The debt ceiling debacle was a colossal failure. There is no way the government collapses if the ceiling is hit. Perhaps some services will need to be temporarily closed, but there is a monthly income of approximately $392 BILLION. The President of the United States and the US Treasury Department have sole discretion over how monies are spent should there be an uncovered portion of the budget and Congress has not given authorization for additional borrowing. Therefore, boys and girls, had the GOP stood strong and fought to the bitter end for real spending cuts, not gotten it, and the debt ceiling had been reached, Obama and his Treasury guru Timothy Geithner would have to decide how to spend the $392 BILLION. So, if they opted not to send Social Security checks or checks to the military, it would have been Obama’s responsibility and choice to do that. Yet, instead of getting that message, you know, the TRUTH out, the GOP buckled. For some reason, Boehner and the GOP establishment just don’t get it. They still think giving in to the left will somehow garner favor and fairness from the mainstream media and Obama himself. Not going to happen.
The GOP is still dying for a leader who will step up and lead and not buckle to pressure. The stakes are too high now for us to continue to be weak in the knees. ObamaCare will, in fact, destroy what’s left of our healthcare system. Health Care needs REAL reform, and not a bunch of bureaucracy that will put government between people who need care and the doctors they want to see. ObamaCare is making it harder for insurance companies to be viable. It is designed to force insurance companies out of business, thus forcing a need for a “public” system. Which is just an awesome idea. Look how well the government can deliver mail on time, or how profitable Amtrak has become, or how well the VA system meets the health needs of all veterans. The government cannot get FEMA trailers into New Orleans for weeks after a hurricane they knew about 6 days ahead of time. Yet we want them to take over health care and life and death decisions? Really?
Health Care needs reform. Lawyers have too much power and influence the cost of health care more than anything else. Yet, because most of the Democratic Party is run by lawyers, no one dared address lawsuit abuse in the health care bill. The GOP needs to fight and make the repeal of this travesty the number one priority on January 20, 2013. Second priority is the repeal of Dodd-Frank. Third priority is to open the way for the pipeline from Canada to the gulf. Getting those three priorities accomplished would do wonders for the economy. Here’s how…
Repealing ObamaCare will release billions of dollars in bureaucracy off the backs of businesses, big and small. Even if the company tries to save some money by dropping coverage and paying the fine, they would still be paying people to deal with the red tape and bureaucracy to pay those fines. Now, without that burden, they could afford to recruit and retain the best people for their company. With the best people performing and content with their jobs, their productivity improves, the company improves, and more jobs can be created. Not to mention the thousands of people who work for insurance companies whose jobs would really be saved (as opposed to the fictitious saved or created jobs we keep hearing about.).
Dodd-Frank is terrible law. It makes banking, seeking loans, and anything financial excruciatingly painful, especially if you are a small business. Dodd-Frank is killing jobs on a daily basis. Banks are laying people off in 2011 to get ready for policies within Dodd-Frank that take effect over the next two years. Dodd-Frank is bad law, not to mention it’s complete lack of reform to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac (of course having nothing to do with those two failed institutions undying and exorbitant financial backing of Democrat candidates, particularly Chris Dodd, Barney Frank, and Barack Obama). The repeal of Dodd-Frank will alleviate the immense pressure being brought to bear on the business community. If it’s easier to operate, it’s easier to produce, it’s easier to create profit, and then it’s easier to grow and hire.
President Obama is holding 20,000, jobs hostage until after the 2012 elections. The Keystone pipeline, by itself, would create a buzz in the American economy. This pipeline would run from Canada to Texas. It would create a minimum of 20,000 jobs. It would lead to a lessening of America’s dependence on Middle Eastern oil. American construction technology would make it one of the safest pipelines in the world. We have a so many pipelines in the harsh conditions of Alaska. Does anyone know the last time one of them burst? Wouldn’t building in the mid-west be far less risky? Yet, despite already recorded and reported environmental studies giving the pipeline the O.K., Obama is giving in to environmentalist wackos and holding these jobs and economic buzz hostage for political reasons.
So, when a Republican is sworn in on January 20, 2013, authorizing the pipeline would open the proverbial floodgates to some economic improvement in the nation. On Monday, July 28, 2008, George W. Bush announced the lifting of the executive moratorium on the harvesting of oil shale in the western US. That day…THAT DAY…gas prices dropped. Gas prices dropped all the way through the election. Gas was $1.85 when Obama was sworn in on January 20, 2009. $1.85. Just think how fast prices would drop again with the announcement that we’re going to give ourselves access to more Canadian oil that’s cheaper.
Think…how much better would your holidays have been if you were paying under $2/gallon at the pump?
As I look at the field of GOP Candidates, I am slightly disappointed. Instead of running against Obama, they have taken to tearing each other down. I have not chosen a candidate out of the remaining field. My pick was Herman Cain. However, the hatred of a black conservative was too much for him to put his family through. And that is a shame. Lies and baseless accusations can prevent a black conservative from running for office. Had Cain been a liberal, the women making the accusations would have been vilified as racists and had their worst, darkest secrets exposed on the mainstream media.
However, out of the field remaining, I wish Rick Santorum would gain more traction. Romney and Gingrich leave me slightly uneasy. Their records suggest they are prone to some of the problems I have with Boehner and McConnell in the Congress. They seem vulnerable to giving in and getting weak-kneed when pressured by the media and liberals in Washington. Michelle Bachmann is great in the House, but she does not have the strength or delivery in presentation to defeat Obama. Ron Paul is a crazy, hapless hack. When he is lucid, he makes some sense on domestic economic issues. Foreign policy, however, is his weakness and, if elected to the White House, would spark the third world war, while we sit at home and wait for the evil of the world to come calling. As for Huntsman, his daughters are very pretty, but that’s the only thing he’s brought worthwhile to the campaign. That being said, I do not want this guy anywhere near the GOP Convention next fall. He is NOT conservative. He is barely Republican.
So, of the field, my endorsement at this time goes to Santorum. He is the real conservative leader in the pack, no matter how much Charles Krauthammer or the other pundits in conservative media want to bury him and pretend he’s not a candidate. However, because, for whatever reason, he is not getting the traction he needs, I think thanks in no small part to Fox News burying everyone BUT Romney and Gingrich, I will probably go with writing in Gingrich on my Virginia ballot.
Nonetheless, whoever gets the GOP nomination will need to step up and lead. He or she will need to absorb the slings and arrows from the left. He or she will have to stick to their principles. If they stand up, run against Obama and his failed policies, hammer home the idea that Obama had all three branches of government under his control until January 2011, when the GOP took the House (thus getting through everything he really wanted to), and showing how America is worse off than it was in 2008, we can win a Republican Supermajority and get rid of ObamaCare, Dodd-Frank, and clear the way for the Keystone pipeline. Those three agenda items would set the foundation for a revived economy…if only the GOP has the intestinal fortitude to do it.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
How to Fix the Economy...TODAY
If President Barack Obama truly wants America to rebound and jobless Americans to find work, then I have the solution that will put our country on an upward slope.
First step: Energy.
We address the energy crisis with real passion and fervor. We announce that the continental shelves in the Gulf of Mexico and off the Atlantic coast are open for drilling. Each company that applies to drill in those areas will be required to put up $1 billion into a lock-box, rainy-day fund that will act as an insurance policy against any oil leaks. The funds will be kept in a savings account, earning interest, and any company that halts drilling will be allowed to cash out of the fund.
Second, announce the immediate construction of oil refineries in Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana. As the new oil refineries go up, we will also add 25% more state-of-the-art nuclear power plants, a number of which will be located in or near California and in or near New York City.
These two steps will IMMEDIATELY cause a massive drop in oil prices. On Monday, July 28, 2008, George W. Bush announced an end to the Executive Moratorium on harvesting the oil shales in the in the western US. Within, literally, hours, oil prices dropped, causing a sudden drop in gas prices as well. The sheer announcement of a new direction in American energy policy will cause OPEC to panic and drop rates to keep our business. Instead, we will harvest our own resources and stop relying on OPEC, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and other countries in volatile situations.
With energy costs lower, people will have more money to purchase goods and services, and also pay off debts (including their own mortgages!). With more money in their pockets, there will be more vacations, more vehicle upgrades, more clothes, more consumerism.
So, a byproduct will be more need for employees to serve the new influx of people coming in to businesses. Thus, taking those people off the unemployment rolls, thereby taking the burden off the taxpayer for these people to survive. More people working, more people paying taxes, and suddenly we can stop borrowing money.
Oh, and let's not forget the immediate jobs coming from the construction and operation of the refineries and power plants. (More people working and paying taxes).
Second: Government Spending
There are so many things the government has it's fingers in, it is hard to start tackling the huge, over-reaching federal government. So, let's start with unemployment and Welfare assistance.
Unemployment rules should include clauses requiring drug testing and requiring legitimate evidence of job searching. For instance, if someone on unemployment can be shown to have intentionally flunked an interview or otherwise inhibit their own employment opportunities, then they will forfeit their benefits permanently and not be eligible for 3 years. This will force people to take job-seeking seriously instead of taking for granted an unending government paycheck for staying at home. There are many stories, a couple of which I've seen in person, of people on unemployment tanking an interview so they would not get hired and stay on paid vacation. There are some jobs out there, perhaps not the glorious jobs once available, but a working person is much more valuable to society than a person sitting at home getting a check.
In addition, if there is a problem finding work in an area after 3 months, then a person must spend 30 hours a week doing legitimate volunteer work in their community to earn their check. Schools need help, churches need help, homeless need help, and many others all over the country need some attention. And, if you're going to get a check courtesy of taxpayers, you need to serve your community. The contributions will be immeasurable in the communities with our tax dollars not just going into an endless, wasteful pit.
These suggestions will deter abuse of the unemployment system and encourage people to get off as quickly as possible.
Welfare recipients will be required to pass drug tests prior to receiving the first dime in benefits. Once every three months, a social worker will administer another drug test at a random time during normal business hours.
The selling of food stamp cards will be equivalent to credit card fraud. The maximum number of children covered will be 4 at any one time. And, like with unemployment, if, after 3 months there is no change in situation (as in no job secured), Welfare recipients will be required to volunteer 30 hours per week and make a contribution to bettering the communities in which they live. This will be required of all able-bodied adults in a home. Obviously, enrolled students that have not yet graduated high school will be exempt.
By encouraging people to get themselves and their families off the taxpayers' payrolls, the tax base will grow, jobs will be taken, and more money will be infused into the economy.
Third: Stop Borrowing money.
Ronald Reagan said,(paraphrasing), "The federal government should not try to find the money they need, but instead find a need for the money they have." Instead of borrowing money to bail out failing businesses, failing industries crippled by over-powering unions, and people who cannot afford to pay for the homes they are in, it is time to let people to actually take and accept responsibility for their choices. There is nothing wrong with renting or living in smaller houses. There is nothing wrong with living without the great luxuries of life. There is something wrong with taking my earned money to bail out failures.
It's time the federal and state governments stop spending and start saving. When our interest payments on our loans are more than many countries' entire economies, there is something grotesquely wrong.
If the public employee unions won't budge and think that union members are somehow exempt from struggling in tough times. and should not see higher premiums in their insurance and retirement, then perhaps it's time to replace all union employees with non-union so we can stop over-extending our budgets to pay for unreasonable, lavish benefits for public employees.
These are some lofty ideas to fix our economy, but I guarantee they will work. Just the sheer announcement of the energy idea would be a shot of adrenaline into our economy.
So, why is our government more concerned with getting involved in a state dispute with the state union and not so much with the repair of our national economy?
First step: Energy.
We address the energy crisis with real passion and fervor. We announce that the continental shelves in the Gulf of Mexico and off the Atlantic coast are open for drilling. Each company that applies to drill in those areas will be required to put up $1 billion into a lock-box, rainy-day fund that will act as an insurance policy against any oil leaks. The funds will be kept in a savings account, earning interest, and any company that halts drilling will be allowed to cash out of the fund.
Second, announce the immediate construction of oil refineries in Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana. As the new oil refineries go up, we will also add 25% more state-of-the-art nuclear power plants, a number of which will be located in or near California and in or near New York City.
These two steps will IMMEDIATELY cause a massive drop in oil prices. On Monday, July 28, 2008, George W. Bush announced an end to the Executive Moratorium on harvesting the oil shales in the in the western US. Within, literally, hours, oil prices dropped, causing a sudden drop in gas prices as well. The sheer announcement of a new direction in American energy policy will cause OPEC to panic and drop rates to keep our business. Instead, we will harvest our own resources and stop relying on OPEC, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and other countries in volatile situations.
With energy costs lower, people will have more money to purchase goods and services, and also pay off debts (including their own mortgages!). With more money in their pockets, there will be more vacations, more vehicle upgrades, more clothes, more consumerism.
So, a byproduct will be more need for employees to serve the new influx of people coming in to businesses. Thus, taking those people off the unemployment rolls, thereby taking the burden off the taxpayer for these people to survive. More people working, more people paying taxes, and suddenly we can stop borrowing money.
Oh, and let's not forget the immediate jobs coming from the construction and operation of the refineries and power plants. (More people working and paying taxes).
Second: Government Spending
There are so many things the government has it's fingers in, it is hard to start tackling the huge, over-reaching federal government. So, let's start with unemployment and Welfare assistance.
Unemployment rules should include clauses requiring drug testing and requiring legitimate evidence of job searching. For instance, if someone on unemployment can be shown to have intentionally flunked an interview or otherwise inhibit their own employment opportunities, then they will forfeit their benefits permanently and not be eligible for 3 years. This will force people to take job-seeking seriously instead of taking for granted an unending government paycheck for staying at home. There are many stories, a couple of which I've seen in person, of people on unemployment tanking an interview so they would not get hired and stay on paid vacation. There are some jobs out there, perhaps not the glorious jobs once available, but a working person is much more valuable to society than a person sitting at home getting a check.
In addition, if there is a problem finding work in an area after 3 months, then a person must spend 30 hours a week doing legitimate volunteer work in their community to earn their check. Schools need help, churches need help, homeless need help, and many others all over the country need some attention. And, if you're going to get a check courtesy of taxpayers, you need to serve your community. The contributions will be immeasurable in the communities with our tax dollars not just going into an endless, wasteful pit.
These suggestions will deter abuse of the unemployment system and encourage people to get off as quickly as possible.
Welfare recipients will be required to pass drug tests prior to receiving the first dime in benefits. Once every three months, a social worker will administer another drug test at a random time during normal business hours.
The selling of food stamp cards will be equivalent to credit card fraud. The maximum number of children covered will be 4 at any one time. And, like with unemployment, if, after 3 months there is no change in situation (as in no job secured), Welfare recipients will be required to volunteer 30 hours per week and make a contribution to bettering the communities in which they live. This will be required of all able-bodied adults in a home. Obviously, enrolled students that have not yet graduated high school will be exempt.
By encouraging people to get themselves and their families off the taxpayers' payrolls, the tax base will grow, jobs will be taken, and more money will be infused into the economy.
Third: Stop Borrowing money.
Ronald Reagan said,(paraphrasing), "The federal government should not try to find the money they need, but instead find a need for the money they have." Instead of borrowing money to bail out failing businesses, failing industries crippled by over-powering unions, and people who cannot afford to pay for the homes they are in, it is time to let people to actually take and accept responsibility for their choices. There is nothing wrong with renting or living in smaller houses. There is nothing wrong with living without the great luxuries of life. There is something wrong with taking my earned money to bail out failures.
It's time the federal and state governments stop spending and start saving. When our interest payments on our loans are more than many countries' entire economies, there is something grotesquely wrong.
If the public employee unions won't budge and think that union members are somehow exempt from struggling in tough times. and should not see higher premiums in their insurance and retirement, then perhaps it's time to replace all union employees with non-union so we can stop over-extending our budgets to pay for unreasonable, lavish benefits for public employees.
These are some lofty ideas to fix our economy, but I guarantee they will work. Just the sheer announcement of the energy idea would be a shot of adrenaline into our economy.
So, why is our government more concerned with getting involved in a state dispute with the state union and not so much with the repair of our national economy?
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