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?

Where is Ronald Reagan? We need him more than ever...

Traversing the expansive volumes of videos uploaded on YouTube.com, I decided to see what the libraries had to offer in regards to a man that, in my opinion, and that of many Conservatives, served his country with more class, nobility, passion, and love of country than any other President in history.

I am talking of one Ronald Wilson Reagan.

The former actor turned Governor of California turned American Icon and President.

Conservatives didn't use slanted media propaganda to elect Reagan. Americans did not turn onto supposed journalists to hear them claim to have "tingly" feelings going up his leg when the name of the man was mentioned. We did not need our President to go and have a Beatle-mania reception in Germany for him to seem just popular enough to elect.

President Ronald Reagan depended only on his desire to serve. He wore his heart on his sleeve, and that heart bled red, white, and blue. Reagan loved his country and his greatest desire, other than spending his life with the only being he loved more than America, and a near tie with God Almighty Himself, Nancy, was to leave America better than he and his generation found it.

Reagan spoke with a pure, unadulterated love; a deep, inspiring love of country. His word were his own, mostly, definitely more than most presidents. He did not use his position and podium to bash, attack, or smear political adversaries. He simply spoke of the American dream, the future of the country, and the betterment of America and Americans.

We don't get that today. We haven't had that for a while. President George W. Bush was a let down in that regard in his lame duck years. He drifted left at the end, seemingly beaten down by political adversaries that attacked relentlessly everything he did for 6 1/2 years. If he sneezed, it was too loud. He coughed, the didn't properly use and dispose of a tissue. He spent less than $10 million on putting together his second inaugural, and he was brutally assaulted for wastine money (although Obama didn't really get much grief for his $150 million bash....hmmm).

President Barack Obama does not speak a positive word in the way Reagan did. Obama, who usually speaks negatively about anything and everything nowadays, does speak of hope and change, but he does not love his country the way Reagan did. President Clinton was the same way. When Democrats speak about America, they do not have the same emotionally-charged, deep-seeded, heart-breaking love and adoration of our country.

Please watch this video that I borrowed from YouTube.com. Listen and watch the eyes of President Reagan, and then ask yourself if you can match that enthusiasm and love for America. Can you?

Did you cry for the people on 9-11? Did you bounce between anger, rage, and uncontrollable sobbing for the people and for the fact that your country...your home...was just sucker-punched? Did you get pissed off that 3,000 of your American brothers and sisters were murdered?

Are you still pissed off about 9-11?

Are you pissed that Russia and Germany not loyally supporting our War on Terror, despite the billions in aide they recieve?

Are you heart-broken over the shape our country has taken?

Are you upset that judicial activism is ursurping the powers of the Executive and Legislative branches? That the Supreme Court has manipulated and successfully destroyed the functionality of the Checks and Balances?

Do you love America? Do you love freedom? Do you believe in the innate goodness of the American spirit and people?

If you have doubts, watch this video. Watch more Reagan YouTube.com videos. See if you are inspired. If you open your mind and heart, I am sure you will.

Glenn Beck: Unelectable

Okay, this blog is not going to rail against the morons, I mean anyone who is trying to support the new administration, but instead, I am offering some hope.

Real hope.

For years, there was one shining light coming from CNN headquarters via CNN Headline News. That shining light was the one voice of reason that did not fall in line with the liberal idiocy and hypocracy. This shining light is now the 5pm show on Fox News Channel...His name: GLENN BECK.

My life's schedule prevents me from seeing his broadcasts on FNC. I wish I had been more familiar with him while he was at Headline News.

I write about him tonight because of the inspiration he has just provided me. Let me explain.

Recently, due to the irregular schedule of my job as a Family Teacher (NOT HOUSE PARENT! [That's a joke...hopefully fellow FTs appreciate it]), I decided to join Netflix. In my hours of searching Netflix's vast library, the website's suggestion features showed me a DVD created during the travesty of an election season we just had in 2008. The DVD is entitled Glenn Beck: UNELECTABLE.

Beck's passion and sheer, unadulterated, unquestionable love of country inspired me. He loves this country. He loves God. He believes in both.

In today's world, people do not talk with the passion and emotion that Beck presents on the stage in this DVD. People do not express the deep-rooted love of God and country that Beck does in this DVD.

I love Rush, Hannity, Mark Levin, and so many others on our side, but when they talk about their love of country, it doesn't carry the same depth. This is not to say they love America any less, or that Beck is so much better, but I am merely pointing out that I am inspired by this man.

Beck's take on America and politics and politicians is humorous, engaging, and though-provoking. If you have the slightest sliver of pride and love and respect for this country, this DVD will leave you elevated.

I am 27 years old. I am the son of a Vietnam Vet. I have walked the streets of two of the greatest cities God gave man: New York City and, my original and current city, Chicago. I have seen, in just under my 3 decades on earth, Americans lose themselves. I have seen the pride, love, and passion for our country and freedom get eroded and washed away. I have seen my peers never develop a proud, American core within themselves.

Most American parents have failed their children and their country by not nurturing that American pride in the last two generations.

Our media has betrayed and failed out country with their coverage of the last 5 presidencies. From their disrespectful attacks on Ronald Reagan to their unfailing love and support of the criminal Bill Clinton, then their unrelenting attacks and insults and disrespect to George W. Bush to their praise, support, and adoration of Barack Obama, they have consistently taught Americans all the wrong things about how to be a country of strength, independence, intelligence, and pride. The media has helped destroy our American Pride.

Our public schools, whose policies and curriculum are primarily devised by Democratic-minded, liberal-leaning beauracrats and not people within the education system, and certainly not by conservatives who have pride in America. Our kids are bieng indoctrinated to ignore their country's greatness and only focus on her imagined faults, meanwhile praising and envying the cultures of other nations while completely ignoring the human rights violations, violence, and lack-of-freedoms those cultures have. (Imagine walking around in China and carrying a poster that spoke ill of the current regime in charge...how many bullets would pierce your body before you hit the ground?)

I encourage all Americans to listen to Glenn's speech in this DVD. I hope that you will consider trying to instill a higher sense of pride, love, and adoration for America in those people around you.

Have you read the entire US Constitution?
Have you read the entire Declaration of Independence?

Our biggest problem in this tough economic time is that we have lost a sense of what makes America America. We no longer look at the stars and stripes with a prideful heart and an inner peace. We no longer remember on a daily basis that thousands upon thousands of men, women, and children have fought and died to give us the rights we abuse and take for granted.

We abuse our rights. We are "endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." We are not guarenteed happiness. We do not have a RIGHT to tax-payer-funded housing, health care, or anything else. We have the right to live, to live free, and to spend that free life pursuing happiness...we do not have the right to get there. We have the right to attempt to get there. But, we forget that. We tend to stick out our hand and expect people to give us what most people used to work for.

Watch the DVD. Start reinforcing your love of America. If we all step back, look around, take a deep breath, and fall in love with our country all over again...if we do that...if we give up a piece of ourselves and love America...I truly believe that we can figure out how to get our country going forward again. I believe we can be successful and leave this country in better shape than when we found it.