The day after Thanksgiving otherwise known as Black Friday, gives us the opportunity to examine what really makes our economy hum. Its not bureaucrats and its certainly not Republicans or Democrats. The way America works is ordinary Americans spending money with American businesses. The sooner the folks in Washington figure this out, the more prosperous this country will be.
Black Friday is successful because people expect bargains. And depending on the state of the economy, most businesses respond by advertising aggressively. They lower prices on toys, electronics and all sorts of items that might be in demand. Just like lower taxes spur economic growth and higher revenues, lower prices and sales generate more business. It is a tried and true method.
If Obama and Washington want to truly see America prosperous, they need to stop trying to buy favors or manipulate and "manage" the economy, and just simply get out of our lives and wallets.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
How Many Government Workers Does It Take To Bankrupt The Country?
I'm just asking the question. Because if we add another 2.5 million "guvmint" workers to the 20 million we have in local, state and Federal government, we would be well over 20 times the size of the next largest employer - Walmart. That is a payroll close to $15 BILLION we taxpayers have to cover just at the Federal level.
In fact, if we start adding up all those people on Welfare, Medicare, Social Security and then add in whatever additional dependent groups Obama and friends want to create, at some point there are too many mouths to feed and not enough taxpayers. Maybe having those 40 million aborted children in the workforce might not be a bad thing right now.
I understand that we have to have some basic government functions done by government employees. And I certainly have no problem with having a well trained and armed military. But we've got 10,000 people working at the Federal level in freakin' education! What the heck am I getting for my money? There are over 80,000 people working in the IRS trying to figure out the massive tax code and making sure they confiscate every last dime from us!
Enough. Privatize, privatize privatize and get the government out of every industry possible. The path we are headed cannot be sustained. Its time to "change" before we have no "hope."
In fact, if we start adding up all those people on Welfare, Medicare, Social Security and then add in whatever additional dependent groups Obama and friends want to create, at some point there are too many mouths to feed and not enough taxpayers. Maybe having those 40 million aborted children in the workforce might not be a bad thing right now.
I understand that we have to have some basic government functions done by government employees. And I certainly have no problem with having a well trained and armed military. But we've got 10,000 people working at the Federal level in freakin' education! What the heck am I getting for my money? There are over 80,000 people working in the IRS trying to figure out the massive tax code and making sure they confiscate every last dime from us!
Enough. Privatize, privatize privatize and get the government out of every industry possible. The path we are headed cannot be sustained. Its time to "change" before we have no "hope."
And Then Obama Said, "Let There Be Jobs."
President-elect Obama - BTW, until he has a day in court and proves that he is Constitutionally qualified, I have a hard time accepting him as President. He needs to immediately produce the paperwork and prove that he is in fact a "natural born citizen" and fully qualified to be President. These doubts cannot linger past the inauguration. If he will take these very basic steps, like every other employee and prove citizenship, he will have my respect (for the office of POTUS) and my prayers for wisdom and success as Bibically commanded.
The POTUS-elect has announced a plan to "create" new jobs, over 2.5 million. He claims he will do this by putting them to work building bridges, to where, who knows and fixing schools - yep that is a good strategy for success. He also added that his administration would "invest" in alternative energy.
Why are Americans so gullible to buy this bilge? Government NEVER creates jobs. They simply take from one group and redistribute it to another. Just like Clinton's 100,000 new cops, give or take a few tens of thousands, these are short term jobs that disappear when Federal funds go away. And they will. The state and local governments will not have the means to fund these jobs, nor should they beyond their budget capability.
The economy grows when government lowers taxes and allows more money to stay in the hands of those who will spend it and invest it in job creation. Any formula involving government "investing" or "creating jobs" will utimately collapse when the higher taxes required to support this welfare cannot be collected.
The POTUS-elect has announced a plan to "create" new jobs, over 2.5 million. He claims he will do this by putting them to work building bridges, to where, who knows and fixing schools - yep that is a good strategy for success. He also added that his administration would "invest" in alternative energy.
Why are Americans so gullible to buy this bilge? Government NEVER creates jobs. They simply take from one group and redistribute it to another. Just like Clinton's 100,000 new cops, give or take a few tens of thousands, these are short term jobs that disappear when Federal funds go away. And they will. The state and local governments will not have the means to fund these jobs, nor should they beyond their budget capability.
The economy grows when government lowers taxes and allows more money to stay in the hands of those who will spend it and invest it in job creation. Any formula involving government "investing" or "creating jobs" will utimately collapse when the higher taxes required to support this welfare cannot be collected.
Friday, November 21, 2008
If I Was King For A Day...
I keep reading all this nonsense in Washington about bailouts and numerous ideas to "spur" the economy and it makes me so sad. So I wanted to imagine a world where I was king for the day and what changes I would make.
1. Drastic Cuts To the Corporate Tax Rate - The fact that we have one of the highest corporate tax rates is one of many reasons business flees to tax-friendly states and nations. And guess what, lower taxes ALWAYS produce more revenue.
2. Drastic Cuts In the Capital Gains Tax - Don't penalize people for investing in the economy. And guess what, lower taxes ALWAYS produce more revenue.
3. Drastic Cuts In All Taxes - If I have more money in my pocket, guess what, I will spend it. If you want to see the economy improve, get people spending money again. And guess what, lower taxes ALWAYS produce more revenue.
4. No Bailouts EVER! - I'm sorry, this is just not the role of government. If you can't run your business, you probably should not be in charge or have a business. Its not the taxpayers' responsibility to save YOUR business.
5. Prosecute! - Prosecute every Fannie/Freddie punk and Democrat with their hands dirty from these banking scandals. Make them repay every cent they stole from cooking the books and jail these clowns in Congress that covered for them in Washington.
6. Freeze government hiring and salaries - In hard times, I have to make do with my income. Its time Washington should do the same. Congress especially should take an immediate 20% cut in pay and benefits. All nonmilitary pay and expenditures frozen. Drastically cut back in redundant useless Federal departments and personnel. Exactly why do we have a FEDERAL Department of Education?
7. Outlaw Democrats, ACORNs and Liberals - Well, most of them anyway. Maybe a few with brains could stay like Joe Lieberman and the more rational grassroots Democrats that vote out of fear of their union bosses or just plain ignorance. But for the most part Democrat politicians just screw up whatever they try and "fix." I call it the EVIL Midas touch. I'm only halfway kidding about this - BTW.
8. Get the Government Out - "Guvmint" needs to be removed from the medical field and a host of other industries ASAP. They only drive up costs with silly "feel good" regulation and make it harder to run a business. Get back to their original Constitutional mandates.
9. Drill Baby Drill! - Immediately open up all available land that shows promise for oil & gas exploration. Take some of the $700 Billion we send overseas each year for foreign oil and invest it in jobs in our country and grow the economy. Oil & Gas, will spike again and we cannot allow our enemies to use gas prices as a weapon against us!
10. Introduce Competition - School choice for education would empower students/parents to seek the best education. It would also create more private opportunities as business, teachers and technology create more effective and efficient ways to educate. Competition will improve education and raise the salaries for the better qualified teachers. The bloated and inefficient education bureaucracy will finally be put down for good.
11. Fairness Doctrine - Since liberals love this form of censorship as it applies to Conservative talk radio, apply this, just for fun, towards the radical left media at ABC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, New York Times and PBS. Let's see how they like it when they have to offer equal time to offset their liberal bias and rants. This would be only for a short time to make a point. Conservatives do not believe in censorship, unlike the liberals.
12. Free Trade - Absolutely. But treat imports exactly the way they treat our exports. That is truly free trade. If they have trade restrictions, guess what their products will get them too!
13. Terrorism & Pirates - No more playing games. The gloves come off and like the Barbary Wars in the 19th century, the threat WILL be eliminated. There will be no terrorism or pirates and definitely no safe havens for either.
14. Judges - If they try and even create even the smallest law from the bench, or borrow some insane law from a foreign power, its off to jail. Their job is to interpret NOT legislate.
15. The End of Income Tax - Within a short time a Fair Tax or a Flat Tax would replace the current grossly unfair and ridiculous tax code. You should not have to have an advanced degree or pay hundreds to figure out what to pay in taxes.
16. Medical Savings Accounts - Put the responsibility back on consumers to control how much they want or need to spend for health care. Model these after 401ks that can grow tax free and be passed to survivors. Businesses could choose to contribute and/or match employee contributions as a perk. They could be used to purchase major medical and for paying for preventative care. It takes most of the insurance headaches off the table and empowers consumers to spend THEIR money wisely for the best care. Why this has not happened sooner shows you how screwed up Washington really is.
17. UN Money - Not a dime more to support the crooked institutions at the UN or to corrupt 3rd world despots. Money will be tied to Democratic reforms - not like our Democrat party - that would be stupid. But in building Democracies and economic freedom. That is the only true way to help people in poor countries - empower them to succeed.
18. Abortion - Put more emphasis on personal responsibility. This day there are far too many ways to prevent a pregnancy. Why this is such a divisive issue is beyond me. An unwanted pregnancy should never happen. Here's a novel thought - maybe medical science could find a way and save the baby and transfer into a willing mother's womb? There is some out of the box thinking for you. Murdering a baby in the womb is not what any civilized society should ever endorse.
19. Pop Culture - Short of a meteor taking out New York City and a major earthquake sinking California into the ocean, we are probably stuck with the loony left in entertainment. I guess reeducation camps can't be used. Maybe they will move to Canada? Or, we could just ignore them. Would they then cease to exist? Seems like I saw a movie that had as a concept.
20. Religion - Maybe for once I could worship or express my Christian beliefs, or any other religion for that matter, without being chased around by ACLU lawyer types. For some reason I thought I was guaranteed the freedom of worship somewhere, Now where was that again?
Well there you go. A pretty good day of work.
Its good to be the king!
1. Drastic Cuts To the Corporate Tax Rate - The fact that we have one of the highest corporate tax rates is one of many reasons business flees to tax-friendly states and nations. And guess what, lower taxes ALWAYS produce more revenue.
2. Drastic Cuts In the Capital Gains Tax - Don't penalize people for investing in the economy. And guess what, lower taxes ALWAYS produce more revenue.
3. Drastic Cuts In All Taxes - If I have more money in my pocket, guess what, I will spend it. If you want to see the economy improve, get people spending money again. And guess what, lower taxes ALWAYS produce more revenue.
4. No Bailouts EVER! - I'm sorry, this is just not the role of government. If you can't run your business, you probably should not be in charge or have a business. Its not the taxpayers' responsibility to save YOUR business.
5. Prosecute! - Prosecute every Fannie/Freddie punk and Democrat with their hands dirty from these banking scandals. Make them repay every cent they stole from cooking the books and jail these clowns in Congress that covered for them in Washington.
6. Freeze government hiring and salaries - In hard times, I have to make do with my income. Its time Washington should do the same. Congress especially should take an immediate 20% cut in pay and benefits. All nonmilitary pay and expenditures frozen. Drastically cut back in redundant useless Federal departments and personnel. Exactly why do we have a FEDERAL Department of Education?
7. Outlaw Democrats, ACORNs and Liberals - Well, most of them anyway. Maybe a few with brains could stay like Joe Lieberman and the more rational grassroots Democrats that vote out of fear of their union bosses or just plain ignorance. But for the most part Democrat politicians just screw up whatever they try and "fix." I call it the EVIL Midas touch. I'm only halfway kidding about this - BTW.
8. Get the Government Out - "Guvmint" needs to be removed from the medical field and a host of other industries ASAP. They only drive up costs with silly "feel good" regulation and make it harder to run a business. Get back to their original Constitutional mandates.
9. Drill Baby Drill! - Immediately open up all available land that shows promise for oil & gas exploration. Take some of the $700 Billion we send overseas each year for foreign oil and invest it in jobs in our country and grow the economy. Oil & Gas, will spike again and we cannot allow our enemies to use gas prices as a weapon against us!
10. Introduce Competition - School choice for education would empower students/parents to seek the best education. It would also create more private opportunities as business, teachers and technology create more effective and efficient ways to educate. Competition will improve education and raise the salaries for the better qualified teachers. The bloated and inefficient education bureaucracy will finally be put down for good.
11. Fairness Doctrine - Since liberals love this form of censorship as it applies to Conservative talk radio, apply this, just for fun, towards the radical left media at ABC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, New York Times and PBS. Let's see how they like it when they have to offer equal time to offset their liberal bias and rants. This would be only for a short time to make a point. Conservatives do not believe in censorship, unlike the liberals.
12. Free Trade - Absolutely. But treat imports exactly the way they treat our exports. That is truly free trade. If they have trade restrictions, guess what their products will get them too!
13. Terrorism & Pirates - No more playing games. The gloves come off and like the Barbary Wars in the 19th century, the threat WILL be eliminated. There will be no terrorism or pirates and definitely no safe havens for either.
14. Judges - If they try and even create even the smallest law from the bench, or borrow some insane law from a foreign power, its off to jail. Their job is to interpret NOT legislate.
15. The End of Income Tax - Within a short time a Fair Tax or a Flat Tax would replace the current grossly unfair and ridiculous tax code. You should not have to have an advanced degree or pay hundreds to figure out what to pay in taxes.
16. Medical Savings Accounts - Put the responsibility back on consumers to control how much they want or need to spend for health care. Model these after 401ks that can grow tax free and be passed to survivors. Businesses could choose to contribute and/or match employee contributions as a perk. They could be used to purchase major medical and for paying for preventative care. It takes most of the insurance headaches off the table and empowers consumers to spend THEIR money wisely for the best care. Why this has not happened sooner shows you how screwed up Washington really is.
17. UN Money - Not a dime more to support the crooked institutions at the UN or to corrupt 3rd world despots. Money will be tied to Democratic reforms - not like our Democrat party - that would be stupid. But in building Democracies and economic freedom. That is the only true way to help people in poor countries - empower them to succeed.
18. Abortion - Put more emphasis on personal responsibility. This day there are far too many ways to prevent a pregnancy. Why this is such a divisive issue is beyond me. An unwanted pregnancy should never happen. Here's a novel thought - maybe medical science could find a way and save the baby and transfer into a willing mother's womb? There is some out of the box thinking for you. Murdering a baby in the womb is not what any civilized society should ever endorse.
19. Pop Culture - Short of a meteor taking out New York City and a major earthquake sinking California into the ocean, we are probably stuck with the loony left in entertainment. I guess reeducation camps can't be used. Maybe they will move to Canada? Or, we could just ignore them. Would they then cease to exist? Seems like I saw a movie that had as a concept.
20. Religion - Maybe for once I could worship or express my Christian beliefs, or any other religion for that matter, without being chased around by ACLU lawyer types. For some reason I thought I was guaranteed the freedom of worship somewhere, Now where was that again?
Well there you go. A pretty good day of work.
Its good to be the king!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Bailouts?
Where in the Constitution does it say that it is the government's responsibility to bail out failed businesses? That is our money and should not be wasted to reward private sector fraud and failure.
I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents. -- James Madison as he disapproved of an attempt to appropriate $15,000 for French refugees. 4 Annals of Congress 179 (1794).
Where is the outrage from American citizens over this $700 billion "bailout." That money belongs to you and would grow the economy much faster in the hands of American consumers where it will do some good. Buying votes or political payoffs to unions to give temporary life to failing businesses makes no sense whatsoever. If Washington is willing to give money to automakers and banks, why not a host of other industries in the future?
I survived throughout the telecom/Internet/dot com disasters, losing jobs in the process and I don't recall any Democrats rushing to bailout those industries. Nor did I expect it. If my own business suffered, I would never expect a government handout.
At the very least, the automakers need to learn from AIG executives. You don't go to Washington with your hands out flying on company jets. If you are that desperate, the private planes, outrageous executive pay/perks and any other excess needs to be eliminated before begging for taxpayer handouts. Geez.
I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents. -- James Madison as he disapproved of an attempt to appropriate $15,000 for French refugees. 4 Annals of Congress 179 (1794).
Where is the outrage from American citizens over this $700 billion "bailout." That money belongs to you and would grow the economy much faster in the hands of American consumers where it will do some good. Buying votes or political payoffs to unions to give temporary life to failing businesses makes no sense whatsoever. If Washington is willing to give money to automakers and banks, why not a host of other industries in the future?
I survived throughout the telecom/Internet/dot com disasters, losing jobs in the process and I don't recall any Democrats rushing to bailout those industries. Nor did I expect it. If my own business suffered, I would never expect a government handout.
At the very least, the automakers need to learn from AIG executives. You don't go to Washington with your hands out flying on company jets. If you are that desperate, the private planes, outrageous executive pay/perks and any other excess needs to be eliminated before begging for taxpayer handouts. Geez.
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