Health Care Dilemma

My email box is overflowing with viewpoints on the proposed health care plan before congress. Most of what I receive is opposed to the plan, but there are people out there who want this all-encompassing package to pass.

One conclusion that I have drawn is that all sides of the argument are genuine. The Liberals that read my column are not power-hungry mongrels as portrayed by talk radio and elsewhere. No, even though their point of view is very narrow, they feel like the system we have now, is faulty and that the government is the only thing big and tough enough to get relief to the poor and others without health care.

Political patronage and misrepresentation of this bill is what kills the current health care proposal for me. Examination of the bill reveals a real horror story. It really doesn't do anything but add to the already burgeoning deficit. But that is only the start of what is wrong with this bill.

If you really believe that we are going to provide coverage for millions of additional people and save money in the process, then you are certainly a Kool-Aid drinker.

Several of you railed against the profit motive as being the bad guy. C'mon, you people have brains. General Motors just declared bankruptcy because of 'no profits'. Do you think that by removing profitability that things would actually improve? Profits motivate progress. Progress cannot be mandated. Just look at any Socialist / Communist country. If mandates from the governments of those societies had worked, those countries would be the envy of the world, not wallowing in third world status.

There was a time in American history when unbridled Capitalism almost destroyed the underpinnings of this country. But the people fought back spawning new labor laws and just compensation. But the pendulum has moved too far left and we are again at the precipice of destruction. We have squeezed out most of our industry with over taxation. Our manufacturing base has dwindled from one job out of three, down to one job out of ten. You people do remember manufacturing don't you?

Manufacturing is where you take relatively worthless components/resources and turn them into something of value. Manufacturers set up shop because there might be a profit in doing so. But the governments (State, Federal, and Local) have literally stolen any opportunity for profits through taxation and regulation, so they just moved and took their jobs to a friendlier environment.

In a related issue closer to home, I used to enjoy going to the casinos and playing the slot machines. Most of the time it was a losing effort, but until the last few years I always thought that I had at least a small chance of winning. As you wandered through the casino, you heard 'yippee! and wahoo!' as lucky people hit good on the machines. But that has all changed now. Government squeeze on casino profits has put a damper on your ability to win playing a slot machine. You have to be extremely lucky to get a good hit anymore. Why? Because the local and state governments saw the casinos as easy pickings and started taxing the bejesus out of them. They take their slice off the top and casino operators are left to sort out how to keep the customers happy. One mechanism that casinos employ now is by way of the 'slot club'. Slot clubs allow the customers to accumulate points that can be redeemed for meals, rooms, or cash. It takes a lot of slot play to get any benefits and those benefits usually come with a very high price tag. Winning at the slots is now a rare event.

I tell you this story about the casinos to illustrate the point about profits. Casino customers are no different. The customers really don't go to the casino to see the bright lights, nor to hear the ruckus of the slot machines, no, they go there because lady luck might shine on them and they will win. So lo and behold, when that opportunity was removed and replaced with just a few very costly baubles, the customers started to stay away from the casinos. Casinos are now losing money. Greed, whether in the private or public sector spawns ruination.

The same is true for our manufacturing base, health care, or trade unions. - Something that very few of you know about me is that I am a retired union member. I even draw a retirement pittance from my union. My membership dates back to the sixties, and over time, the union has changed. We used to hear comments from our union leaders such as, "A day's work for a day's pay", and "You have to make the man money so he can afford to hire union labor". Construction locals fought hard to maintain their contractor base - but the unions got greedy. The more they demanded from those contractors, the more those contractors deserted the unions.

The world has always been like that. There is always that segment of the population that cannot and does not want to compete for standing. Instead, they make demands of those who have invested their time, effort, and money into succeeding. Demands from our governments with their tax policies hurt all of us. Heavy-handed governments always lead to ruination, always have, and always will. Ruination follows when any of life's participants get greedy. Greed at the dinner table even causes misery - either immediately after a big meal or later in life after you get fat. The piper is always there to collect his dues. There are no free lunches.

Certainly, there are issues that need addressing such as that young woman from Alvin, TX who found out she has cervical cancer. Her insurance required several thousand dollars deductible before they would approve coverage. It is indeed a sad tale. I certainly hope for this young woman's sake that she will soon raise the money. All people facing catastrophic health issues should have a way to get help whenever there are circumstances such as this young woman is going through. But, and I will repeat, the answer is not to be found with a total takeover of our health care system. We should address the bad in the system and make those corrections to the best of our ability without screwing up the world's finest health care.

I don't believe in altruism. If the government starts to regulate the pay for doctors, our medical system will take a quality hit. The government opens the door to mediocrity when they don't allow the market to dictate the cost and profits earned by doctors. Put yourself in the shoes of a young college student just entering medical school. The odds are that you will not put in all that extra time and work trying to be the best you can be. Why should you? The party hounds who don't work and learn will make the same amount of money as you and not have to expend the effort that is required to be a top notch doctor. To know that this is true, all we have to do is look at those countries where 'single-payer' systems exist. The number of doctors' drop because of the loss of profit potential. Doctor loss puts even more pressure on health care system, i.e. medical rationing becomes necessary because the system can't physically take care of the volume.

What you want to remember is that in today's medical schools, only 25% of the graduating doctors finished at the top. 75% graduated as middle of the road or worse. The top 25% worked extra hard to earn the rankings that they received. Lumping all doctors into the same income category would destroy the incentive for the extra effort that yields to the system our top-notch doctors. Eventually, the only doctors that will be available will be mediocre doctors. The profit incentive is what drives those students to make that extra effort to be the best. If you value freedom, you will reject this bill. We cannot afford a heavy handed government run health system.

Glaringly absent in this legislation is any mention of tort reform, incentives for increasing the number of doctors, or any guidelines as to the quality of the care you receive. There are no appeals to the decisions made by the boards and commissions set up by the government. Whatever they decide is it! Finito, end of story.

This bill, over time, puts the government in charge of the health care industry. If we force the private insurers into competition with a government, it will mean certain doom for the private insurance companies (and all of those jobs). This puts the insurance companies in a no win situation.- Plus, with the government's ability to just print money, and not have to make a profit assures that the playing field is not level. Private industry does not have those luxuries. Those American businesses that provide health care for their workers will gladly unload the expense of health care to the government. Who will pick up that added expense? This bill does not address how they will pay for this boondoggle.

The democrats are already proposing ideas for new taxes. The idea that just the rich will pay is patently ridiculous. All costs filters down to everybody either through higher prices, taxes on the things that you like, license fees, penalties, or other artistic and creative devices for separating you from your money. If they do not raise the income tax, you can count on stealthy means of getting your money. Politicians like collecting money through the back door; it gives them cover.

It is the same sick way local and state governments use to increase property tax collection. Property appraisals increase automatically with no accountability. The politicians can maintain their innocence by stating that they have not raised taxes. The result is the same though - it cost you more money.

Eighty percent of Americans now have insurance coverage. Sixty-eight percent of those are happy with their coverage. Some parts of our system need tweaking and I am all for fixing the bad parts. But the total takeover of one of the finest medical systems in the world is not an answer.

Have you read what's in this bill? Below is a brief that I received from someone who has read the bill and interpreted it. Have a look at this brief - is this what you really want from your government? Note of admission - I checked some of these interpretations and they looked okay to me - but I am not an attorney so read the bill for yourself if you want to test these interpretations. The bill is posted on- The Huffington Post

In the bill, you will find these goodies:

• Page 22: Mandates audits of all employers that self-insure!

• Page 29: Admission: your health care will be rationed!

• Page 30: A government committee will decide what treatments and benefits you get (and, unlike an insurer, there will be no appeals process)

• Page 42: The "Health Choices Commissioner" will decide health benefits for you. You will have no choice. None.

• Page 50: All non-US citizens, illegal or not, will be provided with free healthcare services.

• Page 58: Every person will be issued a National ID Healthcard.

• Page 59: The federal government will have direct, real-time access to all individual bank accounts for electronic funds transfer.

• Page 65: Taxpayers will subsidize all union retiree and community organizer health plans (read: SEIU, UAW and ACORN)

• Page 72: All private healthcare plans must conform to government rules to participate in a Healthcare Exchange.

• Page 84: All private healthcare plans must participate in the Healthcare Exchange (i.e., total government control of private plans)

• Page 91: Government mandates linguistic infrastructure for services; translation: illegal aliens

• Page 95: The Government will pay ACORN and Americorps to sign up individuals for Government-run Health Care plan.

• Page 102: Those eligible for Medicaid will be automatically enrolled: you have no choice in the matter.

• Page 124: No company can sue the government for price-fixing. No "judicial review" is permitted against the government monopoly. Put simply, private insurers will be crushed.

• Page 127: The AMA sold doctors out: the government will set wages.

• Page 145: An employer MUST auto-enroll employees into the government-run public plan. No alternatives.

• Page 126: Employers MUST pay healthcare bills for part-time employees AND their families.

• Page 149: Any employer with a payroll of $400K or more, who does not offer the public option, pays an 8% tax on payroll

• Page 150: Any employer with a payroll of $250K-400K or more, who does not offer the public option, pays a 2 to 6% tax on payroll

• Page 167: Any individual who doesn’t' have acceptable healthcare (according to the government) will be taxed 2.5% of income.

• Page 170: Any NON-RESIDENT alien is exempt from individual taxes (Americans will pay for them).

• Page 195: Officers and employees of Government Healthcare Bureaucracy will have access to ALL American financial and personal records.

• Page 203: "The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax." Yes, it really says that.

• Page 239: Bill will reduce physician services for Medicaid. Seniors and the poor most affected."

• Page 241: Doctors: no matter what specialty you have, you'll all be paid the same (thanks, AMA!)

• Page 253: Government sets value of doctors' time, their professional judgment, etc.

• Page 265: Government mandates and controls productivity for private healthcare industries.

• Page 268: Government regulates rental and purchase of power-driven wheelchairs.

• Page 272: Cancer patients: welcome to the wonderful world of rationing!

• Page 280: Hospitals will be penalized for what the government deems preventable re-admissions.

• Page 298: Doctors: if you treat a patient during an initial admission that results in a readmission, you will be penalized by the government.

• Page 317: Doctors: you are now prohibited for owning and investing in healthcare companies!

• Page 318: Prohibition on hospital expansion. Hospitals cannot expand without government approval.

• Page 321: Hospital expansion hinges on "community" input: in other words, yet another payoff for ACORN.

• Page 335: Government mandates establishment of outcome-based measures: i.e., rationing.

• Page 341: Government has authority to disqualify Medicare Advantage Plans, HMOs, etc.

• Page 354: Government will restrict enrollment of SPECIAL NEEDS individuals.

• Page 379: More bureaucracy: Telehealth Advisory Committee (healthcare by phone).

• Page 425: More bureaucracy: Advance Care Planning Consult: Senior Citizens, assisted suicide, euthanasia?

• Page 425: Government will instruct and consult regarding living wills, durable powers of attorney, etc. Mandatory. Appears to lock in estate taxes ahead of time.

• Page 425: Government provides approved list of end-of-life resources, guiding you in death.

• Page 427: Government mandates program that orders end-of-life treatment; government dictates how your life ends.

• Page 429: Advance Care Planning Consult will be used to dictate treatment as patient's health deteriorates. This can include an ORDER for end-of-life plans. An ORDER from the GOVERNMENT.

• Page 430: Government will decide what level of treatments you may have at end-of-life.

• Page 469: Community-based Home Medical Services: more payoffs for ACORN.

• Page 472: Payments to Community-based organizations: more payoffs for ACORN.

• Page 489: Government will cover marriage and family therapy. Government intervenes in your marriage.

• Page 494: Government will cover mental health services: defining, creating and rationing those services.

Cheers,

-Robert-

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Low Birth Rate

There is a short video at the end of this post.

Are you obsessed with politics? Well, politics are important only to a secure nation. But our failure to maintain a sustaining birthrate is more of a threat than worrying about the politics of the day.

The pill, women's rights, and abortion have put the United States, as we know it, in an untenable position. First, I do not write this from any moralistic viewpoint, so please interpret this analytically.

Our society is happily pursuing self-gratification with no regard for the consequences of not maintaining a sustaining birthrate. When pregnancy does occur, a quick snip and flush easily takes care of the problem. But it is also a big fly in the soup. Our European descended population is decreasing while our 'other-than-European' population increases. The world is changing.

All Christianized western societies have slowed their birthrate while the Muslim population has maintained a high birthrate. Slowing our birthrate is fine under any civilized standard of measure because overpopulation also has its concerns. However, with a democratic system, the majority sets the rules. Elections have consequences. Do you suppose that a Muslim majority would oppose the transfer of power to a Muslim type of government? If you think it would be fine, then all you have to do is hang on for a few years and you will be able to see it happen if nothing changes.

There is no attempt here to be a Muslim alarmist. But there are some fundamental differences between a Muslin regime and a non-Muslim regime. A close examination between the two is very revealing. We cherish the freedom of being able to worship or not worship as we see fit. With that attitude, we don't look upon another faith as an entity that wants to usurp our way of life, but if our birth rate continues to decline, it will happen.

Under Muslim rule, the first sacrifices will be those who profess no faith - Atheists. Under our system, a person has the right to be an Atheist. Muslims summarily execute infidels. Women will become person's non-grata under a Muslim regime and destined for male domination. Women can also forget about an education and having the independence they enjoy now. In other words, everything about this country that we cherish will be lost.

The European nations and the U.S. have burgeoning Muslim populations, and if the present trend continues, Muslims will be in the majority by 2050. Our petty politics of today will not matter a whit if we do nothing to curtail this trend.

Not all is lost though. Our population has been enjoying the influx of immigrants from Central and South America. Like them or not, these people share most of the same values as we. This group of immigrants has sustained us because of their similar value system. There are a few missing ingredients however. The first, and most glaring of which is that so many of these immigrants do not go through the normal immigration system. They come in their millions without having to learn our language, customs, or about our institutions. In other words, we don't allow these people be integrated into our society.

In order for us to reap the full benefits of having these people among us, and they are necessary for us to maintain our culture, is to mandate their having to go through the proper immigration process and learn what makes America the greatest country in the world. I do not advocate sending these people back to their country of origin unless they want to return to them. That decision is not a political decision, but instead, one that faces the reality of our declining European stock population.

Next, we should restrict the Muslim population to its current percentage of the total population. We could accomplish this using the Chinese model of restricting the number of births and curbing the Muslim immigration rate. Minority Muslim populations are very peaceful, productive citizens.

I am not anti-Muslim, as long as I am not subjected to their way of life. That said, what they do is fine by me - with the exception of using their religion to overrun other countries. The history of the Muslims is not good. Most of their gains came through forced conversions of the indigenous peoples that they overran. Western democratic governments with an ambivalent attitude about religion invite takeover unless they control the makeup of their populations.

Cheers,
-Robert-

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This short video will illustrate the population problem.

Regulation and Ethics

It is an exercise in frustration to have to deal with crimes of greed. Whether it's the greed on Wall Street, our courtrooms, or the sale of fake and weak drugs to the developing nations. Crimes of greed decimate the innocent.

The question is, what do we do about it? Should we pass new regulations? Or maybe we should teach our young the universally held values of right and wrong for a foudation from which to grow.

Just one of the problems not getting much traction in the press concerns the lack of ethics and greed of the manufacture and distribution of fake and weakened medicines to treat malaria. This quoted from the organization that fights the good fight against the devastation of malaria "Africa Fighting Malaria". Africa Fighting Malaria (AFM) seeks to raise awareness of the huge burden of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa and promote sensible policies for long-term solutions.

Fake and Substandard Drugs Threaten Malaria Treatment in Cambodia

A stream of poor-quality and counterfeit malaria drugs coming into Cambodia is contributing to a growing resistance to treatment for the disease near the Thai-Cambodian border. Many of the drugs are cheaply made and don't contain the right chemistry, or are stored at incorrect temperatures, while others are deliberate fakes that have authentic-looking pills and packaging but contain only a small percentage of the active ingredient in each pill. People in Cambodia are unknowingly using "improper drugs and fake drugs which create resistance," Duong Socheat, director of the nation's malaria control program said. The problem is fueled by the country's many informal pharmacies and merchants that don't have the proper training to provide the correct drug regimen, he said.

The AFM newsletter chronicles the efforts of the world's effort in fighting malaria. If anyone is interested in reading the continuing saga of political interference, and greedy marketing that is preventing effective control over malaria can contact AFM and subscribe to their newsletter. You can email them at Africa@fightingmalaria.org .

The outrage of greed shakes our societies to their core. We can pass more regulations against these and others who want to succeed the easy way at other people's expense, but piling on more unenforced regulations doesn't do much to stop this greedy crowd. There are already laws against most bad behavior in all countries but laws alone cannot stop this contagion.

It seems that nobody wants to step up to the plate and enforce laws governing human behavior. For almost every law there is a contingent that opposes that law. Some of the constituencies against laws governing human behavior are large enough to exert political pressure against that law's enforcement. That leaves few avenues to corral bad behavior.

As long as regulations go unenforced, passing more such regulations is futile. Passing redundant legislation may be politically expedient, but does nothing to solve the problem. I do not doubt the sincerity of those who feel compassion for the guilty and transgressors of our laws, but at some point in time, there has to be a line drawn that violators cannot cross and be made accountable for their crimes.

You can list any of several laws that are either protested or not enforced. Some of these would be:

1. Illegal entry into the United States: Numerous groups including Democrats, businesses wanting cheap labor, and Church Groups support illegal immigrants. All have a vested interest in seeing that our laws are not enforced. Our immigration laws are in shambles because of the divisions over illegal immigrants.


2. Hate Crime Laws: Passed to appease our racial strife, adds additional penalties to existing laws. It is like telling the criminal, "If you break the law in this fashion, we are really going to get mad." Respect must be earned. It is not a question of deserves. Deserves has nothing to do with it. Passing gratuitous laws serve only to create more division.


3. Wall Street Woes: There are far too many laws passed to try and overcome the greed emanating from our financial institutions. But when you follow the education trail, the Wall Street elites come from the most Liberal Institutions in this country. Liberals have no interest in the teaching of ethics or right and wrong when it comes to human behavior. Most graduates from the Eastern Ivy League group are programmed to do only one thing - make money. We cannot produce enough non-corruptible overseers for corporate greed and corruption. We are at the mercy of the private ethics held by those titans of Wall Street.


4. Marketers of Bad Drugs: Same problem as with the preceding. There are already laws against this stuff. What is needed is a strong dose of enforcement and ethics. How would more unenforced laws help?

This is why I rail so much against those whose aim it is to destroy religion. The church is about the only place that stresses right from wrong. You never hear a peep about it from the secularist. The secular can only set up boundaries for a particular group and give no incentive for following those guidelines. So many of the laws passed by local, State and Federal are designed only for extracting money from people.

Once entrapped in the legal system, whether innocent or guilty, the court has the power to not only imprison you, but also pick your wallet. It is not an equitable system. You cannot defend yourself without an understanding of courtroom protocol. The average person drowns without a lawyer because of his/her not understanding how the legal system works. The process is designed that way for the enrichment of the beneficiaries of the system. Fines enrich the local authorities; bail is set for the enrichment of authorities and bondsmen.

Have you ever wondered why a bail is set? When a person comes before a judge whether innocent or guilty, for some reason, the judge only lets you plea. If you plead guilty, you get either a fine or/and a sentence for imprisonment. But if you plead innocent and want to fight the charges against you, you have to 'buy' your freedom through the bail process even if you are not a flight risk. The bail is usually set just out of reach of the average person which leaves him with no recourse other than to get a bail bond. It is a nice cozy arrangement for those in the system. If that is not enough, you have to sift your way through the low tier lawyers that haunt the courtrooms for easy government money to represent you. Or, you can hire an achieved lawyer for a princely sum. There is no way that you can get away clean, even if you are innocent, it will cost you dearly.

The legal system is what it is. I do not have the skills to design a better system. The point in writing about it is to convey a deeply held idea that the system is without ethics and has evolved into nothing more than a sham to extract money from you. Most of the crimes that come before the courts are misdemeanors and represent people who by nature are not hardened criminals. I am sure that the people involved in the system do not share my opinion, but they have done nothing to give me reason to take a different position.

In conclusion, no law should be enacted without the intention or resources to enforce it. No law should be enacted for political reasons. If any law is enacted where there is already provisions for such an incident, the old law should be stricken from the records. It seems that we never clean the books. We just keep adding to them, making life more complicated.

Everyone should be trained in ethical behavior. Many of our problems could be solved if people were just honest and truthful. But without a firm grasp of what is universally considered right and wrong, we will continue the upward spiral of unenforceable laws.

Cheers,

-Robert-

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Faith and Freedom

This was written to all of those who are out to destroy Christianity. Should you succeed in destroying this faith, inadvertently you will be destroying the very freedom that you enjoy. No doubt, the understanding of Christianity and its importance has not been taught to you or you would not be so doggedly determined to destroy it. First, you should know that Christianity is a faith-based religion. It is not a scientifically provable equation. There are certainties that are accepted as faith. Christians believe that Jesus was the sacrificial lamb whose blood redeemed all who would believe in Him. Just as the Jews had to sacrifice a lamb while they were in Egypt, and put the blood of the lamb on their doors to keep the angel of death from where they lived, Jesus fulfills that same purpose for all of mankind. Promises that are included to Christians of faith are inner peace, and everlasting life.

Christians are admonished to live within the Secular systems that they find themselves; hence the “Render unto Caesar” lesson in the New Testament. And to be peaceful by, “Turning the other cheek”. Christians are required to live God fearing, useful lives, and to accept Christ as their Savior. For the believers in Christ, their faith transcends the fear of death. They have an understanding that there is something better for them after death. Having faith is a far better way of life than living in fear of what is to come. Any person, who has the knowledge that his life has been one of devotion to God, and his Son, is in an immensely better position to face his own mortality than the person who has rejected God and his teachings.

There is nothing to fear from Christians in and among a Society. And yet, Christians are attacked at every level. Why? Simply put, Christianity represents having to make a choice between right and wrong. There are a lot of people who want to live certain lifestyles that are prohibited by God. So they see the teachings of faith as an obstacle to do what they crave for their own pleasures. Those who are weak and refuse to obey God, turn to the Secular to make things right for them. They want laws changed to address their concerns. The problem with shaping the Secular laws to suit the wants of people is that it’s like re-arranging the deck chairs of the Titanic. Their mortality still approaches and God has the final judgment, not man. Those who reject Christ need to ask themselves if a few years of depravity is worth an eternity of damnation.

Likewise, to those who have the authority to shape Secular law. By attempting to sanctify that which is prohibited by God, are you also not in danger of losing Paradise for yourself?

For the sake of not being misunderstood, I want to be clear that rules are necessary for the governance and protection of a society. But I want to explore the differences between the Secular and non-Secular adhesion to rules. It is these differences that define whether we are held hostage to “Big Brother” or allowed the freedom to maintain our societies.

There is a difference between having to obey Secular laws and a willingness to obey God’s laws. Secular laws are mere boundaries. They represent limits for which a transgression can be either criminal or just a fine. There is no guidance in navigating these boundaries. A person is free to bounce around in his Secular society as long as he doesn’t run afoul of one of these boundaries. There are Secular boundaries everywhere, but no guidance. You are allowed to drive your car down the highway as you choose as long as you don’t go over the speed limit, make an improper turn, fail to yield, not stop for a stop sign, and on and on. The lesson here is that society wants you to drive safely so as not to harm yourself or others. Hence, we have the establishment of all those boundaries. (Laws)

The differences I am talking about are profound. For instance, when a person who rejects faith approaches a stop sign and sees nobody, he may or may not run the stop sign. Running the stop sign gives him no remorse, because after all, there wasn’t any oncoming traffic. However, because there is no remorse, the lesson to him is that it is okay to disobey a Secular law. Remember though, all of the intersections won’t be empty. Others can be put in danger if it isn't realized that on this day, he was lucky.

Same scene with a Christian at the stop sign, and he also determines it is safe to run it. Now however, he knows he has done wrong, and it bothers him. His conscience will not allow the broken law to go unnoticed.

The Secular world without Christ just bounces one around from one boundary to the next. The only price to be paid, if caught, is maybe a fine or it could be a life behind bars, depending on the boundary that was violated. The emptiness of such a life is real. The search for “neat” things in the Secular world will expand exponentially because nothing can quench this thirst. The search for satisfaction eventually runs afoul of the Secular boundaries. The person is left with nothing. He becomes an island of despair, and turning to the Secular world for help is also empty. Nothing in the Secular world can help because the help that is needed is spiritual. No pill can mend what is broken.

When we accept Christ as our Savior, we also accept the responsibilities for our actions. Whenever a Christian does the wrong thing, there is this tug at his conscience that tells him about it. Guilt is spawned out of doing wrong, whether by disobedience to God’s Law or Secular Law.

The love of God creates a goal that is beyond Earthly goals. It is for that reason Christians are constantly aware of their actions here on earth. Once a person becomes a Christian, they receive an indescribable joy in their hearts. This spirit will guide them for the rest of their days. They will renounce sin and pray for forgiveness when they falter. And, all will falter, contrition is vital if there is to be any relief from the relentless tug of the conscience knowledge of transgression. It is our conscience reminding us and guiding us that makes life bearable for all of society.

Should this Nation lose it’s faith and succumb to nonbelief, the goodness that has bound us together since our founding will be lost. No more will we be guided by our conscience into doing the right thing, for we will have rejected the premise of right and wrong. The common trust between everyone will dissolve into avaricious behavior for riches and power. The great United States would be powerless in the face of such fractious behavior. Anarchy would reign.

So be of good faith, and know that your faith is the ultimate guarantor of freedom. There can be no freedom without faith. Remember, it is faith that creates the need for a decent life, not the threat of punishment from Secular laws.

Cheers,

-Robert-

Texas Heat Wave of 2009

Texas has experienced a record-breaking heat wave between May and at least half of July. The main culprit isn't global warming, but rather a very persistent high-pressure area over the south-central region of the United States.

High-pressure areas, generally looked upon favorably because they usually mean good weather for the area they encompass. -But persistent high-pressure areas that don't move also have a darker side.

The air mass within a high-pressure area is mainly cloud free so rain or other precipitation is not possible. The clear sky gives an unrestricted window for the Sun to penetrate to the Earth's surface. A persistent high-pressure that lingers over an area for extended periods - up to 2 months or more can have a devastating effect on vegetation.

Watering plants help, but for a lot of plants fully exposed to the Sun, we still see a stunted growth. The continual exposure to an unrestricted Sun and high temperature difference between night and day is ruinous to most plants. Temperature differences, referred to as the temperature split, reaches about 20˚F within a high-pressure area in a 24-hour period. For instance, if you are experiencing 100˚F in the daytime, you can expect around 80˚F for a low temperature before sunup. Plants like a more even temperature and less radiation from the direct Sunlight to thrive which is why many gardeners and farmers try to shade their plants from the hot afternoon Sun.

I am no climatologist so I cannot explain why our high-pressure area was so persistent. But it was, and the grass outside is crunchy dry. My outside thermometer (electronic sensor) stays shaded by a popcorn tree for most of the day but there are periods when the full light of the Sun is on it. During the shaded times the sensor has registered as much as 104˚F, and in full Sun it has registered and astounding 114˚F.

The cloudless conditions we have been experiencing for the past two months have been painful. I am grateful for being retired because working outside in these conditions is brutal. Whenever I see those who have to be outside to make a living, I am just grateful it is not me. Those people deserve our admiration and respect for what they are going through to make a living.

The end of this period nears and rain chances are starting to appear in the forecast. My assumption is that the grass will green up if we ever get some rain. I don't know, but I hope the grass just goes dormant rather than dying when it gets this dry. We water our main plants but do not have the ability to water the full two acres that I live on so our yard looks a little polka-dotted with the green splotches where we have been watering.

In spite of a very hot and dry summer, I am expecting a very cold winter. But that is another story.

Stay cool!

Cheers,

-Robert-

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Obama and Taxation

Obama has pledged to the American people that no one making less than 250 thousand dollars would see a tax increase but instead would receive a tax cut. Can he make good on such a pledge and still pay for expensive new programs? The classical answer would be no, but connivance still reigns in the political arena.

The payroll tax is only one source of revenue for the government. But the one key thought to remember, is that all revenue comes from the taxpaying citizens. When a particular segment of the population receives a benefit, other tax devices are used. The government has resorted to 'targeted' taxes that result in taxing special interests. You know them as cigarette taxes, phone taxes, liquor taxes, etc. Other targeted taxes are licenses. Licenses make up another income stream for both local and Federal governments. There are too many targeted taxes to list here, but suffice it to say, that if you own it, subscribe to it, buy it, or use it, the government gets a share of its cost.

The money any politician can spend begins with the taxpayer. Taxpayers provide 100% of the money the government spends. The government has elevated the different ways of extracting money from its citizens into an art form. The more money the politicians have - the more power they have to wield over everybody. We have allowed the tin pot politicians to take control of our society and wrest the freedom to choose and decide from us. Once government injects dollars into an entity, politicians can then take a commanding role with that entity. The entity no longer has any independence. This is how we as citizens empower the government.

Don't get me wrong, there are places that the government must assert itself on behalf of the national interest. Defense, interstate commerce, and justice are but a few of the major roles that government must represent us. But not all projects rise to the level of national importance.

The definition of what politicians define as local or national projects separates me from Liberals. It seems lately, that all problems are national problems. Ambitious politicians anxious to climb the political ladder see the money from the government as the way to fame and glory. Thus, politicians use earmarks and political patronage as their stepping-stones. Local initiatives for ridiculous projects generally fail. But by acquiring Federal tax-dollars, the local inhabitants get a project for an apparent bargain, even though they would not have paid for it out of their pockets.

But I want to remind everybody that the combination of all federally paid projects comes with a big price tag. That is why we are all bending from the weight of all those taxes. Seeking the easy and cheap way out has cost us dearly in real terms of jobs and national wealth. As the government 'helps' more people, it needs more and more money. Taxes go up. Our politicians have been very creative in coming up with ways to get more taxes so that they can fund more projects. This creation of governmental dependence is a cycle that is mathematically certain to collapse the economy. It is important to note that as we demand more from our government, the more our government will have to demand from us.

That brings us back to the processes that Obama has put into motion. Recently, using the power of the governmental purse, the U.S. has loaned several large corporations billions of dollars. Because of the large stake in those businesses, the government has assumed a commanding role in dictating both function and management of those entities. After all, somebody has to look after the taxpayers investments. Obama has put into motion several projects that will cost trillions of dollars. The only source for that money is the taxpaying citizens of this country.

There are few options to get the money for his extravagance. He can monetize the debt (print the money), borrow the money from other countries on the hope that we will once again regain the upper hand, or he can use various taxing schemes to extract the money from the citizenry.

Monetizing the debt will devalue our currency and cause massive inflation.

Borrowing will put us in the same position that our American companies have found themselves in when they borrowed. The foreign lenders will have a commanding role in our country because they now own a large part of our economy. Borrowing massive amounts of foreign money is a disaster in the making. Americans will again lose their independence because others own us.

Taxation is the only method left. But as Obama will find out, the increase in taxes will only cause the economy to get worse. More jobs will be lost as businesses move to tax friendlier countries. Obama has pinned his hopes on revenue raising schemes such as 'Cap and Trade'. That irresponsible legislation is only another tax levied on all of us. It does not matter how much money that the government collects, it is never enough.

Federal intervention in lieu of local control robs each and every citizen of the ability to control and exercise his/her responsibility as a citizen. When the National Government usurps the local say-so, those citizens have lost the freedom to chart their course as they see fit. This is not about taking control from the Federal government, but rather about a takeover by the Federal Government. We have to say no to those schemes hatched by politicians for self-aggrandizement. If a project is worthy, the people will accede and find a way to pay for it without federalizing it.

Remember if you are making clubs that others use to beat you; it is time to stop making clubs. We keep asking for punishment every time we allow someone else to assume the responsibility that is ours. What seems as the best way today will eventually haunt us. The piper always gets paid and when he claims his payday, we will suffer for our actions.

Cheers,

-Robert-

Lazy Stupid Republicans

Every day I receive emails from different Republicans both notable and wannabee notables that decry their pitiful plight under the Obama administration. They also have one thing in common, they all want donations. What a joke!

These guys were nowhere to be seen when we needed them. Where were they during the Bush years when we should have been reigning in spending? Where was their concern when Fred Thompson paired up with John McCain in the primaries to divide the conservative vote? The three conservative candidates divided that vote leaving McCain as the only non-conservative in the field. Guess who won? A pox on all their houses!

Where was the outcry about Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae when Bush tried to prevent the economical collapse in 2005? The Republicans knew exactly what was happening, but they just couldn't bring themselves to prevent a catastrophe - let the good times roll! Very few, if any Republicans bothered to stand on their hind legs when we needed them. And now, they have the gall to ask me for my money!

Where were the Republicans during the outrage happening in Iraq? Far too many American soldiers died before Bush finally made a positive move to gain the upper hand. Remember, everybody loves a winner and for 3 years, we weren’t winning. Reporters were too scared to even venture out of their hotels, and all the while, the Bush administration did nothing to even present a light at the end of the tunnel. Worse, Bush could not find any reason to defend either himself or his administration. Bush lost both public confidence as well as popularity for his perceived inaction. Bush failed us in so many ways that the Democrats made a mockery out of the Republicans.

Bush allowed Scooter Libby to languish through Hell even though the man was innocent until he finally committed the process crime of - not remembering. Bush allowed two border guards Ramos and Campean to be prosecuted and victimized because of political patronage to Mexico. Those guys were innocent and just doing their jobs - victims of mixing politics and justice. Bush knew that those two were innocent and finally commuted their sentences, but not their conviction, just before leaving office. Where was the Republican leadership in the senate that allowed those outrages to happen? Other than a few voices in the House of Representatives, the silence was deafening.

The Republicans created the conditions for Obama's rise from obscurity. Obama became a champion to the voters because he offered change from the 'business as usual' politics in Washington. Well, we sure got change! Remember, people always get the type of government that they deserve.

Even now, a fledgling protest movement is afoot, but there is no leadership from any mainstream Republicans there to support it. Oh, there are those who will applaud such actions as TEA parties, but other than a very small group of elected representatives that actively support the movement, it goes mostly unnoticed. And this group of sit on their hands Republicans still asks me for my money! How dare they be so brash? Do they think I buy hot air?

I do not recommend sending this lazy, lead with their jaws, afraid to rock the boat, money for any reason. The infighting for the direction of the Republican Party will either consume the Party or give birth to a new party, provided leadership can be located from somewhere in the bowels of chaos.

At one time, I thought that Newt Gingrich looked like a possible leader, but he too has failed miserably to vigorously pursue the good ideas he has. He conveniently slips back into his intellectual mode of softness instead of being the drumbeater for anything interesting. McCain isn't even up for discussion. Then, there are the forgettable former governors of Massachusetts and Arkansas, Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee. Are they inspiring? Not in my estimation, they espouse values but offer no reason to believe in their leadership. Huckabee makes a better entertainer than any political attributes that I can see. He is the master of the one-liner and an adequate bass guitar player, but still has the personality of a Baptist preacher.

Mitt Romney has a past that resoundingly says 'Liberal'. His tenure as governor in Massachusetts pretty well defines his brand of politics. So who is left?

Ron Paul? This Libertarian has a good record and stands firm on how he views the political landscape. But I don't see him as the one who can unseat Obama. His political viewpoints are not universally acceptable by Republicans.

Personally, I am keeping an eye on Sarah Palin. She has demonstrated that she will not stand by and allow the political opposition to succeed with their personal attacks on her and her family. She has the attributes of a leader who is not to be denied. The Democrats realize that she is a powerhouse and are throwing everything in the book at her to derail her politically. But the refreshing thing is, they are failing to make a dent. This moose-hunting, good-looking lady from Alaska defies their every effort. Here is a possible future candidate who may deserve your support. Asking you to contribute to her now may be a little premature but so far, I like what I see in her.

Let your dissatisfaction over the lack of leadership in the Republican Party be known to all office holders. Write to them, email them, and call their office. The more you care, the more they will care. The last thing this bunch of milk toast politicians want is to lose their jobs. If you want the horse to buck, you have to spur him on. Or, just throw the whole bunch of spineless sponges out of office.

Cheers,

-Robert-

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