Self Described Liberal Positions
January 25, 2020
“Truth is like art, it is in the eye of the beholder. You believe what you choose, and I’ll believe what I know.”
I read a post recently. It describes what being a liberal is to this “particular liberal”. It seems popular among other self-described liberals as well. Liberals have idealistic beliefs. They are nice people in general. Usually their beliefs are rooted in emotion and compassion instead of facts or reality. It reminds me of John Lennon’s song “Imagine”. I love that song. There are dreams and there is reality. Utopia doesn’t exist. Many of us aspire to create our perceived utopia within our homes but we must eventually step outside into reality. Below is the referenced post. I have included my commentary under each liberal position. Left Liberal. Right Conservative. Enjoy.
Left - I'm a liberal, but that doesn't mean what a lot of you apparently think it does. Let's break it down, shall we? Because quite frankly, I'm getting a little tired of being told what I believe and what I stand for. Spoiler alert: not every liberal is the same, though the majority of liberals I know think along roughly these same lines:
Right - I find this to be an interesting lead in statement. Liberals are all the same but different, and they apparently vote for politicians that don’t support or implement their positions. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I base my view about liberals on their choice of politicians. It’s like telling a Judge “I didn’t rob the bank, I was just the driver”. A person can believe whatever they want to believe, and I don’t expect I can change the mind of these self-described liberals. However, I will comment on these statements based on what I know to be factual not emotional.
Left - I believe a country should take care of its weakest members. A country cannot call itself civilized when its children, disabled, sick, and elderly are neglected. PERIOD.
Right - We agree but let me pose a couple questions for clarification. What do you consider disabled, sick, and weak? I hear this comment a lot from the left and I believe it based on emotion and compassion instead of facts. It appears to be intended to portray republicans and/or conservatives as mean people. In fact, there are many programs for disabled, sick and elderly in existence. America has Nursing Homes, Assisted Living Facilitates, and Dementia Care. Hospitals all over the country take care of sick people. Elderly are neglected by their families not by Congressional Republicans. It seems easier in our society to cast away our disabled, sick, and elderly and let someone else care for them instead of taking on the responsibility ourselves. This seems to be a uniquely American problem. Our culture is much different than family culture in Europe. Gone are the days of multigenerational families. I know people that care for their own family members and I applaud them. When the taxpayer is tasked with paying for this care the cost skyrockets. I know many people on disability that are capable of working. It is an abuse of society and the taxpayer to bilk the system. This abuse is what most conservatives want to curb so valuable resources can be spent on those that truly need it. Accountability of tax spending for this care is imperative.
Left - I believe healthcare is a right, not a privilege. Somehow that's interpreted as "I believe Obamacare is the end-all, be-all." This is not the case. I'm fully aware that the ACA has problems, that a national healthcare system would require everyone to chip in, and that it's impossible to create one that is devoid of flaws, but I have yet to hear an argument against it that makes "let people die because they can't afford healthcare" a better alternative. I believe healthcare should be far cheaper than it is, and that everyone should have access to it. And no, I'm not opposed to paying higher taxes in the name of making that happen.
Right - “If you think Healthcare is expensive now, wait until it’s free”. America has a very different culture from other countries. Americans are demanding. Americans are impatient. Just wait until you are told you are on a year’s waiting list or you are too old for a service. I think the real issue is whether Americans should have a one size fits all approach to healthcare. Is a universal government funded healthcare plan the best option for everyone? Is healthcare really a right? Legally, healthcare is not a right. That doesn’t mean people should not have access to healthcare and in fact people do have access to healthcare. Every Emergency Department that accepts government money MUST accept any and every person that walks through the doors, citizen or not. Medicaid is low income healthcare coverage and has been available for decades, all 50 states since 1982. It help protects those that can’t afford health insurance. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicaid) So Americans do have access to healthcare. Admittedly, affordability is another issue and it does reduce access. People also make choices in life. Some good and some bad. Some people choose drugs, liquor, tattoos, piercing, cable, and other fun activities over saving for healthcare. Others have the resources but choose to forego health insurance because it is expensive. That is their choice. Government regulation requires billions of dollars that never reach patient care. The roll out of Obamacare wasted billions on websites that ultimately failed and were abandoned. Good intent doesn’t always produce results and it is expensive. Saying healthcare should be cheaper doesn’t make it so. There is a reason healthcare is expensive. I think what you mean to suggest is that the cost to the consumer is too high. Short of tort reform and reduction in government regulation, providing healthcare will still be expensive. Physicians can spend hundreds of thousands on education that must be paid back and is reflected in the cost of healthcare. Malpractice insurance is outrageous. It also is reflected in the cost of healthcare. State of the art Hospitals are extremely expensive. Maintaining 24-hour service is expensive. Research and development of new drugs and therapy is expensive. So, the real question is how do we make healthcare less expensive for the consumer. Reforming some of the items mentioned is a good start. Government subsidies may be the only way to reduce “out of pocket” costs for consumers but make no mistake, this will not reduce the cost of healthcare. Consumers must make better choices in the way they spend their dollars and if democrats get their way, we will all be taxed into submission. You will be told what you can and can’t do. No Big Gulps for you.
Left - I believe education should be affordable. It doesn't necessarily have to be free (though it works in other countries so I'm mystified as to why it can't work in the US), but at the end of the day, there is no excuse for students graduating college saddled with five- or six-figure debt.
Right - K-12 is free. If you review high school graduation data, you find that free doesn’t always produce good results. So, you want to double down and make college free. I can tell you why college is expensive. Professors make too much. Yes, those liberal professors spouting off about the injustice in America make a lot of money and they charge you for it. Billionaires and other alumni donate millions to colleges and universities, yet colleges still charge outrageous tuition. Kids will still seek degrees in art and humanities and end up working at fast food joints and complain about their student debt. There are a lot of trade schools and community colleges that are a better value and they prepare kids for real jobs. When you say affordable, I suspect you mean “out of pocket” expense. That means that someone else will have to pay for it. If the government pays tuition, the actual cost of tuition will skyrocket as will taxes.
Left - I don't believe your money should be taken from you and given to people who don't want to work. I have literally never encountered anyone who believes this. Ever. I just have a massive moral problem with a society where a handful of people can possess the majority of the wealth while there are people literally starving to death, freezing to death, or dying because they can't afford to go to the doctor. Fair wages, lower housing costs, universal healthcare, affordable education, and the wealthy actually paying their share would go a long way toward alleviating this. Somehow believing that makes me a communist.
Right - To start with, what you are describing sounds like Venezuela not America. And by the way, how is Socialism working in Venezuela? I don’t think the masses are starving and freezing to death in America like they are in Venezuela. Some homeless might be freezing and dying but that is another sometimes self-inflicted tragedy. If you want to tax me to pay for social programs you are doing EXACTLY what you say you don’t believe in. You cover a lot of topics here, so I won’t address them individually. What is the wealthy’s fair share of taxes? America has a progressive tax system so the more you make the more you pay. The top 20% pay 95% of taxes. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/omb-top-20-pay-95-of-taxes-middle-class-single-digits. Liberal economics don’t work. If you confiscate the assets of the world’s wealthiest 25 families, not tax, but confiscate 100% of the assets from the wealthiest, it would only run the our country for 3 months. The best use of the wealthy’s resources are jobs. The wealthy invest in America and create jobs. Redistribution doesn’t produce wealth. No one got wealthy, or escaped poverty, with welfare. A job, new skills, hard work, and a driven work ethic is what delivers people from poverty.
Left - I don't throw around "I'm willing to pay higher taxes" lightly. If I'm suggesting something that involves paying more, well, it's because I'm fine with paying my share as long as it's actually going to something besides lining corporate pockets or bombing other countries while Americans die without healthcare.
Right - We agree. Most of us are willing to pay more taxes for a worthy cause. I suspect the difference between us is whether the tax is improving a situation or hindering it. Good Intentions don’t always deliver results. In fact, too frequently liberal’s good intentions exacerbate the problem. For instance, I watched an interview about a previously homeless person. He was given opportunity, and a dose of tough love, and he worked himself into prosperity. In the interview he said, if all the benefits in Eugene, Oregon existed when I was homeless, I would probably still be homeless and on drugs. Good Intentions, and higher taxes, don’t always deliver success. As for corporate America, understand that many policies that line the pockets of corporations are bipartisan. In addition, corporations, in general, only profit when others benefit. If you call that lining their pockets so be it. Do you understand how most Americans save for retirement??? They save money in a 401K or IRA that invest it in mutual funds that invest in the same companies you don’t want to be profitable. We can also debate war all day long, and I am not a hawk, but I understand that if we do not take the war to other countries, they will bring war to America. Diplomacy is great but it doesn’t always work. If war is brought to America, healthcare will be the least of your worries.
Left - I believe companies should be required to pay their employees a decent, livable wage. Somehow this is always interpreted as me wanting burger flippers to be able to afford a penthouse apartment and a Mercedes. What it actually means is that no one should have to work three full-time jobs just to keep their head above water. Restaurant servers should not have to rely on tips, multibillion-dollar companies should not have employees on food stamps, workers shouldn't have to work themselves into the ground just to barely make ends meet, and minimum wage should be enough for someone to work 40 hours and live.
Right - First, I know you are trying to make a point stating someone works 3 fulltime jobs but that is impossible. A fulltime job is 8 hours/day, 5 days/week. That is 120 hours per week not considering commuting between jobs, and the required breaks and mandatory lunch break at each job. I estimate that a person working 3 fulltime jobs would get about 3 hours/day at home which includes breakfast, dinner, shopping, laundry, and sleep. Moving on, what is a fair wage? A teenager needs less than a married adult with children. Is it the same in every community? Do you think that San Francisco, New York City, and Seattle reflect the same cost of living as rural America? The FEDERAL minimum wage is set to determine the minimum wage across the country not reflecting the cost of living in expensive cities. It is up to individual communities to determine minimum wages for their respective community and they are doing just that. However, if you research this a bit you will find that some restaurants in these cities have closed due to the high cost of labor. They didn’t close to spite their employees, they closed because they were no longer profitable. Some fast food restaurants have adapted to self service kiosks and robots. Again, it isn’t to spite employees, they must be profitable to stay in business. When you talk about multibillion-dollar companies I assume you are referring to companies like WALMART. Here’s the irony. Do you know who shops at these stores? The same people that complain about Walmart not paying a livable wage. Why? Because the prices are cheaper. That is why Walmart is in business. It wasn’t to spite workers it was to deliver affordable prices to the masses. They continue to thrive because the masses continue to shop there. Believe me, it isn’t just republicans or conservatives shopping at Walmart. By the way, do you know that Walmart is held in many Mutual Funds (retirement plans)? I used to make minimum wage. I went to college, and learned new skills, so I wouldn’t struggle the rest of my life. I also moved to another state where cost of living was cheaper. When I was a “starving college student” I didn’t have cable, I didn’t go to bars, I didn’t go out to eat, I rode the bus, and I didn’t spend money on Smart phones, tattoos, piercings, or drugs, and I certainly didn’t take vacation. I also had roommates and didn’t have healthcare insurance. I worked on a farm and held odd jobs at the college to pay tuition and make ends meet. I am not belittling the problem, I am pointing out that we all make choices where we live, where we work, and what we do with our lives, and how we choose to spend our money. America lost a lot of good paying jobs when it became cheaper to have products built in other countries. Unions have their place but without a cap on wages and benefits industry is going to become unprofitable. There is also a consequence to open trade throughout the world. Fair “equitable” trade between America and other countries has been elusive until Trump renegotiated fair trade agreements. Whether you like Trump or not, he is trying to decrease trade deficits and bring good paying jobs back to America.
Left - I am not anti-Christian. I have no desire to stop Christians from being Christians, to close churches, to ban the Bible, to forbid prayer in school, etc. (BTW, prayer in school is NOT illegal; *compulsory* prayer in school is - and should be - illegal). All I ask is that Christians recognize *my* right to live according to *my* beliefs. When I get pissed off that a politician is trying to legislate Scripture into law, I'm not "offended by Christianity" -- I'm offended that you're trying to force me to live by your religion's rules. You know how you get really upset at the thought of Muslims imposing Sharia law on you? That's how I feel about Christians trying to impose biblical law on me. Be a Christian. Do your thing. Just don't force it on me or mine.
Right - We once again agree on a few things. The elected democrats disagree with your position on Christianity.
Left - I don't believe LGBT people should have more rights than you. I just believe they should have the *same* rights as you.
Right - We agree again, but elected democrats don’t agree with you. They should have equal rights not more rights. Consider hate Crimes for instance. A crime is a crime. Battery is battery. It doesn’t necessitate that one be Gay or Black to be a crime. As far as marriage is concerned, marriage as outlined by the bible, is between a man and a woman. If you can find a church that will marry a gay couple go for it. Same-Sex marriage is legal nationwide. Civil unions are recognized in many communities. The problem that many Christians have is that homosexuals are trying to call their union the same as a heterosexual couple, and it is not in the eyes of the church. I asked a gay co-worker what he thought about gay marriage. He said he didn’t care what the church thinks about gay marriage. He also said if the church thinks gays are going to mess up marriage they should think again. Heterosexuals messed it up already. He is right. We can take this a step further. Gender Identity. Heterosexuals do not have the same rights as transgender. If a heterosexual male goes into a woman’s bathroom, they can expect a beat down or to be arrested. But a transsexual male can use a woman’s bathroom and that is acceptable. While you are trying to protect individual rights of LGBT you are trampling on the rights of others. Not only that there is an opportunity for abuse?
Left - I don't believe illegal immigrants should come to America and have the world at their feet, especially since THIS ISN'T WHAT THEY DO (spoiler: undocumented immigrants are ineligible for all those programs they're supposed to be abusing, and if they're "stealing" your job it's because your employer is hiring illegally). I believe there are far more humane ways to handle undocumented immigration than our current practices (i.e., detaining children, splitting up families, ending DACA, etc).
Right - Oh my. Where do I start? Illegal immigrants that come to America and request asylum do in fact get aid. https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/your-rights-after-grant-asylum.html Some Illegal immigrants have anchor babies and qualify for some social services like WIC and Medicaid. https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/aug/06/lindsey-graham/illegal-immigrants-anchor-babies-birthright/ The mother and father stay to care for the new American citizen. I agree that employers are committing a crime by hiring illegals but that just creates two crimes, it does not dismiss the illegal entry of the immigrant. If you do some research, you will discover that the “cages” used for detention were created by Barrack Hussein Obama. Democrats exploited immigrants by marketing the American Dream to people south of the border in an effort to overwhelm border security and challenge Trump’s policies. Splitting up families? The law required that adults be processed differently than children. This created a situation where children were removed from their parents. It was not Trump’s law. It existed during the Obama administration. Perhaps you are unaware that some of these children were being trafficked. They weren’t taken from a parent. They were taken from a human trafficker. These children were rescued from sexual violence and servitude in prostitution or sweat shops. I do have mixed feeling about DACA. This is an executive order (not legislation) issued by Obama. Executive orders do not stand forever, and it was inappropriate for Obama to issue the order in the first place. There are thousands waiting in line to become citizens, learning to read and write in English, taking the citizenship exam, and pledging their allegiance to America are not all supportive of DACA. https://www.us-immigration.com/blog/daca-immigration-facts/ Many confuse the Dream act with DACA. The Dream Act was never enacted into law. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DREAM_Act America does need to fix this broken system of immigration. Too frequently illegal immigrants are exploited for cheap labor or used as a political talking point.
Left - I don't believe the government should regulate everything, but since greed is such a driving force in our country, we NEED regulations to prevent cut corners, environmental destruction, tainted food/water, unsafe materials in consumable goods or medical equipment, etc. It's not that I want the government's hands in everything -- I just don't trust people trying to make money to ensure that their products/practices/etc. are actually SAFE. Is the government devoid of shadiness? Of course not. But with those regulations in place, consumers have recourse if they're harmed and companies are liable for medical bills, environmental cleanup, etc. Just kind of seems like common sense when the alternative to government regulation is letting companies bring their bottom line into the equation.
Right - We are in agreement with most of this. Understand that conservative means Conservation. A true conservative doesn’t want waste or destruction of precious resources. However, conservatives don’t want government over-reach either. There must be a balance. Below you discuss fascism as if it is a republican thing. Government overreach is fascist.
Left - I believe our current administration is fascist. Not because I dislike them or because I can’t get over an election, but because I've spent too many years reading and learning about the Third Reich to miss the similarities. Not because any administration I dislike must be Nazis, but because things are actually mirroring authoritarian and fascist regimes of the past.
Right - Really. Go back and read the things you say the government should force on the people. The only similarity to the republican party is the use of RIGHT WING. Administrations seem authoritarian when you don’t get your way. But why isn’t your party considered Authoritarian when I don’t get my way. I see fascism in the democrat party. Voter suppression: Bernie Sanders staff are threatening to burn down cities. To drag Trump supporters into the streets and kill them. They want to do the same to complicit media employees. Totalitarianism: Governmental control over everything that moves (see your comment above and your other posts). “Restricting opposition”. Calling dissenting opinion HATE SPEECH and criminalizing it. State controlled Mass Media. The democrat party controls most of the main-stream media. Nearly everything you read or watch is left leaning. It is a propaganda machine. Violence isn’t automatically negative in nature: See Bernie supporters above. The ‘end justifies the means’ is straight out of the democratic play book. It is frustrating to see you outline all the requirements your liberal government should force on business and it’s citizens without recognizing the democrat party are the fascists.
Left - I believe the systemic racism and misogyny in our society is much worse than many people think, and desperately needs to be addressed. Which means those with privilege -- white, straight, male, economic, etc. -- need to start listening, even if you don't like what you're hearing, so we can start dismantling everything that's causing people to be marginalized.
Right - I hear this a lot, but I don’t know how your party plans to address it. Do you know what I do not see on the Democrat platform right now? Minorities! Your party has discarded them. You have marginalized them. Is it Racism? Your top two contenders are WHITE MEN. Do you know that many minorities support Donald J. Trump? You know why? Because they know the democrat party has done nothing to improve their situation. If you look at impoverished minority communities, you will notice they are mostly run by democrats. I suspect the misogyny in Hollywood is not from conservatives. Harvey Weinstein for instance. Powerful Liberals are guilty of misogyny. Matt Lauer. Disgraced Senator Al Franken. Rep. John Conyers. Democrat Seattle Mayor Ed Murray resigned due to allegation of child sexual abuse. Perhaps you should clean up the democrat party before you start blaming the world for these problems. Maybe you should start voting republican.
Left - I am not interested in coming after your blessed guns, nor is anyone serving in government. What I am interested in is the enforcement of present laws and enacting new, common sense gun regulations. Got another opinion? Put it on your page, not mine.
Right - So, you don’t want to hear a dissenting opinion? See my answer under #11 fascism. The truth is the democrat party says they won’t come for my guns but then people like Beto O’Rourke take the stage. Listen to Beto say he will confiscate our guns. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o1y_dbkriw I hear liberal democrats say they don’t want our guns, but they vote for people like Beto. While Beto is no longer on the stage, I think he was testing the water for other liberals in congress. How will the masses take the news? Not Well! So, they decided to implement gun control one community at a time. Examine the state of Virginia right now. I call your position B.S. but if you are serious stop voting for democrats. I haven’t heard a “common sense” regulation come from the left. Heck, most don’t even know what an AR-15 really is. We don’t need new laws we need to enforce the laws we have. News flash: Criminals don’t follow the law.
Left - I believe in so-called political correctness. I prefer to think it’s social politeness. If I call you Chuck and you say you prefer to be called Charles I’ll call you Charles. It’s the polite thing to do. Not because everyone is a delicate snowflake, but because as Maya Angelou put it, when we know better, we do better. When someone tells you that a term or phrase is more accurate/less hurtful than the one you're using, you now know better. So why not do better? How does it hurt you to NOT hurt another person?
Right - Is calling Trump an Orange Buffoon acceptable or not? What about Clown? What about calling Trump supporters “Deplorable”? I believe in civil discourse. However, when I attempt to have a debate with a liberal, they call me an asshole. I don’t call them names. I simply point out the truth as I see it. I have an issue with not telling people the truth. We do not have to be mean, but we need to be honest. Have you read “The emperor has no clothes”?
Left - I believe in funding sustainable energy, including offering education to people currently working in coal or oil so they can change jobs. There are too many sustainable options available for us to continue with coal and oil. Sorry, billionaires. Maybe try investing in something else.
Right - I think we should invest in alternative energy as well. I believe most conservatives believe the same. However, in total, your comment is an uninformed position if you think alternative energy is being squelched by billionaires. I wrote a blog on this subject. I researched it extensively. I concluded that most alternative energy is inefficient. Electric cars are great, but electricity doesn’t magically appear. Converting power into electricity varies greatly between power sources (see reference below). Many alternative energy sources don’t produce power 24/7. Some solar energy requires storage of energy produced in a battery https://sciencing.com/environmental-problems-batteries-cause-7584347.html . Solar panels don’t produce energy at night. Wind turbines only produce power when the wind blows. Tidal power works well but environmentalists protest the projects because they want to protect the coral reef. Environmentalists also protest Windmills and some Solar projects for killing birds. Hydroelectric is a fantastic source of energy but environmentalists have been protesting them for years. It absurd to believe a billionaire wouldn’t invest in alternative energy. Trust me, they are. Billionaires want to protect their investments, and the economy, from irrational Green Deals that do not pan out. This is one of the sources I used to write my blog. http://www.logansboro.com/EEGJulyrevisedFINAL1-2003-030-0548-2-.pdf We all can benefit from renewable energy, but the left needs to come together and decide what is most important, salmon or CO2.
Left - I believe that women should not be treated as a separate class of human. They should be paid the same as men who do the same work, should have the same rights as men and should be free from abuse. Why on earth shouldn’t they be?
Right - I am with your there. I have a wife, two daughters, a mother, and sisters that I believe should be treated fairly. I have hired many managers, many females, always paid them equally, and treated them with respect. I didn’t do any Harvey Weinstein or Matt Lauer crap either. I don’t think this is a left or right issue.
Left - I think that about covers it. Bottom line is that I'm a liberal because I think we should take care of each other. That doesn't mean you should work 80 hours a week so your lazy neighbor can get all your money. It just means I don't believe there is any scenario in which preventable suffering is an acceptable outcome as long as money is saved.
Right - We agree again. However, we have very different ideas on how to accomplish that task. Most congressional liberals believe we should help people by giving them a “hand out”. I believe, as do most conservatives, that we should give people a “hand up”. We should not be enablers. Our goal as parents is to teach our children to be self-sufficient and self-reliant adults. Why shouldn’t we strive for that in our communities?
Father Daughter Talk
Taxes
April 29, 2019
Daughter: Dad, I got my first paycheck. They shorted me.
Father: What do you mean?
Daughter: I earned $100.00 but they only paid me $70.00
Father: Oh yes, Taxes!
Daughter: Taxes? What are taxes for? I worked hard for that money.
Father: Taxes help other people.
Daughter: Help what people?
Father: Well, you know that fellow that got hired instead of you at your first interview?
Daughter: You mean that guy from Honduras?
Father: Yep. You are paying for his healthcare. But that’s not all.
Daughter: What do you mean?
Father: You are paying for that crackhead’s healthcare too?
Daughter: What?
Father: Yep. He needs new teeth and rehab.
Daughter: Why doesn’t he get a job? I already donated to him. He stole my bike.
Fathers: Honey, he’s a crackhead.
Daughter: What else does my hard earned money go for?
Father: Remember that girl from high school that dropped out?
Daughter: Which one?
Father: The pregnant girl. She is now a single mom.
Daughter: The pregnant girl? Why am I paying for her?
Father: She got her own place. You are paying for her rent…and utilities.
Daughter: What the hell?
Father: You are also paying for her medical and dental care. Oh, and you are paying for food stamps, bus pass, and cell phone.
Daughter: Is that all?
Father: Well, you are also paying for her boyfriend to live there, for free.
Daughter: What? Who is that?
Father: The Crackhead.
Daughter: This is B.S. Who do I talk to about this?
Father: The 2020 Democrats are a good start.
Father Daughter Talk
Abortion
April 29, 2019
Father: You look concerned, what’s up?
Daughter: I am a little. You know that girl on the corner? She’s pregnant. How does a smart girl get pregnant these days?
Father: Is this a birds and bees talk?
Daughter: No Dad, Gross. Mom had that talk years ago.
Father: Then what are you confused about?
Daughter: She is thinking about an abortion. Why would she get pregnant only to get an abortion?
Father: I guess she isn’t old enough, smart enough, or responsible enough to have a baby.
Daughter: She thought she was old enough, smart enough, and responsible enough to have sex.
Father: All valid points, sweetheart. What’s really bothering you?
Daughter: She is going to kill her baby. You and mom have always taught me life is precious. How can someone do that to their own baby?
Father: It is disturbing, isn’t it! There are so many alternatives to pregnancy. You don’t need that “Father Daughter Talk” do you?
Daughter: No. We had health class in school. She let her boyfriend have his way. Now he dumped her.
Father: I hope she makes a decision real soon. Better sooner than later.
Daughter: That is what is really disturbing. She said she has 9 months. It’s too late for all the preventative options and even the morning after pill. What is she thinking?
Father: She isn’t thinking. At least not with a sound mind. She is hurt and confused. Maybe she should talk to her Pastor.
Daughter: She doesn’t go to church.
Father: Well, that explains her disregard for human life. From everything I’ve heard these days she has the “Right to Choose”.
Daughter: Right to choose what? Life or Death? It isn’t a choice. It’s a baby.
It's the Culture, Stupid
May 25, 2017
Congress and the media pit Americans against each other to gain support for their agenda. They attempt to marginalize the competing force by quoting examples of the other’s atrocities. I must confess that I lean right while maintaining my independent position. Congress must quit placing blame and find the root of societal problems.
Murder is not the result of law abiding Americans owning guns. Police are not the cause of racial discrimination. School dropout rates cannot be pinned solely on school funding. Protesting does not grant the right to riot or loot. Welfare was never intended to be a vocation. The Government’s success with the VA disqualifies them to run nationalized healthcare. Gay rights should not supersede individual rights. Choice or not, Abortion is still taking the life of an innocent baby. America’s children should not die in hot cars and our elderly should not be cast aside or sentenced to life in a nursing home.
The cause for these issues does not require deep intellectual thought. It’s the Culture, Stupid.
It’s the Culture, how?
No one and no political affiliation is free of guilt but the culture on the left really seems to promote disregard for society. This statement might seem counter intuitive considering the left’s plea for social programs and the environment. Many liberals live a very productive lifestyle and teach their own children responsibility. However, their policies seem to promote the opposite.
While well intended, welfare has become a lifestyle, almost a chosen vocation, instead of a hand up. Abortion has become birth control instead of protecting the mother’s rights and ending conception from brutal rape. Food Stamp debit cards are discounted for cash instead of feeding children. Housing subsidies provide lodging for deadbeat dads. School dropout rates are high in democrat controlled cities. Boredom is replaced by illegal activity. Peaceful protests result in riots and looting.
Disregard and Disrespect toward authority figures and even each other abound. Murder is high in poor neighborhoods. It’s not the result of police firing squads as reported by the liberal media. Murders are highest from black on black crime. All the blight is blamed on rich republican’s hording money and opportunity. The crime has been perpetrated by the democrats on the very citizens they claim to help. After eight years of Obama’s liberal policies inner city neighborhoods are still run down and dangerous. After $10 Trillion was squandered, African Americans are no better off.
It’s the culture. The worst crime perpetrated on America has been the liberal agenda.
Ben Franklin
October 10, 2015
This quote from Ben Franklin pretty much sums up my thoughts on the subject.
“I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. In my youth I traveled much, and I observed in different countries, that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer.”
I believe the government exploits the poor for their vote. Make the poor just comfortable enough to become complacent. Keep them needing more and they will vote for you. Soon it becomes a life style that produces more of the same and democrats have a voter base.
Most of us teach our children to be self-sufficient. We provide the education and tools for them to become productive. A parent’s biggest accomplishment is realized the day the child is able to pay their own way.
Stupid Voters
November 12, 2014
Democrats prey on the stupidity of the American Voter says chief architect of Obamacare. While Jonathan Gruber gets all the credit for the remarks about stupid Americans, congressional democrats have preyed on this very notion for decades. Politicians are silent about their motives but have no doubt about it, this strategy is part of the democrat play book.
To be fair, I am certain republicans share some of the dishonesty and voter manipulation with their democrat counterparts. However, Americans overwhelmingly supported Obamacare based on lies from the Obama Administration. Remember Nancy Pelosi saying that “We must pass it to see what’s in it”. The real crime is just how calculated the deceit was. It is no real surprise to me as I researched Obamacare and warned friends and family about the implications of the healthcare bill. However, it fell on deaf ears as most Americans believe that negative comments were just obviating politics. Sadly, Americans are now strapped with Obamacare and trillions of debt.
I can only hope that Americans wake up to the deceit and destruction that democrats have brought them. You might ask yourself, ‘What else have the Democrats been lying about’. Trust me on this one, congressman have been preying on democrats single issue voting and gullible view of politics for decades. The tide is changing. Republicans now have control of both the house and the senate. Sadly, low voter turnout might have been the real reason for the change not the awakening of American Voters. At least three states that switched from Democrat to GOP did have high voter turn out.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/11/11/we-probably-just-saw-one-of-the-lowest-turnout-elections-in-american-history/
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/11/12/another-tape-surfaces-obamacare-architect-calling-american-people-stupid/
Accountability and Human Dignity
November 9, 2014
I believe that Conservative Independents are misunderstood. I am a fiscal conservatives and social moderate. We simply want fiscal responsibility in our government. Unfortunately, we have little choice but to vote for republicans because most democrats are reckless spenders. And for the record, republicans aren’t much better.
The issue I have with democrat’s spending is lack of accountability. For instance, millions go to start ups for green energy that go bankrupt. Worse, money is streaming every month to welfare recipients without accountability. Add to that healthcare, subsidized housing, and food stamps and these folks have little or no motivation to work. It is destructive to human nature. It diminishes pride and self-worth. It also provides a lot of idle time to spend in more nefarious ways. Democrats think they are providing for the poor while they are really destroying work ethic, human dignity, and setting a negative precedent for poor children.
Most conservative independents wouldn’t mind the money streaming to the needy if there was some accountability or return on investment. If welfare recipients were required to go to college, learn a trade, or get their G.E.D. at least they will be better citizens and we all benefit. At minimum, these folks can contribute to society by maintaining parks, cleaning highways and beaches, or other public facilities. It has been my experience that when you require labor from someone in return for money, it motivates them to better themselves. When these folks better themselves they may find work in the private sector. If not, at least they teach their children that you must work for a living. That my friend is the most important lesson.
USS Reagan
March 31, 2014
I cannot accept credit for the content of this post but felt it is important enough to pass along. See link.
Welfare and Affluenza
February 15, 2014
No doubt you have heard about the young man and his lawyer’s defense of Affluenza. The lawyer argues that Affluenza is a condition of being so rich and spoiled that you cannot connect your actions with the consequences. The lawyer made the case that when a young person is given everything without working for it, it is very destructive. This rich 16 year old was driving an F350 with a blood alcohol at 3 times the legal limit. He plowed into four pedestrians, killing them, and ejected two young passengers from the bed of the truck. The teenager got 10 years probation and cannot drive. He avoided the 20 year prison sentence that the prosecutors where asking for. This is not a precedent that should ever be set, but it has. Once again, the rich kid got off with a slap on the wrist.
This is no doubt a travesty but this destructive behavior is not limited to wealthy children. Welfare has a similar destructive power. The government has created a lifestyle that allows a 16 year old girl to become legally emancipated once pregnant and move into her own apartment, collect food stamps and other subsidies to enjoy an irresponsible lifestyle similar to the rich kid. For the record, I am not comparing a limitless bank account with welfare. I am comparing the all too often reckless lifestyle of a child that is given free housing, utilities, food, healthcare, and spending money without accountability. Hopefully, someday that rich kid will become an adult and be required to go to college, find a job, pay taxes, and contribute to society. However, that welfare child can continue having children, support a deadbeat boyfriend, deal drugs on the side, and continue screwing up more lives than her own. This lifestyle drains society of it riches and rarely makes a contribution.
Here is some background on government spending. The government spends over $60,000 per year per welfare recipient. For the naysayers, not all this money goes to the recipient. Some of the money is going to run the program but it makes the point that welfare is an expensive program. There is of course the other side of the coin, corporate welfare. The government spent 50% more on corporate welfare than regular welfare. So what is worse? First, the subsidies to corporations usually result in jobs and taxes. Welfare recipients do not work or pay taxes. Second, the same lame congressmen voted for both. If I had my way I would cut both programs. To suggest that just because the government spends money on one bottomless pit we should pour money into another bottomless pit is ludicrous.
The bottom line, it is the destructive nature of welfare on human behavior that disturbs me. No responsibility, no accountability, no direction, and no future. Worse, we are now supporting third, fourth, and fifth generation welfare.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-affluenza-outrage-20140206,0,1914470.story#axzz2seEucZIQ
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2012/12/07/poor_households_getting_168_in_welfare_per_day_from_taxpayers http://thinkbynumbers.org/government-spending/corporate-welfare/corporate-welfare-statistics-vs-social-welfare-statistics/
Healthcare Solutions
February 6, 2014
I was asked what solutions the Right (conservatives) have for the 40 million uninsured (since I am not a fan of Obamacare). Here is my reply...
I am not a politician, I am not running for office, and I do not represent the right so I cannot speak for them. However, as a conservative independent, I think my views closely relate to many Americans, Democrat and Republican alike.
I agree that a solution must be found and Congress must work together, however, I do not think Obamacare is the answer. I do not believe the solution solely involves access to healthcare. The solution is complicated and unpopular with most politicians. Good healthcare is also about lifestyle. And let’s be honest, Obamacare is not affordable. The Affordable Care Act is about cost shifting, it is rationing, it is taxation, it is punitive, it is an expensive social program. I believe improving lifestyle choices is the best medicine. I do have a more comprehensive list of reform ideas and I dissect the uninsured numbers at the bottom of this post.
The solution to America’s healthcare problem is to correct the social ills that impact healthcare and many other aspects of life. One of the problems is that conservatives and liberals disagree with how to correct the problem. The left want to throw money at the symptoms and conservatives want to correct the illness. When I say conservative, I am not talking about the Rhino’s in Congress. Good healthcare is much more than a doctor’s visits, medicine, and emergency rooms. Healthcare is about access and lifestyle. In my opinion, healthcare reform should include tort reform, enforcement of immigration law, and Norplant. Good healthcare is also about diet and exercise. But do you want to live in a society that tells you what to eat and that you must run for 30 minutes before you get that veggie burger?
Let’s address Access to Healthcare. The majority of enrollees to Obamacare qualify for welfare (Medicaid) and were ultimately enrolled into State welfare health plans. I do not see a benefit that couldn’t have been corrected already through existing programs. In addition, those recipients do not pay much, if any, premium so they remain a burden to the taxpayer. There is a perceived improvement to access but access already existed. The rich have insurance or can pay cash for healthcare. Therefore wealthy Americans already have access so they are not the problem. The previously uninsured that pay a premium under Obamacare, are middleclass. Their premiums and deductibles are high which places them in the same precarious situation they were in before “The Affordable Care Act”. The middleclass must make a decision to pay the penalty or pay the premium. For the middleclass, access to affordable healthcare is little improved under Obamacare.
Many doctors and clinics in Oregon provide free indigent care. The Oregon Health Plan covers most of the impoverished and uninsured. Many younger Americans that do not have insurance choose to go without coverage because of the cost to benefit ratio. If you are young and healthy and do not use insurance, any premium is too high. Ironically, Obamacare relies on the young and healthy to offset the burden of everyone else. Many of these younger folks are covered by their parent’s policy up to age 26 thanks to The Affordable Care Act (one of the good ideas). Unfortunately that also defeats the benefit of young healthy Americans paying premiums to offset the old and sick (one of the bad ideas).
The article I referenced that resulted in his blog points out another failure in Obamacare. Millions of Americans will quit working and effectively draw welfare, or free healthcare. This is another social ill that should be addressed. The solution should be about self-reliance and accountability not becoming a burden to the tax payer.
Everyone must pay something. Many low income and welfare recipients get a free ride. The cost doesn’t have to be a lot but they should pay something. Requiring drug screening for welfare is politically unpopular but it is a method of requiring accountability from recipients. Many welfare recipients are overweight, eat poorly, and have very unhealthy habits. Their poor choices drive up the cost of healthcare, yet they pay nothing into the system and are not held accountable for lifestyle choices. Worse, they add to the welfare rolls with additional children while supporting a deadbeat boyfriend. We both know that many welfare recipients own I-phones, wear Nike’s, have cable, and they drink & smoke. Some have nice cars. These are a social ills that few politicians are willing to address.
Part of the 47 million uninsured include illegal aliens (starting with anchor babies) which should not be here in the first place. Fix immigration and you can reduce the 47 million significantly. If you speak out about illegal immigration you are called a racist. Therefore, this is another social ill that politicians will not address. There is a lot of talk but little action. The action that will come from Obama is to open the borders and provide free services for all.
Healthcare reform ideas include: Promoting and incentivizing healthy lifestyles; improve the use of HSA’s and reduce spending restrictions, tort reform; redirecting expensive ED visits to clinics; transportable polices; allowing business and individuals to shop for insurance nationally; enable small business to develop larger insurance pools; affordable policies through higher deductibles; no waiting period for preexisting illness; minimum one year term on policies; medical facilities should provide an estimate of costs so patients can be better stewards of healthcare dollars; require providers to inform the patient if their insurance coverage is reduced at their office, clinic, lab, x-ray facility or MRI; provide basic healthcare in schools; require insurance companies to provide health insurance for pre-existing illness; eliminating policy cancelation due to illness.
Now let’s dissect the estimated 47 million Americans without insurance. First, the estimates range from 15 to 50 million uninsured. According to the U.S. Census there is an estimated 317 million citizens. 15 percent live in poverty. It is estimated that 21% or 9.9 million are non U.S. Citizens, both legal and illegal. Another 20% or 9.4 million are over 65 years old. That leaves 59% or 27.7 million Americans. If 15% of the 317 million live in poverty that translates to 47 million. So as you can see…the math doesn’t add up. All the numbers overlap. The bottom line: Those over 65 already qualify for Medicare. All noncitizens should find coverage themselves. We should not pay for it. Lastly apparently all 47 million are impoverished and qualify for Medicaid so what the hell is Obamacare for? It is all about partisan politics.
The Federal Government and the States have collectively wasted billions on websites. This money could have been better spent on healthcare expenses. The State’s Welfare systems already cover indigent and welfare. They could have been expanded to include additional uninsured without spending hundreds of millions on nonfunctioning websites.
Cover Oregon and the Oregon Health Plan
January 19, 2014
Despite what many Americans believe, healthcare isn’t free, even under Obamacare. In Oregon, Obamacare is administered through Cover Oregon.
To the dismay of many Oregonians, enrollment into a health plan has been less than seamless. Many citizens have enrolled in Cover Oregon and still don’t know if they are covered or how much the coverage costs (i.e. premium, deductible, copay, out of pocket, etc.). Some Oregonians have little or no assets and would qualify for the Oregon Health Plan, Medicaid, under any circumstances. However, many Oregonians are self-employed, have good paying jobs, or retired before age 65 but do not have health benefits. These folks are required to find a health plan and, in many cases, are enrolled into the Oregon Health Plan.
Not only is the idea of being enrolled in Medicaid, (a Welfare Plan) unsavory, it comes with hidden legal requirements. Unlike traditional health Insurance where you pay a premium and the insurance company takes the risk of your healthcare expenses, the Oregon Health Plan has an estate recovery program that liquidates your assets at your death to recovery healthcare expenses. This is mandated by both federal and state laws.
While many Oregonians might not care about estate recovery at their death and it’s completely appropriate for the state or taxpayer to recovery these expenses, it flies in the face of how most people define insurance. So, if you are enrolling in Cover Oregon and are directed to the Oregon Health Plan, be prepared to have your children forfeit their inheritance.
http://www.fitzwatermeyer.com/articles/medicaid-estate-recovery http://www.oregon.gov/OHA/healthplan/pages/index.aspx http://www.oregon.gov/dhs/admin/Pages/recovery/index.aspx http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/admin/pages/recovery/mprfaq.aspx
Gay Marriage and Obamacare
November 12, 2013
Obamacare subsidies like many other government programs are a double edged sword. On one hand, the healthcare premium subsidy is a plus, yet getting married could cost American households $10,000 per year. Let’s say a gay couple each make about $15.00/hour. Individually each person qualifies for up to $5,000 in subsidies for a total of $10,000. Once they get married, they will make $30/hour or over $60,000/year. As a married couple they do not qualify for a subsidy. This problem occurs with all married couples. Obama is screwing the pouch on this one. Gay American threw their support to Obama and now they are mandated to buy health insurance that will cost them up to $10,000/year if Obama were to make gay marriage possible/required in all 50 States.
This is not the first marriage penalty for a government program, Social Security is other. A couple will make more money in Social Security if they divorce. With the new Healthcare Law, why get married at all? Isn’t that special.
Lead Smelters and Obamacare
November 9, 2013
What does Obamacare and Lead Smelters have in common? Very little except for one caveat. Doe Run Company is closing due to new EPA standards and many other US companies are shedding healthcare benefits due to increased cost of Obamacare. This Administration creates new laws and standards that force businesses to close or change business practices. The stance from the Obama Administration is that closures are “Business Decisions” made by greedy American Corporations.
In the midst of a struggling economy, Doe Run Company, the last lead smelter in the United States, is closing due to new EPA standards and shedding 217 jobs. The EPA set new emission standards that are 10 times as stringent as previous emission standards. It would cost Doe Run $100 million to build a new plant to meet the higher standards. The EPA’s response to the closure and loss of jobs is that Doe Run Company made a business decision to close, it’s not their fault.
With the last lead smelter closing in the United States we must asked ourselves, how will this effect our economy? Ammunition is primarily made from recycled lead batteries so the flow of bullets shouldn't be effected. However, new lead acid batteries do require lead from this source. Lead is consumable which means the supply will eventually be tapped out. The United States will have to purchase lead from another source which means we will be leveraged by another country. With America's push to renewable energy and energy storage this closure might have a bigger impact than you might think. In effect, the Obama Administration just outsourced our lead production, energy stability, and potentially our national security.
And so it goes with Barrack Hussein Obama’s overhaul of America. I guess the White House is happy that another 217 American’s might enroll in Obamacare.
Obama’s Arab Spring
August 14, 2013
Have you read the recent Headlines?
Egyptian security forces raid pro-Morsi camps in Cairo, while violence leaves more than 100 dead
69 killed by wave of bombings in Iraq
Top al Qaeda terrorist in Yemen connected to embassy threats left jihad blueprint
Suicide bomber kills 30 at funeral in Pakistan
More than 2 years into civil war, Syria effectively split into 3 separate regions
Syria deaths near 100,000, says UN – and 6,000 are children
Libya Death Toll Could Be As High As 30,000
My question is: Obama, how is that Arab Spring working out? Barrack Obama was so certain that “left to their own forces” the Middle East would reset itself and peace would prevail. I guess Obama forgot to read their history. The Middle East has been fighting for decades if not hundreds of years. Previous administrations took the stance that the Middle East was a pressure cooker and some control was needed. A balance of power and a slow release of steam, or tension, is necessary to keep the Middle East from exploding.
Not only is Obama supporting the Arab Spring, he is choosing sides. Obama is doing the exact thing that he condemned Bush and other presidents from doing, interference. Perhaps in a decade or two peace will prevail, but what kind of peace. A Muslim lead Islamic Extremist agenda? An entire terrorist Middle East? How is that good for the world, or the United States? One must stop and ponder what Barrack Obama’s real agenda is.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/13/death-toll-syrian-conflict-93000
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/08/04/more-than-2-years-into-civil-war-syria-effectively-split-into-3-separate/#ixzz2bxfOVlQI
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/08/08/suicide-bomber-kills-6-at-funeral-in-southwest-pakistan-including-senior-police/#ixzz2bxfAt0Ec
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/08/09/yemen-terror-boss-left-blueprint-for-waging-jihad/#ixzz2bxeyOUcl
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/08/10/6-killed-by-wave-bombings-in-iraq/#ixzz2bxeWfh5L
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/08/14/egyptian-security-forces-attempt-to-clear-pro-morsi-protests/#ixzz2bxe17r84 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/27/libya-death-toll-could-be_n_854582.html
California considers savings mandate
July 28, 2013
Seriously? California wants to mandate private saving accounts. California Legislators think they can manage resident’s savings accounts better than the people or business. California is bankrupt. California has more people drawing a government salary (welfare, disability, pension, or government employee) than working in the private sector. California can’t save itself but they are going to mandate private sector savings. Three cities in California have filed for bankruptcy protection. CalPers, California pension, is overburdened.
The idea of putting away a minimum of 3 percent is a grand idea. It should be 10 percent. But to mandate it? Social Security is already mandated and it is a total of 15%. Look how that’s going. This is a tax pure and simple. It will start at 3% and increase every couple years. Ultimately, they will squander the fund until the people, and the state, are broke, again.
Maybe, the government can reduce taxes so that Americans can save for retirement. Local, State, Federal income taxes are just the beginning. Excise taxes, sales taxes, property taxes, DMV taxes, pet taxes, and recreational taxes are burdening the people. The government calls these taxes licenses, fees, tolls, and many other things but they are taxes.
California, and all government (local, state, and federal), need to shrink the public sector, reduce taxes, stay within their budget, stay out of our bank accounts, and allow the private sector to grow the economy, produce jobs and wealth, all while contributing a few tax dollars to pay for a handful of needed services. Government needs to stop playing parent for its citizens.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/07/25/california-tries-to-mandate-retirement-savings-for-private-workers/
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57469953/3rd-calif-city-to-file-for-bankruptcy-in-1-month/
http://www.lao.ca.gov/reports/2011/bud/fiscal_outlook/fiscal_outlook_2011.aspx
http://www.politifact.com/texas/statements/2013/jan/11/chain-email/chain-email-says-11-states-have-more-people-welfar/
http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/print-edition/2011/12/30/government.html
Obama White House is disingenuous
June 23, 2013
The Obama White House is saying that Edward Snowden’s release of NSA secrets places America at risk. While some truth can be found in the statement, it is really disingenuous to suggest spying on Americans is keeping them safe when Boston just suffered a terrorist bombing. The government had the Boston bomber on their watch list yet never stopped the attack.
It is disingenuous to suggest that that the government has prevented something that has never happened. The democrats are expert at inflating a potential treat and saying they prevented a disaster or that an incident could have been much worse if they had not intervened. Global Warming is a great example of this rhetoric. Suggesting that the government’s intervention with carbon emissions has slowed global warming is really reaching. They make unfounded assertions that are nearly impossible to measure. When considering causation for Global Warming they discount volcanic activity, solar flares, and historical trends. Anything that contradicts their position is gleaned from the equation.
The Obama Administration has a lot of audacity to suggest that they are working for the people when the Internal Revenue Service is investigating Obama’s opponents during an election year. How can the American people support or even trust Obama when his administration is fraught with scandal? In my opinion, President Obama is untrustworthy. He has a hidden agenda. He will do whatever it takes to achieve his goals and the media has been so enamored with him that he receives a pass on nearly every scandal, until recently. Obama’s investigation of journalists has had backlash by the media. Unfortunately, their desire to prop him up has softened their own investigative instinct and obligations.
It is disingenuous to suggest that you working for a better America when everything you do is tearing it apart.
Healthcare update May 30, 2013
The full results of the Patient Protection and Affordability Act (Obamacare) is still unknown. One recent article suggests that 69% of employers will continue to provide healthcare benefits for their employees after Obamacare kicks in. The article does state that employee costs may be much higher. However, there has been a lot of press about companies shuttling their healthcare plans or cutting employee hours so they are exempt from Obamacare requirements. The Affordable Care Act dictates that employers with over 50 fulltime employees must provide healthcare benefits or face penalties. A fulltime employee is defined as working 30 or more hours per week.
I am undecided whether the result of some guidelines in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was intentional and genius or has unintended consequences that may prove that there is indeed a need for socialized medicine. Numerous employers are pulling away from healthcare benefits and/or cutting employee hours to skirt the requirement to provide benefits. The question is whether Obama and his advisors were so calculating that they expected corporations to cancel polices and/or cut hours to escape the burden of Obamacare or whether it is just a fortuitous unintended consequence of the law. Either way, Obama wins. He can say that the government filled a need that greedy corporations refused to accept.
Despite what the article in Health Leaders Media suggests, the fallout of Obamacare is likely to be significant and the results will continue partisan politics. While it appears that low wage jobs in restaurants and theaters make up the lion share of the cut backs, we must not forget that ‘services’ is a grow industry (or was) and represents thousands or even millions of jobs. Employers that provide higher paid positions will probably continue to offer healthcare benefits. However, those higher paid employees will pay more of the premium and incur higher deductibles and out of pocket expenses.
Regal Theaters, Papa John’s, Denny’s, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, and Applebee’s have all announced plans to make cuts. McDonalds and White Castle have considered cuts. Medical Device Makers, like Cook Medical, have cut back expansion plans. It doesn’t stop there. Government is an employer too. Illinois, Virginia, and Washington States are all cutting hours as a result of Obamacare. On top of that, several coal producers have laid-off workers as a result of Obama’s “War on Coal”.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/05/30/obamacare-to-usher-in-health-insurance-cancellation-notices/
http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/page-1/HEP-292355/69-of-Employers-Plan-to-Offer-Healthcare-Coverage-After-2014
http://twitchy.com/2012/11/11/death-spiral-hours-cut-workers-pushed-to-part-time-due-to-obamacare-they-keep-cutting-my-hours/http://www.inquisitr.com/680226/doctor-stops-insurance-coverage-obamacare-may-force-more-to-follow/http://www.inquisitr.com/680226/doctor-stops-insurance-coverage-obamacare-may-force-more-to-follow/http://www.blackenterprise.com/small-business/companies-affected-obamacare/
http://blogs.ajc.com/business-beat/2013/04/17/regal-cutting-theater-workers-hours-due-to-obamacare/
http://beforeitsnews.com/opinion-conservative/2013/02/va-state-run-monopoly-cutting-hours-due-to-obamacare-2575900.html
http://news.heartland.org/newspaper-article/2013/05/27/obamacare-leads-states-and-cities-consider-dumping-employees-cutting-ba
It's the Culture
05/17/2013
Congress, the Media, and some Americans appear surprised by the scandalous nature of the Obama Administration. President Obama is doing what he does best. He is denying knowledge and responsibility. Obama may not be privy to every action or scandal that has taken place in his Administration, but that is by design. Obama has created a culture that pushes his agenda without his immediate direction.
In a war, the General doesn't have to tell the troops when or who to shoot. It is war. The foot soldiers have been trained. The enemy are a threat, shoot them. It goes without saying. It is the nature of warfare. So it goes with Obama. His foot soldiers have the training. They understand the mission. Shoot first. Take no prisoners. Protect the General at all cost. My only regret in this analogy is that the connection demeans our military.
It is about culture. Every Administration has a unique culture. Some are high in integrity and others are fraught with scandal. A scandalous Administration does the following: First deny knowledge. Second, blame someone else. Third, investigate, bury it, and hope it goes away. Lastly, become indignant. Like Jack Nicholson in "A Few Good Men", "You can't handle the truth". President Obama became indignant during the final presidential debate when queried about Benghazi. How dare you question me! The more guiltily they are the more indignant they become. Eric Holder became indignant and scowled at Rep. Darrell Issa of the House Judiciary Committee. He called the questioning unacceptable and shameful.
Look at Obama's Cabinet. The folks he placed in top positions have the same culture and agenda as their boss. The corruption is not surprising at all. What is surprising is that the American people and some in the media are surprised by it. What is scandalous is that to date no one is holding them accountable. If the Justice Department won't investigate Eric Holder they certainly won't investigate Barrack Obama.
Obama has a few soldiers willing to fall on their sword. They hope that a resignation will might stop further investigation. Protect the General at all cost. My hope is that John Boehner's call for jail time might shake up the troops enough to find the source.
This culture, this agenda is dangerous. Examples include: Gun Control and Fast and Furious, the IRS investigation of conservative groups, Benghazi and Obama's foreign relations. Obama has abandoned our allies. He refuses to say "Islamic terrorist". Obama blindly backs insurgents even though they might be terrorists. More troops died in Afghanistan during Obama's Administration than under Bush.
Obama and his culture are dividing America. The chaos in America is rampant. School shootings and terror attacks, immigration reform that could bankrupt America, healthcare reform that doesn't really reform anything it just covers more Americans without adequate funding. And Obama wants to the IRS to run Obamacare. Now the threat of withholding of Federal funds to States in an effort to push their agenda on blood alcohol. Often it is not the specific issue or argument but the heavy hand of government that is the problem.
The Corruption Continues
05/15/2013
The Internal Revenue Service admits that it focused investigations on the Tea Party and other groups that attempted to hold the government accountable for spending. Apparently, scrutiny by the Tea Party didn't sit well with the Obama administration. How deep does this corruption get?
As far back as 2008 Obama campaign workers were forging documents to get Obama on the ballot. Illegal activity continued in 2012 when many Obama supporters voted twice. It wasn't an isolated case, and it was shown to be a pattern. Meanwhile, the IRS targeted the Tea Party candidates to make certain they were not breaking the law. Sound suspicious? It should. The fraud surrounding Obama's presidency is astronomical.
Democrats contested the Bush/Gore due to hanging chads. It's not like GOP election officials were putting ballot chads back into Gore holes. But that is how nitpicky the Democrats had become. But when it comes to their savior, Barrack Obama, outright fraud without culpability seems commonplace. They do whatever it takes to win. When caught, the Administration just drags it through the courts until after the election so it doesn't effect the outcome.
This is just the beginning of the lies and cheating. The lies, fraud, and deceit continue way beyond the election. Benghazi is a single example of the corruption of the Obama Presidency. But don't bother looking for information against Obama. During the research for this blog I noticed the Huffington Post listed article after article of GOP bashing, and the Libs accuse Fox News of not being “Fair and Balanced”.
The Justice Department refused to investigate their boss, Eric Holder, for "Fast and Furious". The Justice Department definitely won't hold Obama accountable. The corruption is widespread. The GOP has had their share of problems as well, but when the GOP is caught the media is on top of it and won't let it die. When it comes to Barrack Obama, corruption appears acceptable. No matter what happens in the Obama Administration, the press blames the GOP and say the attack is political.
Americans are in for a world of hurt when they refuse to hold their leaders accountable.
http://www.wnd.com/2013/04/jury-fraud-put-obama-on-08-ballot/
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2013/04/26/democrats-convicted-illegally-putting-obama-and-clinton-08-primary-ba
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2093197/posts
http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2013/04/26/obama-clinton-campaign-officials-convicted-of-election-fraud/
http://www.pakalertpress.com/2013/04/02/obama-accused-of-nationalizing-u-s-elections-with-new-executive-order/
http://nobarack08.wordpress.com/2013/04/26/obama-election-fraud-exposed-officials-found-guilty/
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/05/12/irs-knew-tea-party-targeted-in-2011/
http://www.westernjournalism.com/spanish-company-will-count-american-votes-overseas-in-november/
http://michellemalkin.com/2013/03/11/ohio-woman-indicted/
Home
info@politicalpeaches.com
