Showing posts with label budget. Show all posts
Showing posts with label budget. Show all posts

Friday, December 04, 2015

Trump Explodes in Latest CNN/ORC poll. Liberal Media Ignores Trump's Triumph!

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Look at the latest CNN/ORC poll today.  In the past few weeks, Trump has moved twenty points ahead of his nearest competition in the national polls.  Yet his national surge is just the tip of the iceberg compared to the trust people have in him to handle the issues most affecting their lives.


As noted by CNN, Trump holds massive margins over other Republicans as the candidate most trusted to handle the economy (at 55%, Trump stands 46 percentage points over his nearest competitor), the federal budget (51%, up 41 points), illegal immigration (48%, up 34 points), ISIS (46%, up 31 points) and foreign policy (30%, up 13 points).


Looking at those Republicans who consider each issue to be "extremely important" to their vote, Trump's standing on each issue is even stronger. Among those Republican voters who call the economy extremely important, for example, 60% say they trust Trump to handle that issue. Among immigration voters, 55% trust Trump on the issue. On foreign policy, Trump inches up to 32%, and among those who call terrorism an extremely important issue, 49% say they trust Trump most on ISIS.



Ironically, most liberal media refused to headline the massive Trump surged and chose to focus on the candidates whose numbers were far behind the leader.
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Friday, December 12, 2014

Maybe it's time America should return to her Roots

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With the first bi-partisan action by Congress since the Stone Age it seems, in passing a spending bill, maybe America is ready to turn down the heat and turn up the hope for the future.  Here is an appearance on The Voice by Craig Wayne Boyd singing the spiritual classic "The Old Rugged Cross."

(Double click on the image to go full screen)


How about the radical conservatives and radical liberals take the next few weeks off and let us try and remember how to celebrate Christmas season.

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Saturday, July 06, 2013

The World's Only Superpower - What does it mean?

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Well, for a long time America has been the single super power in the world and how have we handled the responsibility?  It may take many years for historians to be able to fairly assess the performance of our government in terms of world affairs the past few decades.
 
As the financial engine that powers the world we have certainly helped the world economy but then our financial greed also led to the greatest collapse of housing, stock market values, treasury notes, and employment opportunity since our great depression in the 1930's.  Oh yes, because we are the last world super power we took down most of the world in our collapse.
 
 
Science and technology are also areas of great contributions in America weighed against equally great potential for harm.  Genetically altered seed developed in America made it possible for the USA to become the breadbasket for the world, often saving nation after nation faced with broken infrastructure, war, genocide or drought conditions.
 
Now we are discovering that there are dangers in the genetic manipulation as it may render much poorer results in the nutritional value of the crops produced, it can destroy the productivity of the land used to produce the crops, and may have a severe harmful effect on our immune system and it's ability to protect us from disease.
 
 
In terms of military muscle again the USA is dominate and we do have this desire to be the savior of the world.  In fact we love the world so much more than half of our military capacity is deployed around the world, not in the USA.
 
American presidents from Jefferson through Lincoln to Eisenhower have warned us of the dangers of the military-industrial complex in which our structure of civilian control of the military by having the president be commander in chief of all the armed forces, can be compromised.
 
As you can see from the following tables, Defense spending, according to President Obama's own office, now equals 17% of our total budget, and 57% of our new spending.  Sounds pretty substantial for a country winding down two wars.
 
 
 
One day someone in Washington will finally turn attention to why our defense spending as a percent of total federal spending keeps rising even when we stop fighting wars.  Perhaps then we will hear the dire warnings from presidents Jefferson, Lincoln and Eisenhower about the potential dangers ranging from national and international bankers to  defense contractors and arms dealers.
 
Until then Uncle Sam will remain the ever considerate Uncle Sugar to a host of bad people and bad ideas.
 
 
Warnings from Presidents
 
If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their  currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks…will deprive the people of  all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered…. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs. – Thomas Jefferson in the debate over the Re-charter of the Bank Bill (1809)
 
“I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies.” – Thomas Jefferson
 
The modern theory of the perpetuation of debt has drenched the earth with blood, and crushed its inhabitants under burdens ever accumulating. -Thomas Jefferson
 
History records that the money changers have used every form of abuse, intrigue, deceit, and violent means possible to maintain their control over governments by  controlling money and its issuance. -James Madison
 
 
If congress has the right under the Constitution to issue paper money, it was  given them to use themselves, not to be delegated to individuals or corporations. -Andrew Jackson
 
The Government should create, issue, and circulate all the currency and  credits needed to satisfy the spending power of the Government and the buying power of  consumers. By the adoption of these principles, the taxpayers will be saved immense sums of interest. Money will cease to be master and become the servant of humanity. -Abraham  Lincoln
 
Issue of currency should be lodged with the government and be protected from domination by Wall Street. We are opposed to…provisions [which] would place our currency and credit system in private hands. – Theodore Roosevelt
 
Despite these warnings, Woodrow Wilson signed the 1913 Federal Reserve Act. A few years later he wrote: I am a most unhappy man. I have unwittingly ruined my country. A great industrial nation is controlled by its system of credit. Our system of  credit is concentrated. The growth of the nation, therefore, and all our activities are in the hands of a few men. We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most  completely controlled and dominated Governments in the civilized world no longer a  Government by free opinion, no longer a Government by conviction and the vote of the majority, but a Government by the opinion and duress of a small group of dominant men. -Woodrow  Wilson

Years later, reflecting on the major banks’ control in Washington, President Franklin Roosevelt paid this indirect praise to his distant predecessor President Andrew Jackson, who had “killed” the 2nd Bank of the US (an earlier type of the Federal Reserve System). After Jackson’s administration the bankers’ influence was gradually restored and increased, culminating in the passage of the Federal Reserve Act of 1913. Roosevelt knew this history.

The real truth of the matter is, as you and I know, that a financial
element in the large centers has owned the government ever since
the days of Andrew Jackson… -Franklin D. Roosevelt
(in a letter to Colonel House, dated November 21, 1933)

[Next story to feature NSA, Cyber Security, Homeland Security, Edward Snowden and other fun stuff.]
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Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Obamaville, February 14 - Obamanomics Center of Budget Debate

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 The Wizard of Washington on Economics


This week President Obama unveiled a record $3.8 trillion budget, promising $4 trillion in deficit savings the next ten years while sticking it to the rich.  Of course most of the cuts are from mandatory budget cuts resulting from the inaction of Obama and Congress on reaching any agreement on the budget.  Other cuts came from ending the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.  Didn't stop the administration from taking credit for it.


Obamanomics did not include anything new to cut federal spending, fix Social Security, make Medicare sound, reduce the national debt, lower health care costs or most other things he, the GOP and Democrats promised.  Imagine that, broken promises from politicians.


One wonders if the fact he dumped his entire economic team that guided him through the first three years had anything to do with the lack of details and failure to address national priorities.

Congress and the White House will now spend the rest of the election year blaming each other or the political parties for all their failures that have been and are yet to come even though no one has done anything to find solutions.


The failure to address long term debt and deficit issues is turning their back on all of our youth because the systems will be broke long before today's youth have finished paying their fair share.

Sometimes it seems as if the only solution to our problems, which are caused by political expediency, greed, waste and abuse, would be to throw them all out of office.  It might make things interesting if Washington, D.C. was filled with new faces.


We already know how to survive an inexperienced president and no one seems to know what Congress is even doing.  Perhaps it would be wise for Congress to just take a vacation for the year thus ending the name calling and back stabbing so much a part of our political process.

One thing no one wants to discuss is why are we trying to raise billions of dollars in taxes on anyone when we are already wasting billions of dollars on everyone.


When nothing is getting done what have we got to lose?
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Monday, July 19, 2010

Liberals Demand GOP Ideas while Democrats Fail to Pass a Budget - Who is being honest?

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As summer drags on and we continue to be hit by record heat waves it seems as if the temperature in people has turned up as well. Here just south of our nation's capitol we have had 35 days over 90 degrees this year and this week we are forecast to get 4 more days over 90 degrees. Last summer we got a total of 22 days over 90 degrees.

It seems the hotter we get the more goofy the politicians and media get when it comes to reporting stories and telling the truth. Maybe it would do us well to review some of the more glaring untruths being bantered around by our "informed" media.



First there is the constant droning by NBC and MSNBC commentators and reporters along with other liberal media about the fact the Republicans are not offering any potential solutions to Obama legislation nor are they identifying ways to cut the budget.

This criticism has come from David Gregory, Chuck Todd, Rachael Maddox, Chris Matthews, even reporters like Norah O'Donnell and others who really should know better than to spout off such untruths. Since all of the NBC/MSNBC people are supposed to have extensive political experience their demand that the Republicans come forward with proposals for new legislation and budget cuts right now are silly.

I too have been involved in politics including over 30 political campaigns at the local, state and national levels including House, Senate and presidential races. No where in the political strategy handbooks is there a rule that says when journalists demand answers you have to give it to them. In fact a political campaign that caters to the whims of the media is probably doomed to failure in the first place.



Campaigns are complex undertakings guided by the principle they must peak on election day, not one day before. All work in the campaigns from the grassroots to the media buys must adhere to this principle. In America we already have campaigns that run far too long to maintain the public interest and enthusiasm.

Thus timing in every aspect of the campaign will dictate the success of any proposals to the public. The summer months between the primary and general elections is often referred to as the dead zone when people are tired of the politics and want a break before the fall elections. They deserve such a break.

Campaigns that release political positions and budget cuts during the summer months are stupid, unless the candidate is unknown and needs the media attention. Media people who go on the air during the summer blasting the campaigns for not giving them the answers they seek are equally stupid because they know better and are trying to mislead the public.



News must be slow right now because the NBC and MSNBC gang is on the air every day demanding answers from the Republicans. If a Republican were president right now there would be media favoring the GOP who would be demanding answers from the Democrats so both the liberal and conservative media are equally guilty of being stupid.

The fall election swings into high gear after Labor Day and if there are going to be new legislative proposals or recommended budget cuts they will be introduced after that time. In the meantime the media should give us a break and stop demanding something that is not forthcoming. It would be nice if the media were also honest and didn't act as if the Republicans were hiding something from the public. NBC and MSNBC are preoccupied with helping Obama and getting Democrats elected, plain and simple.



The real truth of the matter is this. The Democrats control congress and the presidency. The Democrat leadership has not even attempted to pass a budget this year. If the ruling party does not have the guts to pass a budget, then the media should demand answers from them first. Of course that won't happen since any budget by the Democrats would include record deficit spending and a record increase in the national, debt. The liberal media does not want to talk about that.

So let NBC and MSNBC continue with the Obama cover up and keep trying to hide from the public the fact the Democrats, who owe us the budget since they are in control, have failed to be honest with the public. People know those who are not honest and those who cover up for those who are not honest. The ratings for MSNBC are the clearest measure of the honesty of the people and MSNBC is mired deep in the ratings cellar where they belong.

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Friday, April 09, 2010

Obama's Achilles Heel - Exploding National Debt

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Now that the hoop ala over the health care reform has subsided and learned people have had the time to analyze exactly what the White House and Congress slammed down our throats it is fast becoming obvious that the spiraling national debt is far greater than Obama and the Democrats want us to believe. In fact, new estimates by the very same Congressional Budget Office that said health care would reduce the debt now say we are in serious trouble.

Doug Elmendorf, best known for arbitrating the costs of various health care proposals, added his voice to a growing chorus of economic experts who predict dire consequences if political leaders don’t scale back spending, increase taxes or both, and soon.



Elmendorf noted a recent CBO report that pegged an increase in the public debt from $7.5 trillion at the end of 2009 to $20.3 trillion at the end of 2020 if President Barack Obama’s fiscal 2011 budget were to be implemented as written. As a percentage of gross domestic product, the debt would rise from 53 percent to 90 percent, CBO forecasted. The last time the percentage was that high was right after World War II.

What that means is if Congress passes the president's budget, which includes health care, our national debt will nearly triple in the next decade. To put that in perspective, when Presidents Roosevelt and Truman managed the massive debt needed to carry out World War II while also overcoming the long term consequences from the Great Depression, the ratio of debt to Gross National Product reached the highest level in history, about 120%. The Obama budget will cause it to rise from the current 53% of GNP to 90%, nearly doubling the debt. That does not include normal adjustments to be made.



To make this clearer, when the debt hit the peak in 1947 it was equivalent to $10 trillion today. That pulled the economy out of the great depression and into high gear to win World War II. The Obama debt will hit twice that much, $20.3 trillion by 2020.

As for the normal adjustments, they have already begun. CBO warned the Democrats in Congress that changing the student loan program that was approved in the health care bill will actually increase the deficit by an additional $52 billion by 2020, not reduce the deficit by $68 billion like the Democrats said.



In the study, the CBO explains how the accounting mandated through the Federal Credit Reform Act (FCRA) is the standard procedure used to record the budgetary costs of the government’s direct and guaranteed loan programs.

However, the CBO notes that FCRA cost estimates exclude the value of “market risks” and the loan programs’ “administrative expenses” while the CBO’s “fair value” estimates takes them into account.

This discrepancy between the two estimates results in the FCRA figure being a less “comprehensive” appraisal of the true cost to taxpayers of the federal government’s direct student loan program, according to the CBO report.

“Fair-value subsidy estimates, which include the cost of risk and administrative costs, provide a more comprehensive measure that allows the costs of the two programs to be compared on a level playing field,” states the study.



That little change in what the CBO reported to Congress to help justify the bill makes the debt increase by $120 billion, from the projected reduction of $68 billion to the actual deficit of $52 billion.

The same health care bill allowed them to claim a $450 billion savings in Medicare costs by reducing the payment to doctors by 21%. Yet Congress promised to fix this problem by restoring the reduction. That bill is to be debated this month and Pelosi has promised it will be passed. If they don't pass it thousands of more doctors will refuse to treat Medicare patients meaning there will not be enough doctors to treat all the new patients Obama is flooding into the health care system. But if Congress delivers on their promise, it will raise the debt by another $450 billion.

Such adjustments can be found throughout the flawed health care legislation and either these accounting tricks were known to the White House advisors or they are just plain stupid. The rush to get Obama his historic bill will come back to haunt us for the next decade.

Three things are clear to anyone who digs through the reality of the Obama health care plan. Taxes have to go up, insurance premiums have to go up, and the only thing historic about the massive bill is our national debt will hit a historic high.



As Doug Elmendorf, head of the CBO warned yesterday, the nation’s fiscal path is “unsustainable,” and the problem “cannot be solved through minor tinkering.”

The calculations by Congress of every new entitlement program have been multiples off the mark. The 1965 Medicare program was supposed to cost only $9 billion by 1990. Instead it cost $67 billion in 1990 and it now costs $521 billion.

People must be told the truth or the next two generations will face a bankrupt national government. The Obama promise is also the Obama Achilles Heel and that says very little for the future security of our nation.

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