The National Debt and Common Sense Solutions

OK, it is time for all the boys in D.C. to put their big boy pants on and use the common sense God gave them to resolve this budget issue. I have some suggestions; some are easy, some may take a bit of a spine, but they ultimately make sense.

First the easy ones…

The politicians keep talking about not being able to “cut checks.” I realized that they aren’t just using this figuratively. They are LITERALLY cutting checks! Who still does this? Transition over payments like Social Security and the like over to direct deposit.  How much could that save just in paper, printing and postage? If someone insists on getting a physical check, charge a $10 fee.

I mentioned previously about using technologies like secure Sharepoint instead of (again) wasteful spending, such as printing out the budget.

Now some tougher, but still common sense solutions…

First, MOVE TO THE FLAT TAX. Approximately 45% of the American population do not pay any taxes. That same 45% also utilize the largest majority of government resources. Everyone should pay something in taxes. While we are a very compassionate country, we need to switch from giving a handout to giving a hand up. By simply handing out money and/or services without actually helping to acquire something, those individuals are doomed to staying on the bread line. “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

Social Security needs help…a LOT of help. If you are under the age of 40, you should have the opportunity to opt out. Additionally, if you are under the age of 40, raise the retirement age to 67. When you reach your retirement age, you should get only what you pay into Social Security. If you didn’t work or pay into the system, then you get nothing. Period.

Take a hard look at “pet projects” to see which are working and which are not. Every project has its own set of fans, so some will be tougher to cut than others, but again, people must start to use the common sense God gave them.

Again, these are just a few places to start. Look at some of my other national debt common sense solutions to learn more.

What would you do?

2010 WordPress in review

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow.

Crunchy numbers

A helper monkey made this abstract painting, inspired by your stats.

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 1,800 times in 2010. That’s about 4 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 70 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 78 posts. There were 2 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 74kb.

The busiest day of the year was September 12th with 168 views. The most popular post that day was My Thoughts Today on 9/11.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were facebook.com, twitter.com, en.wordpress.com, newjerseyhunter.com, and mail.yahoo.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for health care bill cliff notes, ihaveagripe.wordpress.com, 1600 new irs agents, dream act, and healthcare bill 1600 new irs employees.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

1

My Thoughts Today on 9/11 September 2010
8 comments

2

A Cliff-Notes Version of the Healthcare Bill March 2010
2 comments

3

I’m Sorry Mr. Cavuto, You’re Wrong May 2010

4

Princeton’s Immigration Policy May 2010
1 comment

5

About Me and My Gripes November 2009

The New Delta Commercial – Maybe I’m Just too Sensitive?

So, we are just days away from the ninth anniversary of the worst attack on American soil. Maybe it is because I grew up in North Jersey and could see the World Trade Center from my town and could smell the smoke that horrible day the towers fell, but I tend to get my back up when I see or hear things that I consider “insensitive” and “related” to that horrible day.

This week I saw a new Delta commercial. Now I will admit, I didn’t like the beginning of the commercial, but I will shrug that off as overly-sensitive. Then they sort of (again, in my opinion), soft of poke fun of “this crazy world of no liquids, take your shoes off…stuff.”

Now, let’s think about this for a minute. I don’t think taking your shoes off or not being allowed to carry on liquids is something to make fun of. These rules have directly come from lunatics trying to blow planes up and kill Americans.

Like I said, maybe I’m being overly-sensitive. Maybe it is because they launched this commercial the week of 9-11. I just don’t know. You watch it and let me know what you think.

When is the Federal Government too Big to Fail?

So this week we’ve seen the Congress pull Goldman Sachs in for a public spanking. A Californian government body is trying to outlaw the toy in the McDonald’s Happy Meal in an effort to avoid childhood obesity. Last year the federal government “purchased” controlling interests in GM and Chrysler. Last month, they passed sweeping “healthcare reform.” It seems that the federal government has figured out to involve themselves into every corner of our personal lives. However, I ask you this…when is the federal government “too big to fail?”

The more the government attempts to control our lives in an effort to “help” us, the more they do is limit our options and opportunities to only what the government feels we should have. When do we as American citizens have the right to say to the government “enough?”

I would like to know what has happened to personal responsibility? You want to eat McDonald’s everyday and turn into a heart attack waiting to happen? Fine. However, don’t expect me to feel sorry for you and cover your healthcare expenses and have the government attempt to legislate to protect people from themselves.

Did Goldman Sachs do incredibly horrible things? Absolutely. However, who, in my opinion, is really to blame? The federal government. What was the SEC doing while they were supposed to be “protecting us?” Watching porn online! And what about the House Financial Services Committee? The House Financial Services Committee contingency lead by Barney Frank forced Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to lend to those who certainly couldn’t afford their own homes. However, how is it every time a company is spanked by the government under the guise of “protecting” us, Fannie and Freddie are nowhere to be found?

I say we should work to take back our nation and live by personal responsibility. A simple solution to many complex problems facing our country.

It isn’t an Immigrant Issue…It is an Illegal Immigrant Issue

So in the last few days, the Governor of Arizona signed a new law allowing the police to check on an individual’s immigration status based on suspicious behavior. This has sparked an uproar on both sides of the issue. Well, to steal a line from the President, “let me be perfectly clear” and say I completely agree with this law one hundred percent.

What people fail to realize is that this is not an immigration issue. This is an illegal immigration issue. It is the responsibility of the states and the nation to protect its legal citizens; first and foremost.  The fact that people such as illegals, the ACLU and others feel that we owe the same rights to these illegals as legal, taxpaying citizens I find completely unacceptable. I say absolutely not. Like many others, my family were made up of immigrants at one point and do you know what they did? They assimilated! They learned English, went to work, followed the laws of the land, became legal and worked to be a contributing part of the American society.

Some say this is racial profiling. Well, let’s think about this rationally. There are major issues with drugs, kidnappings, murders and so on coming over the border from Mexico into the United States. Well, I don’t see any Ukrainians coming through the Mexican border with pot strapped to their legs or killing ranchers coming over the border illegally. Who are they? Mexicans! That isn’t a profile, that’s a fact. Others say that because I am white I don’t understand what it is to be pulled over and questioned by police. Well, wrong again. I have been pulled over and questioned in the past for absolutely no reason. One time as recently as a few weeks ago. So, that holds no water with me either.

Still others ask about violating the civil rights of these illegals. I ask back what about my civil rights as an American citizen?

The fact that we are providing these individuals with medical care, jobs, education and so-on is highly offensive to me. I am a legal, law abiding tax payer and should not have to support these people on my dime. Especially considering the current fiscal state of this nation.

This issue has been going on for decades. I didn’t agree with President Reagan when he gave amnesty during his tenure as President, I didn’t agree with the lack of action during Presidents Clinton and Bush and I am certainly concerned with what our current President may do regarding this issue. He’s stayed out of it up until this point, do the country a favor and continue to stay out of it. Respect state’s rights for once and stay out of it President Obama.

I give kudos to Jan Brewer for having the guts to put this bill into law and take into the state’s hands an issue of national security the United States government has failed to handle.

Healthcare Passes…God Help Us All

Well, last night the greatest travesty has been perpetuated on the American people. The Democrats in the House passed the so-called healthcare (and don’t forget education loans) reform legislation.

There are multiple issues here. First and foremost, it is completely unconstitutional to force someone to purchase something. I know the Dems are arguing that the federal government has the right to regulate healthcare through the Interstate Commerce Clause. Throughout the last few decades, this has been one of the most frequently-used sources of Congress’ power. However, the Tenth Amendment says: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” Last time I checked, entitlements, like healthcare, aren’t in the Constitution.

What I really want to know is what has happened to personal responsibility? Are there people who need help that don’t have health insurance? Absolutely. What is happening here is the uber-rich can afford whatever they need, the poor will be taken care of by the government, and as usual, the middle-class will get squeezed.

People need to have a personal investment in their lives. If all people get are entitlements, handouts from the government, they will never take a vested interest in their potential personal success. It is too easy to just accept what is given to you.

On the other hand, if all that happens to the rich is to be penalized and over-taxed by the government, those innovators and small business owners (who create jobs mind you) will loose the want to succeed. Ultimately, this will increase the sea of mediocrity that is overcoming our great country.

By passing this bill, the federal government now has the keys to the front door of all our homes. Healthcare is the key to everything else – what we eat, if we choose to smoke, how much we exercise, and so on. This is the beginning of wide-spread socialization of America.

Right now, 35 Attorneys General are preparing lawsuits in an effort to block the implementation of this unlawful bill. I hope they succeed. The future of our country, our freedom, depends on it.

A Cliff-Notes Version of the Healthcare Bill

I just received my weekly newsletter from my Representative Rodney Frelinghuysen. I am proud to say he is voting against the healthcare bill that is going to the floor tomorrow.

In his newsletter, he listed what I consider a “cliff notes” version of the new taxes and what the IRS will be up to if this little gem passes. I have posted it here. I think you will find it interesting.

Here is a partial list of the tax increases in the Pelosi health care bill:

• If you don’t buy health insurance (as dictated acceptable by a new federal czar), you will be fined up to 2.5% of your income even if you pay all of your medical expenses yourself. If your company does not provide “acceptable” health insurance to all workers, the company will be fined up to $2,000 per employee. (This proposal alone may require the hiring of 1,600 new IRS employees.  See attached data sheet from the House Committee on Ways and Means);
• An additional Medicare tax on self-employment income and wages.  This removes the current cap on wages subject to this tax and it will effectively move the top income tax rate from 35% to 43.4% within a couple of years;
• For certain taxpayers, the bill increases the Medicare FICA tax from 2.9 percent to 3.8 percent and for the first time, this tax will be extended beyond wages to include interest, dividends, capital gains, annuities, royalties, home sales and rents.  This new tax will be particularly damaging to New Jersey’s seniors, many of whom depend on their interest, dividends and annuities to cover their monthly expenses and potential nursing home costs;
• There is a 2.9% tax on all medical “devices”, which basically means everything used in a doctor’s office or hospital. Including gowns, syringes, wheelchairs and the like.  This will increase health care costs for everyone who does not get free government insurance;
• The deduction for medical expenses is currently limited to those expenses that exceed 7.5% or your income. This will be raised to a threshold of 10% of your income. This means that fewer people will get any tax relief from medical expenses they pay for themselves;
• There are various taxes on anything a person might do to pay for their own medical expenses. Things like Health Savings Accounts, Cafeteria Plans, and Flexible Savings Accounts are ways for people to save their OWN money for their OWN medical care on a pre-tax basis. Under the bill, they will be limited and taxed;
• A 10% tax on tanning services;
• A tax on self-insured health plans. This is another penalty on those who try to pay for their own health care;
• A new tax on pharmaceutical manufacturers, an important employer in New Jersey. This will raise the price of medicines for everyone who does not get them from the government for free;
• A new tax on “Cadillac” health plans. This is a tax of up to 55% on any health insurance that costs over about $800 per month including employee and employer contributions. This tax does not apply if you are a union member or your plan is from AARP or Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan;
• There is a new tax on all “for-profit” health insurance companies (except for a few favored ones).  This will also raise the costs of premiums for everyone not getting free care from the government.

Combined, these new taxes will cause medical costs to go up and private sector job creation to go down, increase budget deficits and national debt, and force physicians to stop seeing Medicare and Medicaid patients. It will cause fewer people to pay for their own care, and more to seek government care.

In the end, the Pelosi health care proposal adds up to more taxes, more spending, and more deficits.  This is a bill American cannot afford.

Highlights of New IRS Authority

Under H.R. 3590 – the Senate-passed health bill
(Source: House Ways and Means Committee Minority)

• IRS agents verify if you have “acceptable” health care coverage;
• IRS has the authority to fine you up to $2,250 or 2 percent of your income (whichever is greater) for failure to prove that you have purchased “minimum essential coverage”;
• IRS can confiscate your tax refund;
• IRS audits are likely to increase;
• IRS will need up to $10 billion to administer the new health care program this decade;
• IRS may need to hire as many as 16,500 additional auditors, agents and other employees to investigate and collect billions in new taxes from Americans;
• Nearly half of all these new individual mandate taxes will be paid by Americans earning less than 300 percent of poverty ($66,150 for a family of four).

SPECIAL EXEMPTION: The Senate-passed bill prohibits the IRS from imposing these taxes and penalties on illegal immigrants.

The Budget, the Deficit and Monopoly Money

By the time I got home tonight, my eye was twitching again. Why you might ask? The latest proposal to come from the White House…the 2011 budget.

President Obama is proposing a mixed bag budget totaling $3.8 trillion dollars. Now, I do agree with the President that the tax payer’s money shouldn’t be spent like “Monopoly money,” but this proposed budget will increase the deficit by $1.56 trillion. Depending on how the budget evens out, and who you believe, this will result in 10% – 25% of our  GDP will be deficit. Most economists are saying the GDP related to the deficit will be approximately 10.6%. Those same economists say anything above 3% is unsustainable. The President says it will result in approximately 3% of the deficit related to the GDP and will more than likely stay that way for the foreseeable future. If this continues, we will wind up becoming part of China, since they own a large amount of our debt. A perfect example is what is going on with the Taiwan arms sale. Anyone see the issue here?

Now, I’m the first one to admit that I am far from a math scholar, but I don’t understand how you can increase the budget and the deficit and lower the GDP related to the deficit. The White House is talking about making “hard choices,” like the nine million that were cut from the Parks Service. Meanwhile, they boast the biggest budget ever for the EPA, most of which is related to clean energy technologies.

Now this is where I really get annoyed. The President wants to develop a deficit panel to establish a hard plan to control and ultimately reduce the deficit. Republicans rebuffed this idea. When President Bush suggested the same idea, the Democrats rebuffed. I ask…why? This is where I say the President doesn’t need to lecture us like four-year-olds during the State of the Union, but we should be lecturing those in Washington. Why was this idea OK with one side, but not the other and now the same idea reversed?

In my opinion, this is where egos and political parties should be checked at the door. Our Representatives in Washington are supposed to represent all of us, not their party. I am a registered Republican, which is no great secret, and I want to smack them all upside the head like an Italian grandmother would and tell them to wake up! This includes Bob Beckel and Sean Hannity, who I am watching at the moment. Normally I like listening to you two spar because you have thought-provoking, informed opinions. I hate this “well, they did this” and “well when your party was in power, blah, blah, blah.” This back and forth exemplifies exactly what is wrong with Washington.

Didn’t the President just talk about PAYGO (pay as you go) during the State of the Union last week? If the American public can’t pay bills with Monopoly money, neither should the federal government.

Welcome to My Snarky World

I believe everyone should use the common sense God gave them. Unfortunately, not everyone does. This blog will document my rants and raves of those who make me crazy.

To give you some background:

• I am a fiscal conservative
• I am a social moderate
• You (unfortunately) can’t legislate to prevent stupidity
• If you can’t talk on the phone and drive at the same time, using a hands-free headset really won’t help

Stay tune on my regular rants.