Mr. Obama's upbringing, his education and his perspectives were shaped by those who were not advocates of American Exceptional-ism, nor did they accept the Divine providence in the founding of our Nation and Constitution. In fact, America wasn't anything special, a country like all other countries, maybe even less than such. Further, Mr. Obama explained while running for President that his upbringing outside of the US was an advantage, giving him a deeper well of foreign policy experience. Unfortunately and as a consequence of his upbringing and "foreign policy" experience, Mr. Obama has yet to and probably never will, adopt the basic and fundamental principles embedded in our Declaration of Independence and Constitution, nor will he abide American Exceptional-ism. As such he is not the advocate that we require of our President. What we are now experiencing his complete and utter disregard for what differentiates the US in the world of nations, because he doesn't believe we are different, nor should we be. He, and his minions, have done more dismantle our Nation, our Constitution, our freedoms, our democracy and our economy than any other person in the history of our country.
Illustrated in this piece are a couple of key points - his failure to recognize and fully quote by whose hand we are endowed (intentional?), and his attempt to neutralize the defining moment of our Nation by minimizing its founding and consequential integrity and rule of law through rationalization and justification. It is amazes me that he justifies the appropriateness of being an illegal immigrant because they were here first. Really?
Saturday, October 2, 2010
We're Back - And yes, it is time for "Change" and "Hope"
With the mid-terms a month away and America careening down its current destructive path, the quiet majority has awakened with a want for change - this ad reflects clearly our need and hope for a coming change - Vote for Change, Vote Wisely!!! An interesting, but poignant twist from the original ad by President Reagan.
With such change, we can hope for what 2012 brings with Mitt Romney and then, like before he can offer what Ronald Reagan shared after his first 4 years - the original ad
With such change, we can hope for what 2012 brings with Mitt Romney and then, like before he can offer what Ronald Reagan shared after his first 4 years - the original ad
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Check Your Brain At The Door
Power and the pursuit thereof must be an amazing aphrodisiac. Without any interest in cynicism and in all sincerity, why is it that many of our political leaders check their brains at the door when taking office? And, some of our business leaders as well.
Energy Independence -
I was listening to NPR this morning and found the discussion of energy independence quite interesting. Our new Energy Secretary, Ken Salazar, was dismissing past Administration policies on off-shore drilling, indicating that it needs more study; not because we don't know enough about fossil fuels, but because we don't know enough about alternative energy. When will we ever? Of course economics have altered the discussion lately with oil prices down significantly. What am I missing? Do we stay our current course and take no action while we continue to ponder what might be? Do the proponents of wind and solar truly believe that wind and solar are the sum of the solution of energy independence? Rest assured, I am not advocating that fossil fuels are the sum of all of our energy ills, nor that alternative energy sources are without value or merit. On the contrary, logic and reason tells us the solution to energy independence resides in a comprehensive solution. Wind and solar have a role to play, conjunctive with fossil fuels and derivatives thereof, and nuclear. We have proven technologies presently in the market that offer alternatives and solutions. Why is it that we struggle so in looking to the solutions that presently exist in the market? The logic and reason seems to have escaped our political leadership of the day causing us to be mired in their political pandering and pursuit of self-interest over meeting America's need. The want for continued debate without decisive action creates its own dynamic that unfortunately empowers our political leadership and prolongs their perception of self importance.
Economic Crisis -
Surely we are faced with significant issues in our economy and the solutions are not simple by any measure, but why is it that we should trust and rely upon our political leadership (Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Charlie Rangel, Charles Schumer, John Kerry, and others), most of whom are far from expert on economics, to lead the way? Appreciating that our new Treasury Secretary is a bright and capable guy, yesterday's result from his long awaited speech was very telling. The political influences of the day seem to offer entitlement as a solution. They distrust our financial institutions and seem to lack faith and confidence in the foundations of our US banking system. Throwing the baby out with the bath water is not a solution. They fail to realize the multiplier effect of money in our banking system as a means to drive our economic vitality. They continue to punish the banks at the expense of needed solutions, born of their distrust and the fact that they feel they know better. The punitive accounting policies of Washington are doing more to destroy our banking system than selected elements of greed and idiocy in some CEO offices. We gain more leverage in a solution with the banking system than without. However, the populus messages from Washington would advocate otherwise. The more we debate, the more we empower Washington, and the more we lose.
Corporate Executive Offices -
What are some of these guys thinking - they truly have checked their brains at the door. The former CEO of Merrill spending $1.2 million on an office remodel? The CEO's of the auto industry riding their private jets to Washington for financial relief? The vacuum these guys live in has gone to their heads and reason and logic have left the building. Even so, not all corporate offices are like the exceptions proffered in the media. These are the exceptions and not the rule in corporate America. The media frenzy on these stories are good fodder, but do not represent what is good in our corporate leadership. The politicians will play this tune, again and again because the populism promoted empowers them, for "they will protect us, they know better." We are the greatest economic superpower because of the depth of those who run our businesses, large and small, and the model our economy is built upon, not because of the politicians who run Washington.
Hopefully, most of America doesn't follow the lead of our politicians and selective CEOs, and check their brains at the door.
Energy Independence -
I was listening to NPR this morning and found the discussion of energy independence quite interesting. Our new Energy Secretary, Ken Salazar, was dismissing past Administration policies on off-shore drilling, indicating that it needs more study; not because we don't know enough about fossil fuels, but because we don't know enough about alternative energy. When will we ever? Of course economics have altered the discussion lately with oil prices down significantly. What am I missing? Do we stay our current course and take no action while we continue to ponder what might be? Do the proponents of wind and solar truly believe that wind and solar are the sum of the solution of energy independence? Rest assured, I am not advocating that fossil fuels are the sum of all of our energy ills, nor that alternative energy sources are without value or merit. On the contrary, logic and reason tells us the solution to energy independence resides in a comprehensive solution. Wind and solar have a role to play, conjunctive with fossil fuels and derivatives thereof, and nuclear. We have proven technologies presently in the market that offer alternatives and solutions. Why is it that we struggle so in looking to the solutions that presently exist in the market? The logic and reason seems to have escaped our political leadership of the day causing us to be mired in their political pandering and pursuit of self-interest over meeting America's need. The want for continued debate without decisive action creates its own dynamic that unfortunately empowers our political leadership and prolongs their perception of self importance.
Economic Crisis -
Surely we are faced with significant issues in our economy and the solutions are not simple by any measure, but why is it that we should trust and rely upon our political leadership (Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Charlie Rangel, Charles Schumer, John Kerry, and others), most of whom are far from expert on economics, to lead the way? Appreciating that our new Treasury Secretary is a bright and capable guy, yesterday's result from his long awaited speech was very telling. The political influences of the day seem to offer entitlement as a solution. They distrust our financial institutions and seem to lack faith and confidence in the foundations of our US banking system. Throwing the baby out with the bath water is not a solution. They fail to realize the multiplier effect of money in our banking system as a means to drive our economic vitality. They continue to punish the banks at the expense of needed solutions, born of their distrust and the fact that they feel they know better. The punitive accounting policies of Washington are doing more to destroy our banking system than selected elements of greed and idiocy in some CEO offices. We gain more leverage in a solution with the banking system than without. However, the populus messages from Washington would advocate otherwise. The more we debate, the more we empower Washington, and the more we lose.
Corporate Executive Offices -
What are some of these guys thinking - they truly have checked their brains at the door. The former CEO of Merrill spending $1.2 million on an office remodel? The CEO's of the auto industry riding their private jets to Washington for financial relief? The vacuum these guys live in has gone to their heads and reason and logic have left the building. Even so, not all corporate offices are like the exceptions proffered in the media. These are the exceptions and not the rule in corporate America. The media frenzy on these stories are good fodder, but do not represent what is good in our corporate leadership. The politicians will play this tune, again and again because the populism promoted empowers them, for "they will protect us, they know better." We are the greatest economic superpower because of the depth of those who run our businesses, large and small, and the model our economy is built upon, not because of the politicians who run Washington.
Hopefully, most of America doesn't follow the lead of our politicians and selective CEOs, and check their brains at the door.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Why California Needs Meg Whitman
It couldn't be illustrated more clearly than in the article below. The alternative candidates are without the needed experience and capacity to address the crucial issues facing the State. As noted previously, as California goes, so goes the nation. May Californian's choose wisely.
WALL STREET JOURNAL
By JIM CARLTON and BOBBY WHITE
BIG SUR, Calif. -- As Sacramento squabbles over the state's $42 billion deficit, Californians are getting a bitter taste of what's to come after the steep budget cuts that are inevitable when legislators and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger finally hammer out a deal.
Some world-famous parks like Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park may not open this year. After-school programs in low-income areas are being scuttled, putting high-risk teens on the street just as police forces are being cut. Schools are closing classrooms, and some highway projects have ground to a halt. The state may not be able to monitor some sex offenders as required under law.
A budget deal may restore some of the missing funds. But everyone knows that not all monies will flow again after a deal, and Californians increasingly fear they are seeing a hint of their future.
Jim Carlton/The Wall Street Journal
A state parks superintendent inspects the site of an unfinished bridge at California's Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. The world-renowned park on the Central California coast may not open this summer because funds to complete a new bridge to a large campground have been frozen amid talks by California lawmakers to resolve a $42 billion budget deficit.
Jim Carlton/The Wall Street Journal
Concrete buttresses have been built for a bridge crossing the Big Sur River to a campground on the other side, but work to finish the bridge itself was still underway when the project ground to a halt a few weeks ago.
"Before it gets better, it's going to get a lot worse," said Joseph Valentine, director of Contra Costa County's Department of Employment and Human Services. The department, which administers social services such as food stamps, has cut 12%, or $25 million, of its budget. It has managers answering reception-desk phones, and Mr. Valentine expects another round of cuts.
The empty coffers have hit some California icons. Pfeiffer Big Sur may not reopen this summer because work on a new bridge to the campground was halted, part of a $6 million renovation project that state officials have ordered frozen along with hundreds of millions of dollars in other state infrastructure projects. Dan and Vickie Coughlin of Torrance, Calif., face not camping in the park with their daughters, ages 10 and 13, for the first time since they were born. When they were advised they couldn't book reservations, "it just broke my heart, and my kids almost cried," said Ms. Coughlin.
Other states face budget cuts too, but California's budget mess stands out for its size. Its deficit is projected at $42 billion by mid-2010. Since Gov. Schwarzenegger declared a fiscal emergency 14 weeks ago, he and lawmakers have been deadlocked over how to close the gap. Democrats want tax increases and moderate spending cuts; Republicans seek deep cuts and no tax increases; the governor wants a combination.
The governor's office warned Tuesday that if no budget deal is reached by Friday, the state would send layoff warnings to 20,000 workers. Gov. Schwarzenegger also said he intends to cut 10,000 jobs through layoffs and attrition to save $750 million over 17 months.
Meanwhile, the state is raising money in unprecedented ways. The treasurer's office said Tuesday that it is close to selling $200 million in general-obligation bonds to the Bay Area Toll Authority, a municipal agency, to fund public-works projects around the San Francisco Bay area.
While Sacramento talks, money is drying up in places like Contra Costa County, where 40,000 families have applied for 350 available slots for Section 8 vouchers -- a federal subsidy that allows low-income families to rent in the private market. "The level of desperation is just heartbreaking," said Joseph Villareal, executive director of the Contra Costa Housing Authority.
California Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
Jim Carlton/The Wall Street Journal
Pfeiffer Big Sur is so popular that campsites like this one,in a grove of towering redwoods, are almost always booked as far as seven months in advance.
Marin County's Novato Unified School District alarmed parents with a proposal to cut its entire sports program to help save $6 million over two years, which would affect about 75% of Novato's 8,600 students. "When the community heard about the possible cut, they freaked out," said Superintendent Jan La Torre-Derby, who adds that "it's not set in stone yet."
The California State University system -- the nation's largest -- faces new cuts after already seeing reduced class offerings, increased classroom sizes and delays in students being able to graduate after a series of budget cuts in recent years.
Things could get worse as more budget cuts loom. The state may not be able to monitor sex offenders as required under a 2006 law that calls for sex offenders to be on GPS monitoring for life and to live more than 2,000 feet from schools and parks. In January, corrections officials said they were monitoring all 6,622 paroled sex offenders with GPS devices, after Gov. Schwarzenegger set aside $106 million in last year's budget for the program. But because the law contained no revenue-raising mechanism, authorities say it is unclear whether they will have funds to continue monitoring.
—Stu Woo contributed to this article.
Write to Jim Carlton at jim.carlton@wsj.com and Bobby White at bobby.white@wsj.com
WALL STREET JOURNAL
By JIM CARLTON and BOBBY WHITE
BIG SUR, Calif. -- As Sacramento squabbles over the state's $42 billion deficit, Californians are getting a bitter taste of what's to come after the steep budget cuts that are inevitable when legislators and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger finally hammer out a deal.
Some world-famous parks like Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park may not open this year. After-school programs in low-income areas are being scuttled, putting high-risk teens on the street just as police forces are being cut. Schools are closing classrooms, and some highway projects have ground to a halt. The state may not be able to monitor some sex offenders as required under law.
A budget deal may restore some of the missing funds. But everyone knows that not all monies will flow again after a deal, and Californians increasingly fear they are seeing a hint of their future.
Jim Carlton/The Wall Street JournalA state parks superintendent inspects the site of an unfinished bridge at California's Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. The world-renowned park on the Central California coast may not open this summer because funds to complete a new bridge to a large campground have been frozen amid talks by California lawmakers to resolve a $42 billion budget deficit.
Jim Carlton/The Wall Street JournalConcrete buttresses have been built for a bridge crossing the Big Sur River to a campground on the other side, but work to finish the bridge itself was still underway when the project ground to a halt a few weeks ago.
"Before it gets better, it's going to get a lot worse," said Joseph Valentine, director of Contra Costa County's Department of Employment and Human Services. The department, which administers social services such as food stamps, has cut 12%, or $25 million, of its budget. It has managers answering reception-desk phones, and Mr. Valentine expects another round of cuts.
The empty coffers have hit some California icons. Pfeiffer Big Sur may not reopen this summer because work on a new bridge to the campground was halted, part of a $6 million renovation project that state officials have ordered frozen along with hundreds of millions of dollars in other state infrastructure projects. Dan and Vickie Coughlin of Torrance, Calif., face not camping in the park with their daughters, ages 10 and 13, for the first time since they were born. When they were advised they couldn't book reservations, "it just broke my heart, and my kids almost cried," said Ms. Coughlin.
Other states face budget cuts too, but California's budget mess stands out for its size. Its deficit is projected at $42 billion by mid-2010. Since Gov. Schwarzenegger declared a fiscal emergency 14 weeks ago, he and lawmakers have been deadlocked over how to close the gap. Democrats want tax increases and moderate spending cuts; Republicans seek deep cuts and no tax increases; the governor wants a combination.
The governor's office warned Tuesday that if no budget deal is reached by Friday, the state would send layoff warnings to 20,000 workers. Gov. Schwarzenegger also said he intends to cut 10,000 jobs through layoffs and attrition to save $750 million over 17 months.
Meanwhile, the state is raising money in unprecedented ways. The treasurer's office said Tuesday that it is close to selling $200 million in general-obligation bonds to the Bay Area Toll Authority, a municipal agency, to fund public-works projects around the San Francisco Bay area.
While Sacramento talks, money is drying up in places like Contra Costa County, where 40,000 families have applied for 350 available slots for Section 8 vouchers -- a federal subsidy that allows low-income families to rent in the private market. "The level of desperation is just heartbreaking," said Joseph Villareal, executive director of the Contra Costa Housing Authority.
California Pfeiffer Big Sur State ParkJim Carlton/The Wall Street Journal
Pfeiffer Big Sur is so popular that campsites like this one,in a grove of towering redwoods, are almost always booked as far as seven months in advance.
Marin County's Novato Unified School District alarmed parents with a proposal to cut its entire sports program to help save $6 million over two years, which would affect about 75% of Novato's 8,600 students. "When the community heard about the possible cut, they freaked out," said Superintendent Jan La Torre-Derby, who adds that "it's not set in stone yet."
The California State University system -- the nation's largest -- faces new cuts after already seeing reduced class offerings, increased classroom sizes and delays in students being able to graduate after a series of budget cuts in recent years.
Things could get worse as more budget cuts loom. The state may not be able to monitor sex offenders as required under a 2006 law that calls for sex offenders to be on GPS monitoring for life and to live more than 2,000 feet from schools and parks. In January, corrections officials said they were monitoring all 6,622 paroled sex offenders with GPS devices, after Gov. Schwarzenegger set aside $106 million in last year's budget for the program. But because the law contained no revenue-raising mechanism, authorities say it is unclear whether they will have funds to continue monitoring.
—Stu Woo contributed to this article.
Write to Jim Carlton at jim.carlton@wsj.com and Bobby White at bobby.white@wsj.com
Our "Leadership" in Washington?
I have been wondering why I haven't been sleeping well recently. With individuals like these "leading" our nation gives me pause - they surely are not concerned with the interests of the American People.
Should we trust John Kerry to "invest" our money?
Or, perhaps Charles Schumer?
Should we trust John Kerry to "invest" our money?
Or, perhaps Charles Schumer?
Monday, February 9, 2009
Meg Whitman for Governor
Gratefully, Meg Whitman has chosen to run for Governor of California. California leads our nation on many fronts, and its current fiscal crisis is not without consequence to our nation and hoped for recovery. California needs a capable leader like Meg. As a friend, I know she has the discipline and capacity to lead the state of California back to a solid footing. Please check out Meg's website and commit to help her lead the state by signing on to her campaign. Her sense of duty and service are grounded in correct principles and I have absolute confidence in the care she will take to lead the state with conservative family values.Thank you Meg!
Where Have All the Leaders Gone?
When challenged by King George to abandon the cause of liberty and join with his "king" and stand with Great Britain, for which he would be duly compensated, Samuel Adams stated, "“I trust I have longsince made my peace with the King of kings. No personal consideration shall induce me to abandon the righteous cause of my country." Samuel Adams stood on righteous principles and stood with backbone in defending what was in the best interest of the people of our nation.
Surely, at our founding we were a blessed nation with men and women, divinely inspired in a righteous cause, freedom. They understood liberty and its defense, they also understood the role of economics in preserving liberty and freedom. As I read the paper, listen to the news and study the words of those who are "leading" us today - I have to ask, "Where have all the leaders gone?" There is no reason or righteousness in their profferrings. If ever there was an inflection point in our society, it is today, and the need for the Samuel Adams' of the world, those who place the righteous cause of the people and freedom over self, it is now. Unfortunately, we are left with a leadership of appeasement without the capacity to stand on correct principles. Our leadership is more concerned with preservation of power, position and personal wealth over the cause of the people.
I thought initially, that we could survive sufficiently under the leadership of President Obama for 4 years, in spite of Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi and the minions that follow them. I am now having serious doubts that they will take us into an irreconcilable economic calamity. President Obama has defaulted to Congress and has failed to lead or direct them to any whit. He has pandered and become subordinate to the handlers and advisors of the liberal left and Bill Clinton. He says the White House is confining and his staff is overworked and tired - really? They have been in office for less than a month! In that month, he has nominated 4 senior officials who have failed to pay income taxes, nominated lobbyists to key positions and deferred to Nancy Pelosi and the House Democrats to write a "stimulus" bill laden with "pork."
Bloomberg has posted an interesting article today (see here), which doesn't bode well for what lies ahead. $9.7 trillion in bailout funds - what happened to reason, checks and balances, and the much needed leadership that stands for fundamental and correct economic principles? Instead, we are left without and will suffer severe consequences. If we stay the course, President Obama and this Congress will have done more to damage our society than any other in history, both economically and socially.
I consider myself a conservative. I am a Republican by party affiliation and support the recent election of Michael Steele, hopeful that he can restore the party's role in conservative politics. Even so, my current disappointment rests with both Democrats and Republicans, although more so with the Democratic leadership - they are without backbone and principle.
The video posted herein reflects my opinion of our current Democratic leadership.
May we, as a nation, be prayerful for our future and stand for what is right. May we not fall prey to the temptation of apathy and mediocrity, wherein we are blindly led down an irreconcilable path. Write those in Washington, make your voice heard, become politically active, hold our leaders accountable. For those in California, a state that is leading our economic calamity, look to those seeking to lead and choose wisely. When Meg Whitman announces her candidacy for governor, join in the cause.
Surely, at our founding we were a blessed nation with men and women, divinely inspired in a righteous cause, freedom. They understood liberty and its defense, they also understood the role of economics in preserving liberty and freedom. As I read the paper, listen to the news and study the words of those who are "leading" us today - I have to ask, "Where have all the leaders gone?" There is no reason or righteousness in their profferrings. If ever there was an inflection point in our society, it is today, and the need for the Samuel Adams' of the world, those who place the righteous cause of the people and freedom over self, it is now. Unfortunately, we are left with a leadership of appeasement without the capacity to stand on correct principles. Our leadership is more concerned with preservation of power, position and personal wealth over the cause of the people.
I thought initially, that we could survive sufficiently under the leadership of President Obama for 4 years, in spite of Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi and the minions that follow them. I am now having serious doubts that they will take us into an irreconcilable economic calamity. President Obama has defaulted to Congress and has failed to lead or direct them to any whit. He has pandered and become subordinate to the handlers and advisors of the liberal left and Bill Clinton. He says the White House is confining and his staff is overworked and tired - really? They have been in office for less than a month! In that month, he has nominated 4 senior officials who have failed to pay income taxes, nominated lobbyists to key positions and deferred to Nancy Pelosi and the House Democrats to write a "stimulus" bill laden with "pork."
Bloomberg has posted an interesting article today (see here), which doesn't bode well for what lies ahead. $9.7 trillion in bailout funds - what happened to reason, checks and balances, and the much needed leadership that stands for fundamental and correct economic principles? Instead, we are left without and will suffer severe consequences. If we stay the course, President Obama and this Congress will have done more to damage our society than any other in history, both economically and socially.
I consider myself a conservative. I am a Republican by party affiliation and support the recent election of Michael Steele, hopeful that he can restore the party's role in conservative politics. Even so, my current disappointment rests with both Democrats and Republicans, although more so with the Democratic leadership - they are without backbone and principle.
The video posted herein reflects my opinion of our current Democratic leadership.
May we, as a nation, be prayerful for our future and stand for what is right. May we not fall prey to the temptation of apathy and mediocrity, wherein we are blindly led down an irreconcilable path. Write those in Washington, make your voice heard, become politically active, hold our leaders accountable. For those in California, a state that is leading our economic calamity, look to those seeking to lead and choose wisely. When Meg Whitman announces her candidacy for governor, join in the cause.
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