Harry's Plan to Fix America

In news conference on June 8, Biden's chief economist Jared Bernstein said of the first 100 days of Obama's administration "we've created or saved over 150,000 jobs". The truth is since February of 2009 the number of unemployed rose from 12.5 million to 14.5 million. Most kids over the age of 10 can tell you that 14.5 is bigger than 12.5, so how do you save or create 150,000 jobs? Why did we spend 800 billion dollars to stimulate the economy? I have a better Idea and it will only cost 305 million dollars.

We could give everyone in the nation a million dollars and saved 799 billion dollars. I mean everyone man, women and child. If we each invested the million dollars in a mutual fund earning 12% interest we would get $10,000 each month and not touch the million dollars. Wow we could pay off our debt, own a house, pay for our own health care, and have leftover to take a vacation.With my plan we can dissolve the IRS, Medicare, and Social Security. Imagine no more Federal Income Tax ever! Collection on tariffs from trade and corporate taxes will pay for the Military and the few required federal services, CIA, FBI, Legislative, Judicial, and Executive branches of the Federal Government. Done.

Imagine a Nation with no more poor, hungry, or homeless.

Harry

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Cap and Trade A Big Fat Lie!

Have you noticed that the talking heads have changed the montra of "Global Warming" to "Climate Change"? Why? Simple it isn't true. We will not be dying of heat stroke any time soon. Read what over 31,000 scientest think about Climate Change by clicking on the following link. http://www.oism.org/pproject/ I believe 31,000 scientest and not Al "I invented the Internet" Gore or Jeff "Run GE into the ground" Immelt. Both Gore and Immelt have a vested intrest in the passage of Cap and Trade. Colusion if you ask me.

Here is Immelt sitting next to Austan Goolsbee, serving on the Council of Economic Advisers and staff director and chief economist of Obama’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board, as the "Church Lady" would say "How convienent"!

America please contact your legislators and tell them to vote down any legislation that has to to with global warming, cap and trade, climate change, carbon tax or any new taxes. This non sense has gone on long enough. There are only bad outcomes for any tax.

Harry.

How Do We Fix America?

Federal Governments responsibilities

1. Legislative : Article. I. Section. 8. to 10. outline the responsibilities of the House and Senate.
   
2. Executive : Article. II. Section. 2. and 3. outline the responsibilities of the President
3. Judicial : Article. III. Section. 2. outlines the responsibilities of the Supreme Court
   

If you read these Articles of the Constitution, you will not find a single mention of some of the most expensive entitlements we give to our citizens. Welfare, Education K-12, Social Security, Medicare, and Prescription Drugs to name a few. Nor will you find our Government accountable for insuring deposits, private company debt, or regulating the free market, yet they seem to be. It seems that the Federal Government is over stepping it's bounds and needs to be brought under control. So back to my original question how do we fix America?

First, all federal entitlements need to go. Yes they do. If a State wants to continue to provide an entitlement they can, it is their right. The Federal Government should not, I mean can not impose entitlements on the entire country, it is not their responsibility. If they don't know what their responsibility is, they need to read the Constitution.

Second, States need to understand their obligation and survival is dependent on the people who live in their state. Depending on and sometimes demanding the Federal Government help a particular state, prevents other states from providing services to their citizens. Meaning, Federal Income Taxes collected in one state must be used to help another state. Not very capitalistic to me sounds like socialism or communism. Let States fend for themselves. If citizens don't like the politics in one state they can move and give their taxes to a state they agree with. Not that is capitalism at its best.

Third, the President is not going to solve the problems of the country. No single man or women alive now or in the past is smart enough to accomplish this. Problems in America differ from state to state, county to county, and from one neighbor to neighbor. This is why reliance on politicians did not make this country great, it was reliance on one's self and his or her local community that has shaped our country. The President needs to read the Constitution and understand his role is to stay out of our homes.

Fourth, get involved in the community. How many people do not know their neighbors? I mean know your neighbors, like simple things, what are their names, where do they work, do they have kids, etc.? This is the greatest loss America faces. We have been led to believe that the individual is the most important, the customer is king. I am here to tell you that is wrong. Personal responsibility and accountability is what America is lacking. People getting together to solve community problems creates solutions that are specific and measurable to that community. What works in one community my not work in another.

Fifth, judge each other. There needs to be acceptable behavior and when you see someone acting out do something. If someone is breaking the law report it don't ignore it or say it's not my responsibility. Keeping the peace and a community in order is a community responsibility. I am not proposing vigilantes or posies, I am saying if you see a person doing something stupid tell them, if you see something dangerous happening stop it. Use your common sense. What people do in public does affect you, keep them and yourself accountable and responsible.

That's it. Just five things to get America back on tract. Simple in thought but extremely difficult to implement. Removal of entitlements, redistribution of wealth, and allowing the States to have their rights back are difficult to reverse, however not impossible and the outcome rewarding. Lower Federal Taxes, locally sponsored social programs, States spend money where its needed and not have to compete for Federal Funds, lower rates of crime, lower state taxes, less Federal Regulations, just to name a few.

So how do we make this happen? I have no idea where to start, so that's where you my friends come in. Comment, make suggestions, offer better solutions, what ever you think will help let me know. Lets put all together and answer the question How do we fix America?

Harry.

Why Government Social Programs Don’t Work and the Solution to the Problem

I was once the treasure of a government and business program (keeping the name anonymous to protect the people I worked with). I was asked to attend a meeting to see presentations from the different areas of out reach so I would feel comfortable signing the budget. The first presenter was in charge of coordinating the local food banks. He presented a PowerPoint presentation and when he got to a slide showing the success they had achieved I raised my hand to point out a mistake with his graph.

The graph depicted a ten-year trend of food collection; in year one they collected 100,000 pounds of food and now the collect five million pounds. Since the social program he works for was mandated to put people to work, I pointed out that his graph should be headed to zero pounds. Since I was the only non-public employee in the room, all eyes were on me. I explained that if our goal is to get people back to work, why are we collecting more food, increasing the budget, and hiring more employees? I went on to say that the goal should be to put this program out of business. That was too much common sense.
I am not a mean person; I care deeply for the less fortunate. I was once in my life very poor. My dad and I would pick up cans in a garbage dump to make money for our mortgage. I have walked in their shoes. I have gone without many comforts. I understand their struggles and make a point to help. I give to my Church’s soup kitchen and donated food to Church’s food bank for example. This is where social programs need to be, in the local community, run by volunteers, and supported by donations. The paradigm shift will benefit everyone. We will be able to due away with some government run social programs and allow volunteer efforts to expand. Here is how it works.

Instead of me paying tax to the government to support a social program, some that go against my values and principles, I get to choose who I give to. The benefits of doing this are significant. The government does not need to pay people to collect these taxes, prepare reports, print checks, and spend time discussing who gets what, etc. etc. etc. Communities get to choose which non-profit organizations they get to donate to, their money goes further due to fewer overheads, they don’t support programs that are not needed in their community, and the list goes on and on.

This is only one program run by the government that doesn’t make sense. I am sure there are many more. I don’t want to due away with social programs, I want the operations to be conducted by local organizations. I want to be able to choose where my money will go and not have the government decide. I am not helpless. I can decide. I can choose. I can make a difference. And I can do it better without government intervention.

Harry

Taxes and Fees

My wife asked me to check out two bills, HB 2436 and HB 2461.

HB 2436 is an Oregon bill designed to provide housing needs for the poor by increasing the fees collected by county and state clerk offices by $15.00. They expect to raise 19.6 million dollars over the next two years. According to the Marion County Clerk, Bill Burgess, in all 36 counties during FY 07-08, there were only 972,723 taxable transactions. Lets do simple math 15 x 972,723 - 19,600,000 = -5,009,155, where are they going to get the rest? Mr. Burgess also says there has been a 20% decline in Oregonians using this service. Lets do more math. 15 x (972,723 x .80) - 19,600,000 = -7,927,324. I wish a legislator could do simple math. The other question is who will be responsible for the low income rentals. Are we now going to let the government operate rental units or are they going to set prices at privately owned apartments? Either is unacceptable in a free society.


HB 2461 Beer tax. The premise is to use the tax money to pay for prevention and treatment of drug and alcohol abuse. What about the wine and spirits producers, don't they need a tax increase too? What about the drug makers and dealers? Should they not also contribute? The funniest thing to me is that we are taxing some of the people that need the help. Hey I forgot a group, the home brewers, we need to tax them also. How you ask? Impose taxes on hops, yeast and other products needed to make beer. In a time of economic downturn this is not what we need. Drug and alcohol problems are not are biggest concern at the moment. While we debate the need to raise taxes, more and more Oregonians are losing their jobs only to feel the government taking more money away from them.

These two bills will just grow government, tax the middle and lower class, and reduce liberties for Oregonians. Some legislators think this is good for Oregon. Let's examine some other revenue streams that harm all Oregonians. Tobacco tax, who smokes more the rich, the middle class, or the poor? Poor. And the lottery, who purchases most of the lottery tickets? Again, the poor. Gas tax, who drives the most? You get the picture. The very people that need most or all of the help that these tax streams provide are paid for by the people who have the least amount of income to spend.

Harry